Chapter 3 Communicating in a World of Diversity 1) "All the characteristics and experiences that define each of us as individuals" is the definition of A) ethnicity. B) diversity. C) culture. D) none of the above. Answer: B Explanation: B) Diversity is a measure of the ways in which human beings are different. Diversity can reflect a choice that someone has made, like the decision to be married, or an inborn trait, such as race or ethnicity. 2) Intercultural communication can challenge supervisors in all of the following ways except A) connecting on an interpersonal level with diverse employees. B) providing motivation to diverse employees. C) getting a broader range of views and ideas from diverse employees. D) fostering cooperation and harmony among diverse employees. Answer: C Explanation: C) Supervisors face the challenge of connecting with diverse employees, motivating them, and fostering cooperation and harmony among them. 3) Intercultural communication is the process of sending and receiving messages between people whose cultural backgrounds A) don't include verbal and/or nonverbal signs. B) don't include a common language but do include common nonverbal customs. C) could lead them to interpret verbal and nonverbal signs differently. D) allow them to interpret verbal and nonverbal signals in identical ways. Answer: C Explanation: C) Intercultural communication is the process of sending and receiving messages between people whose cultural backgrounds could lead them to interpret verbal and nonverbal signs differently. 4) Diversity in the workplace can be based on differences in A) ethnic heritage. B) religion. C) age or gender. D) all of the above. Answer: D Explanation: D) Nineteen different categories have been identified as indications of diversity. These include age, race, religion, ethnicity, military experience, and many other characteristics and experiences. 5) The business advantages of today's diverse workforce include A) a wider range of views and ideas. B) a broader talent pool from which to recruit. C) a better understanding of diverse, fragmented markets. D) all of the above. Answer: D Explanation: D) The advantages of diversity in today's workforce include a broader range of ideas and views; a better understanding of diverse, fragmented markets; and a broader pool of talent from which to recruit. 6) The term ________ includes an appreciation for cultural differences that affect communication and the ability to adjust one's style when communicating across cultures. A) cultural intuition B) cultural insight C) cultural competency D) cultural dexterity Answer: C Explanation: C) Cultural competency includes an appreciation for cultural differences that affect communication and the ability to adjust one's communication style to ensure that efforts to send and receive messages across cultural boundaries are successful. 7) All of the following except ________ can help you to overcome ethnocentrism and stereotyping. A) advocating preconceptions B) avoiding assumptions C) accepting differences D) avoiding judgments Answer: A Explanation: A) You can overcome ethnocentrism and stereotyping by avoiding judgments and assumptions and by accepting differences. 8) As it pertains to communication, culture influences the A) meanings of words. B) importance of nonverbal signals. C) use of time and space. D) all of the above. Answer: D Explanation: D) Culture influences everything about communication, including language, nonverbal signals, word meanings, time and space issues, and rules of human relationships. From the earliest age, cultures help human beings make sense of their environment, helping them interpret forms of communication that are both verbal and nonverbal. The language a person speaks is obviously dependent on culture. Not so obvious are more subtle things, such as the way various nonverbal gestures and clues are transmitted and interpreted. 9) When you react ethnocentrically, you A) assume that your culture is superior to others. B) recognize the differences that exist between your culture and other cultures. C) focus on the possibility that your words and actions will be misunderstood. D) do all of the above. Answer: A Explanation: A) Strictly speaking, ethnocentrism involves judging a person from another culture by your own cultural standards. However, since the standards of other cultures almost always seem strange or illogical to outsiders, ethnocentrism tends to make those judging "outsider" cultures feel superior to those unfamiliar cultures. 10) Xenophobia is the fear of A) crises. B) working in unfamiliar environments. C) strangers and foreigners. D) change. Answer: C Explanation: C) The unfamiliarity of language, clothing, and personal style makes some people feel xenophobic, or fearful of different cultures. 11) The practice of accepting multiple cultures on their own terms is known as A) ethnocentrism. B) cultural pluralism. C) ethnography. D) stereotyping. Answer: B Explanation: B) Cultural pluralism tries to avoid making judgments about other cultures. It accepts the other cultures as different and does not try to force them to conform to local cultural norms. 12) Ethnocentrism can be overcome in part by A) avoiding assumptions. B) judging other groups according to your own standards. C) ignoring the distinctions among cultures. D) remembering that people from other cultures communicate in ways that are inferior to your own. Answer: A Explanation: A) To avoid ethnocentrism, people must learn not to make assumptions about human nature or human behavior. For example, you may assume that looking someone straight in the eye as a sign of trust is part of "human nature," but for some cultures direct eye contact is considered to be aggressive and hostile. 