Q&A Hero

Q: With the ready availability of pocket translators as well as computer programs that translate languages, speaking the language of your potential customer no longer provides a competitive advantage.

Q: Lola has worked in three different restaurants that feature ethnic cuisine, such as Greek food. Lola therefore fits the definition of a multicultural worker.

Q: An advantage noted from having multicultural experiences is that it tends to enhance creative problem solving.

Q: A recommended way of improving cross-cultural understanding is to focus on group and cultural stereotypes, and downplay individual characteristics when dealing with a person from another culture.

Q: Gina, a car design specialist from Italy, visits an auto plant in Detroit, Michigan. During a meeting she demonstrates good cultural intelligence by correctly interpreting the meaning of a wink and a smile from Jack, an American marketing specialist.

Q: To practice high cultural intelligence, the mind, heart, and body would have to work together.

Q: Garth has good cultural intelligence, or cultural savvy, so he knows that it is best for him to work with people from his own culture.

Q: An important part of diversity training is to ________. A) learn how to ignore cultural differences B) learn how to converse in another language C) understand new types of diversity D) develop empathy for diverse viewpoints

Q: A major justification for providing cultural training to domestic employees is that ________. A) most domestic employees have a fear of foreigners B) cultural training is required by anti-job discrimination legislation C) domestic employees often work with people from other cultures D) English has become the universal language of business and science

Q: Roger, a construction supervisor, displays a cultural bias in hiring construction workers when he ________. A) hires a lot of friends and family members B) makes job offers only to candidates with construction experience C) give preferences to Mexican workers because he believes they have a strong work ethic. D) asks a candidate for an engineering technician position to provide a transcript of her grades from her career college

Q: Multicultural experiences are particularly useful from a business perspective because these experiences ________. A) make workers less inclined to demand an international position B) help workers become more creative C) often make employees become more ambitious D) raise productivity more than morale

Q: Noreen values cultural differences, so she will likely perceive people from different cultures as being ________. A) more valuable than her own B) different but equally good C) less fortunate, and therefore in need of assistance D) more fortunate because they are more diverse

Q: In the workplace, sexual equity refers to top-level management ________. A) treating heterosexual, gay, lesbian, and transgender employees equally B) making sure that the company hires its fair share of men and women C) having separate restrooms for transgender employees D) having unisex restrooms for transgender employees

Q: Jeff, an international marketing specialist, demonstrates the metacognitive aspect of cultural intelligence when he ________. A) develops strong self-confidence to deal with people from other cultures B) plays computer games developed in a country other than his own C) takes action on his cultural knowledge such as bowing in front of Japanese executives D) uses high-level problem-solving ability to organize and understand cultural knowledge

Q: Melody shows good cultural intelligence when she ________. A) figures out what it means when an Irish coworker scratches his head in a meeting B) learns Spanish so she can better understand her Latino customers C) dines in foreign restaurants D) wears only tank tops to work on casual Fridays

Q: Paul has high-cultural sensitivity, so he is likely to ________. A) regard people from different cultures as pretty much the same B) be too sensitive to criticism from people from different cultures C) recognize nuances in customs among cultures D) overlook nuances in customs among cultures

Q: The cultural mosaic refers to the idea that many people have a unique mixture of cultural identities, with each "tile" in the mosaic representing such factors as race, gender, or country of origin.

Q: According to the concept of multicultural identities, after people acquire a local identify, they tend to discard their global identity.

Q: According to the cultural dimension of social support seeking, Helen, a Korean-American, would actively seek out help from others in dealing with her problems.

Q: The cultural value of formality versus informality has changed over the years with many countries now valuing informality in work relationships.

Q: Maria, a Cuban, says that the major reason she makes such extensive use of body language is that she is from a high-context culture. Maria is presenting an accurate national stereotype.

Q: Workers from an individualistic culture would probably enjoy participating in a sales competition that offered lavish prizes for the top three performers throughout the country.

Q: A study showed that companies in the top quartile for racial and ethnic diversity tend to have poorer financial results than their competitors with less racial and ethnic diversity.

Q: Raj works for a large food company, and he openly expresses his belief that eating food created from animals is totally wrong. Raj is therefore showing deep-level diversity.

