Business Communication Today, 14e (Bovee/Thill)
Chapter 3 Communication Challenges in a Diverse, Global Marketplace
1) Which of the following is defined as the characteristics and experiences that identify each of
us as individuals?
A) Diversity
B) Minority
C) Cultural competency
D) Ethnocentrism
E) Xenophobia
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 limited range of views and ideas from diverse employees.
D) fostering cooperation and harmony among diverse employees.
3) Race, age, parental status, and thinking style are elements of what?
A) Diversity
B) Minority
C) Cultural competency
D) Ethnocentrism
E) Xenophobia
4) 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.
5) Which of the following is the process of exchanging messages between people who have
different cultural backgrounds?
A) Ethnocentrism
B) Intercultural communication
C) Xenophobia
D) Cultural competency
E) Diversity
6) Which of the following has a significant influence on how successfully a message is sent and
received among people of varying backgrounds?
A) Timing
B) Manners
C) Culture
D) Competency
E) Skill
7) 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.
8) Today, many executives feel profit and market share would improve if employees improved in
what skill?
A) Time management
B) Technology
C) Cultural competency
D) International communications
E) Ethnocentrism
9) 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.
10) Which of the following is a view that many smart business leaders have regarding diversity?
A) It is a legal requirement
B) It is an opportunity to hire more employees
C) It is a way to reach more customers
D) It is an opportunity to diversify benefits
E) Embracing it is a strategic business decision
11) In today’s global business world, communication and culture
A) are not closely related and are rarely important to business communication.
B) are so closely related that separating the two is virtually impossible.
C) have become irrelevant since the advent of the Internet and the rise of social media.
D) present challenges that can be overcome simply by learning your audience’s language.
12) Which of the following is viewed as an advantage to a more diverse workforce by business
leaders?
A) Increased competitive advantage
B) Lower wages
C) Better educated employees
D) Improved communication skills
E) Increased levels of ethnocentrism
13) As businesses become more global, the workforce increasingly consists of employees with
________ national, religious, and ethnic backgrounds.
A) similar
B) identical
C) diverse
D) triangulated
14) Which of these communication challenges do supervisors face when dealing with a diverse
workforce?
A) Equitable pay levels
B) Lack of higher education among leadership
C) Relationships with partners and the business community
D) Fostering cooperation and harmony
E) Separating culture from the job
15) What is the effect of increased workplace diversity on teams?
A) There is more opportunity for teleconferencing
B) Business partners are demanding more diversity in teams
C) Each team member has a unique attitude and outlook
D) There is often incompatible technology between cultures
E) There is more challenge when working together closely
16) Which of the following can greatly influence the meaning of words and gestures used in a
communication and influences other aspects of communication?
A) The culture in which you were raised
B) Your view of human relationships
C) Ethnocentrism
D) Time and space
E) Your beliefs and values
17) When decoding a message, on what do receivers base their assumptions about that message?
A) The sender’s culture
B) The receiver’s own culture
C) Time and space
D) Technology
E) The receiver’s level of understanding of the subject matter
18) Which of the following is a benefit when managers recognize and bridge cultural differences
in the workplace?
A) A more efficient use of time during the workday
B) Increased barriers between customers and the workforce
C) An opportunity to maximize the contributions of all employees
D) More competitive opportunity in local markets
E) Increased exports and imports
19) Which of the following is one of the advantages of a diverse workforce?
A) Local markets are no longer confined to national borders
B) There are fewer communication breakdowns in the international business sector
C) Legal requirements for a diverse workforce are fulfilled
D) Companies can benefit from a wider range of employee talents
E) Salaries are often less and are easier to control
20) Which of the following would traditionally be identified as a basis for being a minority in the
United States?
A) Income
B) Gender
C) Education
D) Age
E) Race
21) Culture influences how messages are sent and received in the workplace.
22) As it applies to the contemporary workplace, the idea of diversity is limited to issues of race
and ethnicity.
23) As the differences between cultures increase, the chances for misunderstandings when
communicating decrease.
24) One of the problems with intercultural communication is that senders encode messages based
on their own cultures, and receivers decode messages based on their cultures.
25) Diversity has very little effect on the communication process if it is acknowledged in the
planning phase.
26) Briefly describe at least three advantages of a diverse workforce.
27) Discuss the impact culture has on our communication style.
28) Identify and discuss the advantages of a diverse workforce.
29) What is the advantage of having a good understanding of intercultural communication?
30) 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
31) All of the following EXCEPT ________ can help you to overcome ethnocentrism and
stereotyping.
A) adopting preconceptions
B) avoiding assumptions
C) accepting differences
D) avoiding judgments
32) What is defined as an appreciation for cultural differences and the ability to adjust
communication based on those differences?
A) Cultural competency
B) Diversity
C) Ethnocentrism
D) Cultural assumptions
E) Judgment
33) Which of the following does a communicator need to improve cultural competency?
A) Diversity, attitude, and technology
B) Attitude, knowledge, and skills
C) Technology, knowledge, and ethnocentrism
D) Knowledge, skills, and stereotyping
E) Ethnocentrism, xenophobia, and stereotyping
34) Which of the following is an advantage of having cultural competency in the culture you
grew up in?
A) Your response to those of other cultures is generally automatic
B) You don’t need to consider the norms of other cultures
C) You understand how your society works
D) You don’t have to explain the rules that govern cultures
E) You have stronger intercultural communication skills
35) Which of the following is a disadvantage of having cultural competency in your own
culture?
A) You have stronger communication skills
B) You have a better understanding of how your society works
C) It is more difficult to learn about new cultures
D) You tend not to think about the communication rules you follow
E) It is more difficult to determine appropriate gestures and facial expressions
36) ________ involves the practice of accepting multiple cultures on their own terms.
A) Cultural uncertainty
B) Cultural flexibility
C) Cultural competency
D) Cultural pluralism
37) Which of these is an important step you can take to improve the chances of successful
intercultural communication?
A) Smile and nod to indicate understanding
B) Minimize the use of gestures
C) Assume others have little understanding of your culture
D) Explain your cultural norms to the audience
E) Be aware of how societal rules influence your communication style
38) ________ is a shared system of symbols, beliefs, attitudes, values, expectations, and norms
for behavior.
A) Attitude
B) Culture
C) Disposition
D) Preference
39) Which of these influences your attitude toward what is important in life and helps to
establish your rules of behavior?
A) Culture
B) Ethnocentrism
C) Diversity
D) Intercultural communication
E) Stereotyping
40) ________ is the tendency to judge all other groups according to your own group’s standards,
behaviors, and customs.
A) Xenophobia
B) Ethnocentrism
C) Stereotyping
D) Cultural pluralism
41) What is a shared system of symbols, beliefs, and norms for behavior?
A) Ethnocentrism
B) Culture
C) Diversity
D) Intercultural communication
E) Cultural competency
42) ________ is the practice of assigning a wide range of generalized attributes to an individual
based on his or her membership in a particular culture or social group.
A) Xenophobia
B) Ethnocentrism
C) Stereotyping
D) Cultural pluralism
43) Because culture seems to be logical and consistent when viewed from within a particular
culture, it is said to be
A) learned.
B) unchangeable.
C) coherent.
D) complete.
E) dull.