13) Cultural differences appear in a number of important areas, including A) nonverbal signals. B) gender. C) religion. D) all of the above. Answer: D Explanation: D) Cultural differences can appear in almost any facet of human behavior. Even cultures that seem to have many things in common may differ when it comes to such things as interpreting nonverbal signals or interactions between the sexes. 14) Every attempt at communication between two people from the same culture occurs within a A) cultural context. B) communication portal. C) nexus of convenience. D) cone of reciprocity. Answer: A Explanation: A) Communication exists in a cultural context: the patterns of physical cues, environmental stimuli, and implicit understanding that convey meaning between two members of the same culture. 15) Disabled employees can use ________ to pursue a greater range of career paths, thereby giving employers access to a broader base of talent. A) flexible initiatives B) coordinated systems C) assistive technologies D) revolving methodologies Answer: C Explanation: C) Assistive technologies include devices and systems that help workers communicate orally and visually, interact with computers and other equipment, and enjoy greater mobility in the workplace. 16) Nonverbal communication can be a reliable guide to determining the meaning of a message A) in all communication situations. B) across a wide range of electronic communication media. C) in the majority of intercultural communication situations. D) only if the sender and receiver assign the same meaning to nonverbal signals. Answer: D Explanation: D) Nonverbal communication can be a helpful guide to determining the meaning of a message; however, this situation holds true only if the sender and receiver assign the same meaning to nonverbal signals. 17) In high-context cultures, A) people rely more on nonverbal circumstances and cues to convey meaning. B) people rely less on the environmental setting to convey meaning. C) the rules of everyday life are highly explicit. D) all of the above occur. Answer: A Explanation: A) In a high-context culture, words are less important than the context in which they are spoken. A high-context culture uses circumstances to add meaning to words, building a web of meaning around the words. The listener is expected to use the entire web of meaning to come to a unique and unambiguous understanding of what is being said. 18) To convey meaning in a low-context culture such as the one existing in Germany, people rely more on A) gestures and vocal inflection. B) indirectness and metaphors. C) situational cues. D) explicit verbal communication. Answer: D Explanation: D) In a low-context culture, precision is what matters. People in low-context cultures take you at your word and leave little or no room for interpretation. 19) The social media and technological skills of ________ are helping to change business communication practices. A) Generation X B) Generation Q C) Generation Y D) Generation Z Answer: C Explanation: C) Generation Y's comfort level with social media and other technologies is helping to change business communication practices. 20) Members of the ________ were born between 1946 - 1964. A) Radio Generation B) Lost Generation C) Baby Boom Generation D) Millennial Generation Answer: C Explanation: C) This large segment of the workforce, which now occupies many mid- and upper-level managerial positions, got its name from the population boom in the years following World War II. 21) All of the following except ________ can promote ethical choices across cultures. A) sending honest messages B) respecting cultural differences C) capturing the moral high ground D) sending and receiving messages without judgment Answer: C Explanation: C) You can keep your messages ethical by applying four basic principles: seek mutual ground, send honest messages, respect cultural differences, and send and receive messages without judgment. 22) When it comes to decision-making customs, North American executives A) tend to focus on the results of the decisions they face. B) prefer to make their deals slowly, after much discussion. C) spend a lot of time on each little point to display their good faith. D) arrive at decisions through consensus, after an elaborate and time-consuming process. Answer: A Explanation: A) Low-context North Americans tend to focus on results rather than relationship building. North Americans try to obtain the best outcome in a decision for the issue at hand, while high-context cultures put more emphasis into long term issues, such as relationships between parties. 23) Compared to low-context cultures, high-context cultures tend to take a(n) ________ approach regarding the meaning of business contracts. A) equally flexible B) more literal C) more flexible D) none of the above Answer: C Explanation: C) High-context cultures focus more on relationships than results. This makes them less explicit and less rigid in their negotiations, and therefore more flexible. 