Q: Religious diversity is most likely to affect workplace behavior because religious practices sometimes influence ________. A) which sex a person is willing to work with B) whether or not a person will accept a salary increase C) whether employees demand a place of worship on company premises D) which hours and days people are willing to work

Q: A cultural mosaic refers to an individual's ________. A) unique mixture of multiple cultural identities B) difficulty in fitting in with other cultures C) willingness to work with people from a similar culture D) willingness to work with people from a different culture

Q: A study conducted on the Internet found that employees were more likely to accept abusive supervision if they strongly held the value of ________. A) leisure orientation B) high power distance C) social support seeking D) casual time orientation

Q: Juanita identifies with both her Mexican heritage and her American heritage, so she is considered to have a ________ identity. A) confused identity B) complex identity C) local identity D) multicultural identity

Q: Which one of the following values is likely to be strongly held by Americans? A) Casual time orientation B) Urgent time orientation C) High importance to the context of an event D) Long-term orientation

Q: The cultural dimension of materialism includes a ________. A) de-emphasis on caring for others B) strong emphasis on caring for others C) strong desire to give to charity D) distrust of foreigners

Q: Studies conducted by a consultancy found that companies with racial, ethnic, and gender diversity ________. A) attained below average financial results B) performed well from a financial perspective C) experienced more conflict than they could handle D) usually had a short-range perspective

Q: Deep-level diversity is reflected in which one of the following characteristics? A) Race B) Sex C) Ethnicity D) Religious values

Q: Brook is likely to participate in groupthink when she goes out of her way to strive for harmony and group solidarity.

Q: A person occupying a self-oriented team role will sacrifice his or her own needs for the good of the group.

Q: A person occupying the specialist role in a group is usually the one to make sure the work gets done on time.

Q: A person occupying the shaper role in a group is likely to be challenging, dynamic, and to thrive under pressure.

Q: Confusion and caution are typical during the forming stage of group development.

Q: Some of the characteristics of effective work groups are objective measures of production, favorable evaluations by management, and ________. A) groupthink B) extrinsic motivation C) worker satisfaction D) conflict within the group

Q: A major justification for using groups to accomplish work is that they can ________. A) produce more than the sum of the individual members B) prevent workers from too spending too much time working alone C) lead to equity in pay among group members D) control the behavior of workers

Q: Elements of groupthink include ________. A) group values getting along more than getting things done B) group believes it is impervious to outside criticism C) group begins to have illusions about its own invincibility D) all of the above

Q: When a group loses its mental efficiency and moral judgment in the interest of group solidarity, the group is suffering from ________. A) micromanagement B) groupthink C) team spirit D) shaping

Q: Virtual teams are often at an advantage in having good teamwork because the team members have considerable face-to-face interaction with each other.

Q: An increasingly popular form of offsite teamwork training is for members of a team to send Facebook posts to each other from their smart phones while engaged in personal life.

Q: Micromanagement is an effective tool for fostering teamwork.

Q: The autocratic decision-making style tends to foster teamwork.

Q: When an organization has a strong culture of individualism, it is relatively easy to develop a spirit of teamwork.

Q: Teamwork tends to develop faster when the purpose facing the group lacks a sense of urgency.

Q: Clancy engages in a self-oriented role within his team when he ________. A) strives to be an implementer B) strives to be a creative problem solver C) acts in the role of resource investigator D) focuses on his own needs, such as a craving for recognition

Q: Which one of the following practices would be the least likely to improve teamwork? A) Get qualified members B) Use the autocratic decision-making style C) Minimize micromanagement D) Reward the team as well as individuals

Q: Which one of the following is the most recommended tactic for a team leader to use in building teamwork? A) Use an autocratic leadership style B) Discourage virtual team members from spending work time communicating with each other C) Maintain a negative mood to keep team members on edge D) Have an urgent, constructive purpose

Q: One of the best known methods for building team spirit is ________. A) competing against a common adversary B) monetary rewards C) micromanagement D) competition between team members

Q: Recognition programs appear to work at cross-purposes with employee engagement.

Q: Industrial sales representative Alyssa has a high tolerance for risk taking so she probably would prefer that most of her compensation be based on commission.

Q: Business owner Shelia is correct in believing that she can pay the majority of workers close to the minimum wage, yet keep them motivated and working hard by giving them loads of recognition.