24) People in the United States generally A) view hard-earned material comfort as a worthy goal. B) believe that people who work hard are no better than those who don't work hard. C) condemn materialism and prize a carefree lifestyle. D) spend far less time on the job than German workers. Answer: A Explanation: A) Hard work, and the rewards that come from it, are a core value for people that live in the United States. Someone with material wealth is typically viewed with respect as a hard worker, whether or not that wealth was actually acquired through hard work. 25) Women executives who travel abroad A) can count on being treated with respect, regardless of the countries they visit. B) should always assume that they will not be taken seriously as businesspeople. C) may not be taken seriously as businesspeople, depending on the culture. D) should insist on meeting only with other female executives. Answer: C Explanation: C) In cultures that view women in subservient roles only, female executives often need to struggle to be taken seriously. Though such attitudes should not be condoned, understanding that they emerge from an entire culture rather than the sexism of a single individual can help people deal with them successfully. 26) Asking a colleague "How was your weekend?" is A) an effective greeting in any culture. B) accepted in the U.S., but considered intrusive in some cultures. C) never acceptable in a business environment. D) grounds for a lawsuit. Answer: B Explanation: B) Some cultures draw a sharp distinction between private and business lives. To avoid the perception of inappropriateness or insult, it is best to do research about the culture you are visiting to find out about local cultural attitudes. 27) Meeting a deadline is generally less important than building a relationship for businesspeople in A) technical career fields. B) low-context cultures. C) high-context cultures. D) high-paying positions. Answer: C Explanation: C) In high-context cultures everything is less literal and less explicit. Deadlines are not taken seriously as long as relationships stay intact. 28) When it comes to the future, A) people of all cultures view planning as a valuable task. B) individual views may differ, but culture generally does not determine one's view of the future. C) some societies view planning as a waste of time. D) none of the above. Answer: C Explanation: C) Some cultures see the future as too remote and too unpredictable to plan for. Therefore, they see little value in strategic planning. 29) Associating youth with strength and age with declining powers is A) a universal trait that characterizes all cultures. B) common in European cultures, but not in the U.S. C) common in the U.S., but not in many Asian societies. D) an outdated practice. Answer: C Explanation: C) Many Asian societies view younger people as being entirely subordinate to their elders. These societies view the experience and the wisdom that comes with age as the most important attributes, rather than the energy and enthusiasm that comes with youth. 30) When adapting to other cultures, the "Golden Rule" is A) a helpful principle to follow. B) less effective than treating others the way they want to be treated. C) helpful, but only in Asian countries. D) none of the above. Answer: B Explanation: B) Across cultures, people often don't want to be treated as you yourself would want to be treated. So rather than follow the Golden Rule, it is better to make the effort to find out how people want to be treated, then treat them accordingly. 31) Business communicators can improve their cultural competency by A) becoming aware of their own biases. B) exercising tolerance, flexibility, and respect. C) practicing patience and maintaining a sense of humor. D) all of the above. Answer: D Explanation: D) Business communicators can use the following four guidelines to improve their cultural competency: becoming aware of their biases; ignoring the "Golden Rule"; exercising tolerance, respect, and flexibility; and practicing and keeping a sense of humor. 32) Learning about an unfamiliar culture A) can be accomplished only by living among its people. B) is generally a waste of time since no one in business expects you to do so. C) is a worthy undertaking, even if you learn only a small amount. D) requires at least one year of study before it is meaningful. Answer: C Explanation: C) In most cases, people from other cultures greatly appreciate the effort you make to learn about their culture, even if your knowledge is minimal. So any effort into learning about other cultures usually pays great dividends. 33) If you will be living in another country where English is not the official language but you will be doing business in English, you A) will not need to learn that country's language. B) should learn only those words that are absolutely necessary for getting around. C) can show respect by making an effort to learn the language. D) should only deal with natives who can speak English. Answer: C Explanation: C) Making the effort to learn the language of your host is usually interpreted by the host as a great honor. The host sees you as someone who values his or her culture enough to invest your time and energy into learning about it. 34) Letters from Japanese businesspeople tend to be ________ than those written in the United States. A) more direct B) less direct C) less interesting D) shorter Answer: B Explanation: B) High-context cultures such as Japan tend to be indirect in what they express in words. Therefore a letter from a Japanese businessperson would be expected to be more subtle and nuanced than a letter from a North American. 