Q: Punishments are used more regularly than positive reinforcement to help employees stick with the goals of company wellness programs.

Q: To use positive reinforcement properly, rewards must be contingent on doing something right or of value.

Q: Employee recognition programs appear to be helpful in ________. A) pitting one employee against another B) keeping employee motivation from surging too high C) discouraging extrinsic (external) motivation D) bringing about employee engagement

Q: While on lunch break, Phyllis snuffs out a fire that started in the bagel toaster. A recommended statement of praise for Phyllis would be ________ A) "From now on your nickname will be 'Fabulous Phyllis the firefighter.'" B) "Nice job. You probably saved the company from a $10,000 insurance claim." C) "You did the right thing, but helping out is part of every employee's job." D) "Much appreciated, but are you sure you didn't start the fire?"

Q: Miguel's company bases their pay rates on performance. This system of compensation is referred to as ________ pay. A) merit B) seniority C) position D) risk

Q: Financial incentives, recognition, and praise are examples of ________. A) negative reinforcement B) positive reinforcement C) intrinsic motivation D) empowerment

Q: Pamela knows that she received a visible reward from the company when ________. A) the payroll department is informed of the reward B) the award arrives the first of the month C) coworkers are aware she received the reward D) she can use it to purchase something at a store

Q: Which one of the following practices would violate a rule for the effective use of positive reinforcement? A) Minimize feedback to keep workers on edge B) Choose an appropriate reward C) Make the rewards visible D) Change the reward periodically

Q: Middle manager Nick is on the right track when he attempts to enrich the job of his workgroup by giving them a sense of purpose.

Q: Creating opportunities for new learning within a job usually detracts from job enrichment because learning new things requires such effort.

Q: Peyton exhibits prosocial motivation when she systematically looks for ways to help other people at work.

Q: In the two-factor theory of work motivation, extrinsic, job context, or hygiene factors are motivational.

Q: Being part of a self-managed work team brings a person some degree of empowerment.

Q: You ask your manager "What project should I work on first?" You know you are being subjected to an extreme form of empowerment when your manager replies, "Work first on whatever you want."

Q: Because it leads to workers feeling more effective, empowerment contributes to intrinsic motivation.

Q: Bobby experiences a greater sense of self-efficacy and ownership of his jobs when he shares power with management in relation to his job.

Q: A strong characteristic of interesting work would be to ________. A) have flexible working hours B) have a sense of purpose in what you are doing C) be paid for performance D) receive an above-average amount of vacation time

Q: The characteristics of an enriched job include direct feedback, client relationship, and ________. A) new learning B) repetition of procedures C) extrinsic motivation D) increased compensation

Q: A company makes employee jobs more interesting by adding variety and responsibility. This is referred to as ________. A) intrinsic motivation B) extrinsic motivation C) job enrichment D) empowerment

Q: We know that Sonya has prosocial motivation because she ________. A) goes out of her way to help coworkers B) has about 1,000 friends on her favorite social networking site C) has difficulty getting started working in the morning D) is strongly motivated by money

Q: James is motivated by his level of interest in his work. This type of motivation is referred to as ________. A) intrinsic B) extrinsic C) empowerment D) effortful

Q: Jill is very motivated by achievement, recognition, advancement, responsibility, the work itself, and personal growth possibilities. According to the two-factor theory, Jill is motivated by ________. A) hygiene factors B) motivator factors C) social factors D) manipulators

Q: Barry, a manager, engages in empowerment when he ________. A) asks team members to work harder B) earns a promotion for himself C) shares power with team members D) grabs more power for himself

Q: Which one of the following practices indicates the most extreme form of empowerment? A) Workers deciding when to take their lunch breaks. B) Workers being allowed to decorate their cubicles as they would like. C) Workers choosing the brand of laptop or tablet computer they prefer. D) Workers choosing which projects they would like to pursue.

Q: A person's behavior is often more revealing about what a person wants from work than what he or she says.

Q: Supervisor Rebecca wants to motivate Randy, a lab technician in her group. A good question for Rebecca to ask Randy would be, ________ A) "What could this job offer you that would make you work at your best?" B) "Do you think you are a little bit on the lazy side?" C) "How much time out of the workday are you looking at Facebook and Twitter?" D) "Do you think you deserve a raise?"