35) In general, business correspondence in other countries is often ________ the style used by U.S. businesspeople. A) less formal than B) more formal than C) more humorous than D) none of the above Answer: B Explanation: B) In general, communication in the U.S. is less formal and more direct than in other cultures. So a person from the U.S. should not be put off by correspondence from a foreign counterpart that sounds like a royal proclamation—formality is simply the style that some cultures prefer. 36) When writing for multicultural audiences, it's important to A) be brief. B) be direct and assertive. C) address international correspondence exactly as you would in the U.S. D) explain that you aren't sure about what they expect. Answer: A Explanation: A) Simplicity is the key when dealing with an audience from a different culture. The more complicated you make the correspondence, the more likely it is that misunderstanding will occur. 37) When writing letters to businesspeople in other countries, you should A) use an informal, friendly tone. B) keep your sentences and paragraphs long. C) be vague and general in your wording. D) make generous use of transitional words and phrases. Answer: D Explanation: D) Transitional words and phrases help readers tie the thoughts and facts of your text together. Make sure that your reader can easily understand how information in one paragraph ties to others by including appropriate transitional words and phrases. 38) When preparing a message to someone from another culture, you should A) never write more than a single paragraph. B) assume that the audience is familiar with common U.S. phrases and references. C) be sure to remove all graphics, in case they might offend someone. D) be careful to express numbers and dates in the format used in that person's culture. Answer: D Explanation: D) Ambiguity can arise when dates in different formats are used. To make sure that there is no misunderstanding, add a sentence that specifies the date in the text, such as, "We look forward to seeing you on the 6th of July." 39) When writing to audiences whose first language is not English, using humor is generally A) a bad idea, since jokes usually depend on culture-specific information. B) an excellent way to establish a positive relationship. C) acceptable, but only in high-context cultures. D) acceptable, but only in low-context cultures. Answer: A Explanation: A) Few jokes travel well across cultures. Even worse, one culture's humor can be an insult to another culture. So it is a good idea to avoid jokes. 40) Which of the following sentences contains an idiomatic expression? A) Our monthly sales quota is unrealistic. B) We don't expect to meet our monthly sales quota. C) Making our monthly sales quota will be a piece of cake. D) The sales quota is very reasonable. Answer: C Explanation: C) The term "piece of cake" is an idiomatic expression that would be likely to be misinterpreted by a person from another culture. The response from the person who heard this phrase in a sales quota meeting might be to question what sales quotas have to do with baking and cakes. 41) To English-speaking U.S. listeners, Arabic speech may sound A) excited or angry. B) disinterested. C) timid. D) all of the above. Answer: A Explanation: A) English listeners tend to misinterpret pronunciation cues from other languages as emotional signals. Thus, ordinary Arabic speech often sounds excited or angry when in fact it is non-emotional speech. 42) When speaking in English to people who use English as a second language, the best approach is to A) forget about feedback; just make sure you get your message across. B) repeat your sentences often, a little louder each time. C) speak slowly and clearly. D) use plenty of adjectives such as fantastic and fabulous. Answer: C Explanation: C) Those who speak English as a second language often have a literal interpretation of speech. Therefore, it is important to speak slowly and, in some cases, enunciate each syllable of difficult words separately. Your listener will appreciate your effort and your overall communication level will improve. 43) During conversations with non-native English speakers, you should A) immediately rephrase statements they don't seem to understand. B) avoid paying too much attention to nonverbal feedback. C) avoid including any words or phrases from their native language. D) do none of the above. Answer: D Explanation: D) Instead of trying the above strategies, try instead to speak slowly and clearly, elicit feedback whenever possible, and summarize at the end of the conversation to make sure that your thoughts have been effectively communicated. 44) When speaking with someone from another culture, avoid A) talking down to the other person. B) using any foreign phrases. C) paying any attention to the person's body language. D) doing all of the above. Answer: A Explanation: A) The person you are speaking to isn't stupid—he or she simply speaks another language. So don't talk down to the person or treat him or her like a child. 45) If you translate a message from English into another language, it is a good idea to A) translate it word for word. B) have it back-translated. C) use several translators. D) do all of the above. Answer: B Explanation: B) Back-translation provides a check on the original translation. If the back-translation closely matches the original English statement, the translation was likely to be accurate. If the back-translation is wildly different from the original, the translation was probably faulty. 46) International business communication has been hampered by opening trade barriers throughout the world. Answer: False Explanation: Fewer barriers to trade means more trade between countries that once had little or no interaction. The more experience people get in communicating across cultures, the more successful their communication becomes. So more trade means better communication. 47) Culture influences how messages are sent and received in the workplace. Answer: True Explanation: Every attempt to send and receive messages is influenced by culture; so to communicate successfully, you need a basic grasp of the cultural differences you may encounter and how you should handle them. 48) The level of cultural diversity at a company will have little effect on business communication at that company. Answer: False Explanation: A company's cultural diversity affects how its business messages are conceived, composed, delivered, received, and interpreted. 49) As it applies to the contemporary workplace, the idea of diversity is limited to issues of race and ethnicity. Answer: False Explanation: Diversity includes all the characteristics that define people as individuals. 50) As the differences between cultures increase, the chances for misunderstandings when communicating decrease. Answer: False Explanation: The greater the difference between cultures, the greater the chance for misunderstanding. 51) Members of a well-established culture tend to view their culture as complete, which can dull or even suppress curiosity about other cultures. Answer: True Explanation: When viewed from within a culture, foreign cultures often seem strange, illogical, and even foolish, causing people to see them as inferior and to have little or no incentive to learn more about them. 52) The concept of cultural competency applies when a person becomes such an expert in his or her culture that most communication is largely automatic. Answer: False Explanation: A person who possesses cultural competency can appreciate cultural differences that affect communication and adjust his/her style when communicating across cultural boundaries. 53) Studies have shown that people often have cultural biases of which they're not even consciously aware. Answer: True Explanation: Project Implicit has shown that even the most "open-minded," unbiased people who genuinely profess to despise racism, sexism, and ethnocentrism seem to harbor a number of unconscious racial, sexual, and cultural biases. These biases become evident when people are forced to make split second decisions that involve such things as fear and trust. 54) Cultural context refers to the pattern of physical cues, environmental stimuli, and implicit understanding that conveys meaning between members of the same culture. Answer: True Explanation: The two major patterns have been termed high-context culture and low-context culture. High-context cultures are prevalent in many Asian countries, while low-context cultures are seen in North America and some European countries. 55) Members of low-context cultures place more emphasis on nonverbal communication than on verbal communication. Answer: False Explanation: Low-context cultures tend to focus on specific written or spoken language that is independent of the situation at hand or the cues provided by nonverbal forms of communication. 56) In low-context cultures, businesspeople tend to focus on the results of the decisions they face. Answer: True Explanation: Low-context cultures tend to be cut-and-dried and look at the data only: were the results of the decision positive? If yes, then the decision was a success. If no, then the decision was a failure. For a low-context culture the results are the only thing that matters. 57) In some cultures, planning for the future is regarded as a waste of time. Answer: True Explanation: Some cultures see the future as far too abstract and unpredictable to make serious plans about. So they don't make serious attempts at planning for the future. 58) In every culture, it's safe to assume that people view material comforts earned by individual effort as a sign of superiority. Answer: False Explanation: In the United States, there seems to be universal admiration for material wealth as a sign of success that was earned by hard work and smart decision making. However, in some cultures this view is not shared, and wealth is often seen as a sign of privilege and birth status rather than hard work and ingenuity. 59) In general, attitudes toward work and success are consistent across the world. Answer: False Explanation: In fact, attitudes toward work and success vary between different cultures. Germans, for example, are known for their thrift and hard work while Greeks seem to place less importance on industriousness. 60) Following the "Golden Rule" is not an effective strategy for adapting to other cultures. Answer: True Explanation: The problem with the Golden Rule is that it is specific to a person's home culture. People in other cultures often don't want to be treated as you would want to be treated, but rather as they themselves would want to be treated. 61) When traveling to another country to conduct business, you should assume that frequent eye contact is regarded as a sign of honesty and openness in any culture. Answer: False Explanation: In some cultures, direct eye contact is interpreted as a sign of aggressiveness or disrespect. 62) Evidence suggests that whatever the culture, men and women tend to have slightly different communication styles. Answer: True Explanation: Men tend to be more direct and literal in their interactions, while women tend to focus on relationship building and indirect communication. 63) People in the United States are generally accustomed to having less privacy at work than their counterparts in other cultures. Answer: False Explanation: In fact, Americans tend to expect more privacy than people in many other cultures. For example, people in the U.S. expect visitors to knock when they enter an office door, something that is not expected in many foreign cultures. 64) When communicating with people from other cultures, it is best to apologize when you make a mistake. Answer: True Explanation: Cultural blunders and language mistakes are understandable and forgivable. If you are guilty of a blunder, simply apologize and move on. There is nothing more that can be done. 65) Because high-quality translation software is now widely available, the demand for multilingual communicators continues to decrease. Answer: False Explanation: Learning the language of another culture is a plus in almost any job environment. Even learning a few basic phrases can pay great dividends, impressing your foreign counterparts with your interest in their culture, and conveying the message that you are seriously committed to them. 66) There are no differences between English as it is written in the U.S. and English as it is written in the United Kingdom. Answer: False Explanation: There are many language differences in English between the U.S. and the U.K. The spelling of words such as colour, kerb, and centre identify just a few examples. 67) When conducting business with others who speak a language other than English, it is best to avoid trying to speak any words or phrases in their language. Answer: False Explanation: Rather than frowned upon, any honest effort to use the language of a foreign business person is almost always appreciated. 68) In general, when writing to someone in another country, U.S. businesspeople should be a bit more formal than they would be otherwise. Answer: True Explanation: The language style in the United States tends to be informal and direct. This contrasts with the styles of many foreign cultures when tend to be more formal and official in tone. 69) When writing to someone for whom English is a second language, you should avoid using slang and idioms. Answer: True Explanation: Non-English speakers have trouble enough interpreting standard English. Idioms and slang just add to their burden without any chance of enhancing the meaning of your message. 70) In intercultural conversations, speaking slowly is usually regarded as a sign of disrespect. Answer: False Explanation: When trying to communicate with a non-English speaker, speaking slowly is a requirement for better understanding. 71) The process of sending and receiving messages between people of different cultures is called ________________. Answer: intercultural communication Explanation: Intercultural communication may involve written or spoken language and every form of nonverbal communication. 72) Cultural ________ is an appreciation for cultural differences that affect communication and the ability to adjust one's communication style to ensure that efforts to send and receive messages across cultural boundaries are successful. Answer: competency Explanation: Cultural competency is a measure of how tuned in a person is to the values and customs of another culture. 73) As businesses become more global, the workforce is increasingly ________: made up of employees with different national, religious, and ethnic backgrounds. Answer: diverse Explanation: The trend in every country is to include people from partner nations in both domestic and foreign operations. For example, there are many more Chinese people working in the U.S. than there were decades ago. Similarly, the number of Americans who now work in China has skyrocketed. 74) ________ is a shared system of symbols, beliefs, attitudes, values, expectations, and norms for behavior. Answer: Culture Explanation: Note that culture is something that is transmitted to a person by parents, relatives, friends, schooling, media—virtually everything that he or she encounters growing up. Note also that culture is a learned phenomenon and has nothing to do with race or ethnicity. A child with Chinese parents who grows up in the United States, for example, ends up being much more "American" than Chinese, a measure of the power of culture. 75) Some companies use ________ to ensure that a document or message has been translated correctly. Answer: back translation Explanation: Once a translator encodes a message into another language, a different translator retranslates the same message into the original language. This back-translation is then compared with the original message to discover any errors or discrepancies. 76) ________ is the tendency to judge all other groups according to your own group's standards, behaviors, and customs. Answer: Ethnocentrism Explanation: It is impossible to escape ethnocentrism—a person uses his or her own culture as a standard by which other cultures are compared. However, being aware of ethnocentrism allows individuals to avoid making the foolish mistake of assuming that one's own culture is "better" than some other culture. 77) ________ is the practice of assigning a wide range of generalized attributes to an individual on the basis of membership in a particular culture or social group. Answer: Stereotyping Explanation: Stereotyping is a short-cut that assigns traits to individuals based on ethnicity, race, or some other diversity characteristic. In almost all cases, stereotyping is inaccurate and usually leads to unfair discrimination. Calling an entire group of people "lazy" because you encounter a few less-than-industrious people is an example of the most insidious form of stereotyping. 78) ________ is a fear of strangers and foreigners. Answer: Xenophobia Explanation: What people don't understand they tend to dislike and fear. When people don't understand individuals from another culture, they can fall into xenophobia—hating and fearing that culture and its people for no other reason than it is different. 79) Cultural ________ is the pattern of physical cues, environmental stimuli, and implicit understanding that convey meaning between two members of the same culture. Answer: context Explanation: The two cultural contexts that are commonly referred to are high- and low-context cultures. 80) In ________-context cultures, people rely less on verbal communication and more on the context of nonverbal actions and environmental setting to convey meaning. Answer: high Explanation: High-context cultures are less literal than low-context cultures. In a high-context culture a person builds a web of meaning around words, actions, and social gestures to communicate. The receiver of this communication then interprets the web of meaning that was created and uses it to draw conclusions and plan future actions. 81) In a ________-context culture such as exists in Germany, people rely more on verbal communication and less on circumstances and implied meaning. Answer: low Explanation: Germany, much like the United States, is a low-context culture that relies on the literal meaning of words rather than the relationships and social gestures that surround words. 82) One important social difference among cultures is that of ________ orientation: some cultures emphasize planning and investing while others do not. Answer: future Explanation: In the United States, planning for the future is taken as a given, but in some cultures the future is considered too remote and unpredictable to plan for. 83) Differences in ________________, such as gestures and eye contact, are a major source of misunderstanding during intercultural communications. Answer: nonverbal communication Explanation: Nonverbal communication is never explicitly defined even within a culture, which makes it a source of great misunderstanding across cultures. Direct eye contact, for example, is thought to be a sign of honesty in the U.S., but in many other cultures it is seen as inappropriate. 84) When preparing messages for multicultural audiences, it is best to avoid slang and ________ expressions such as "More bang for the buck." Answer: idiomatic Explanation: People from other cultures tend to rely on a literal translation of words to extract meaning. Since idiomatic phrases often make no sense when they are translated literally, they can be a source of great confusion when used in a cross-cultural setting. 85) ________ refers to any form of computerized intelligence used to translate one language to another. Answer: Machine translation Explanation: There is an enormous variety of translation programs available on the Internet. Many free websites provide basic translations almost instantaneously. Other software programs such as WordLingo offer more sophisticated translation options. 86) Briefly describe at least three advantages of a diverse workforce. Answer: A culturally diverse workforce yields a broader spectrum of viewpoints and ideas. It also helps companies understand and identify with diverse markets and enables companies to benefit from a wider range of employee talents. 87) What is culture? Answer: Culture is a shared system of symbols, beliefs, attitudes, values, expectations, and norms for behavior. 88) What is ethnocentrism, and how can it be overcome? Answer: Ethnocentrism is the tendency to judge all other groups according to one's own group's standards, behaviors, and customs and to see all other groups as inferior by comparison. You can overcome ethnocentrism by acknowledging distinctions and by avoiding assumptions and judgments. 89) Explain the difference between a high-context culture and a low-context culture, and provide at least one example of each. Answer: In high-context cultures, people rely less on verbal communication and more on the context of nonverbal actions and environmental setting to convey meaning. In low-context cultures, people rely more on verbal communication and less on circumstances and cues to convey meaning. 90) Describe at least three common business activities affected by contextual differences across cultures. Answer: Contextual differences across cultures can profoundly affect the way people engage in decision making, problem solving, and negotiating. 91) Distinguish between "formal" and "informal" cultural rules. Then briefly describe three areas in which differing informal rules can become evident during intercultural communication. Answer: Formal rules (such as table manners) are specifically articulated. Informal rules are learned over time by watching the behavior of others. Differences in informal rules can affect a number of areas, including attitudes toward work and success, social roles, status, manners, and time. 92) List at least three areas of nonverbal communication that can differ widely among cultures. Answer: Greetings, the use of personal space, touching behavior, facial expressions, eye contact, posture and formality can all differ widely among various cultures. 93) Before conducting business in another country, why is it worthwhile to learn common phrases in the native language even if your clients there will speak English? Answer: Learning basic phrases not only helps you get through everyday business and social situations but also demonstrates your commitment to the business relationship. 94) Briefly describe at least three strategies for writing effective multicultural messages. Answer: Strategies for writing multicultural messages include using simple, clear English; being brief; using transitional elements; addressing international correspondence properly; and citing numbers and dates carefully. It is also important to avoid slang, idioms, and humor. 95) A new employee who speaks English as a second language has just joined the design team you lead. You notice that she often looks confused during conversations. Describe at least three useful strategies for this situation. Answer: Strategies you can use include (1) speak slowly and clearly, (2) don't rephrase until it's obviously necessary, (3) look for and ask for feedback, (4) don't talk down to the other person, and (5) at the end of the conversation, verify what has been said and decided. 96) Since cultures do not always share the same perspectives on ethical issues, how can you keep messages ethical when communicating interculturally? Answer: Not all cultures share the same perspective on ethical issues. When communicating interculturally, it's important to actively seek mutual ground by being flexible and not insisting that everything happen in terms of one culture or another. Sending and receiving messages without judgment is also vital: Both parties must recognize that values vary among cultures and that trust is essential. In addition, messages should be honest. Both parties have to recognize their own cultural biases. Finally, for ethical intercultural communication to occur, the stakeholders must show respect for cultural differences. Avoiding ethnocentrism allows both parties to understand and acknowledge each other's needs and preserve mutual dignity. 97) While working in a country with a high-context culture, you schedule a meeting with a vendor who lives there. When he shows up 20 minutes after the meeting was supposed to begin, should you take it as a sign of incompetence or disrespect? Explain. Answer: This behavior should not be regarded as a sign of incompetence or disrespect. It simply reflects cultural differences in the treatment of time. Executives in low-context cultures view time as a limited resource and tend to focus on one task during each scheduled period of the day. In high-context cultures, however, time is treated with more flexibility. Building business relationships is more important than meeting deadlines and being punctual: The workday is not expected to follow a rigid, preset schedule. If you respond with frustration or anger to the vendor's late arrival, it could unnecessarily erode your relationship. 98) List at least three types of nonverbal differences might you encounter when working with businesspeople from other cultures. Provide at least one example of how these differences might cause misunderstandings in communication. Answer: Nonverbal differences among cultures are particularly evident in terms of how people greet one another, the amount of personal space people expect when conversing, and attitudes toward touching (for example, do people touch each other on the arm to emphasize a point or refrain from touching altogether?). Notable differences can also appear in how facial expressions are interpreted and attitudes toward eye contact, posture, and formality. 99) When doing business in other cultures, what are some strategies you can use to promote effective intercultural communication? Answer: One strategy is to understand social customs regarding issues such as common ways of greeting others: Should you bow or shake hands? It is also helpful to learn about clothing and food preferences that characterize the culture in which you'll work. Doing so requires finding out (among other things) which occasions require special clothing, how many times a day people eat, and so forth. Other strategies include assessing political patterns, understanding religious and folk beliefs, learning about business institutions, and appraising the nature of ethics, values, and laws. 100) How can cultural differences affect communication styles? What general approach should Americans take when writing intercultural correspondence? Answer: Audiences in various cultures often have widely differing ideas of appropriate communication styles. These expectations dictate factors such as how direct one can be, whether heated debates and confrontations are acceptable, and whether written or oral communication is generally preferred. In general, American businesspeople need to be more formal in their international correspondence than they are when writing to people in their own country. Test Bank for Business Communication Today Courtland L. Bovee, John V. Thill 9780132971294, 9780134562186, 9780135900239, 9780132539555
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