77) Which of the following is not recommended as a way to improve your own communication
with members of other cultures?
A) Gain more knowledge about other cultures.
B) Recognize that persons of differing backgrounds can offer useful insights.
C) Lower your expectations for good performance when you are working with minorities.
D) Talk about differences openly but respectfully.
78) In organizations with a diverse workforce, it is usually constructive to
A) ignore cultural differences and just hope everyone will get along OK.
B) express pity for minorities and disabled persons.
C) divide the workforce into teams, with each team comprised only of persons from a single
culture.
D) discuss cultural differences openly, as long as you avoid inflammatory remarks.
79) Adama has just been hired as a buyer at a U.S. company that imports goods from Taiwan. She
does not know anything about the Taiwanese culture, but she is being sent to Taipei next week.
Between adjusting to her new role and preparing for the business portion of her trip, Adama will
not have much time to learn about her hosts. Which of the following is something she should do to
help ensure that she communicates effectively during her meetings in Taiwan?
A) She should ignore any cultural differences she might encounter.
B) She should judge Taiwanese culture based on how things are done in the United States.
C) She should say as little as possible to avoid causing offense.
D) She should maintain a level of formality and recognize cultural differences.
80) We are born with knowledge of our culture’s expectations; we do not need to learn them
through experience.
81) Our own culture impacts our behaviors significantly, yet it is hard for us to describe those
cultural expectations, because we follow them unconsciously.
82) Employees whose values match the values of their supervisors and of the organization tend to
be more satisfied, more committed to their jobs, and more successful on the job.
83) Some of the most powerful rules of an organization’s culture are unspoken, yet they are clearly
understood by its members.
84) A group that exists within a larger culture, yet has a clear identity of its own, is called a
co-culture.
85) Rules for most nonverbal behaviors, such as eye contact, are universal.
86) Employees who were raised in working class families often need to adopt different styles of
language, nonverbal communication, and clothing in order to gain acceptance in middle-class
careers.
87) Generation Xers want a work-life balance and are loyal to people, but not organizations.
88) Those who speak a nonstandard dialect of English in the United States usually end up in lower
level jobs than those who speak standard English.
89) A disability is not a defining characteristic of any person; it is simply one feature of their lives.
90) It is polite to play with a person’s service animal.
91) You do not need to ask persons with disabilities whether they would like help; just step forth
quickly to assist them with tasks that may be hard for them.
92) The communication styles of men and women are the same aside from a few minor
differences.
93) Military veterans may find it difficult to go home at the end of the day if the day’s task is not yet
complete.
94) In Mexico and Germany, you are expected to use a person’s formal title unless that person has
specifically invited you to address him or her casually.
95) If you are interacting in foreign business settings, you would be well advised to wear
something trendy rather than dressing in a traditional, conservative style.
96) A culture where tasks are performed in a scheduled order, one at a time, with full attention
given to each task, is called a polychronic culture.
97) In the Middle East, negative emotional expression is usually suppressed, because it is so
important to show harmony.
98) In some cultures it is considered impolite to directly say “no” to a request, because it could
embarrass the person who made the request.
99) Gender roles and expectations for feminine behavior are consistent across cultures.
100) In high-context cultures, such as Asian societies, receivers rely heavily on social rules, the
history of the relationship, and nonverbal cues to decode the full meaning of the messages they
receive.
101) In low-context cultures, an important goal of communicators is to help each other save face
and maintain social harmony.
102) In collectivist cultures, it is considered dishonorable to become a star worker, because this
would be perceived as a disgrace to the other team members.
103) In a culture where high power distance is the norm, an employee who challenged the
managers’ decisions and asked probing questions would probably be labeled as an aggressive
troublemaker.
104) Sanjay comes from a culture where people are not comfortable taking risks and do not accept
behaviors that differ from the norm. This is an example of uncertainty avoidance.
105) Scandinavian countries approach organizations from a masculine orientation, which means
they focus on team cooperation, good working conditions, and maintaining a friendly atmosphere.
106) The United States has a long-term orientation, which means that rather than focusing on
immediate payoffs, members tend to work hard today so they can have rewards in the future.
107) A behavior that you consider to be immoral may be considered entirely appropriate in another
culture.
108) If your cultural background differs from the norm in your current location, it is a good idea to
figure out why this could be an asset to you in your job and help your boss understand your
advantages.
109) Patricia believes her own culture is better than other cultures. This attitude is called
ethnocentrism.
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110) It can be helpful to talk about cultural differences openly in an organization, but only if
attitudes are constructive and language is non-inflammatory.
111) Explain why patterns of communication that have worked well with traditional American
organizations do not always succeed with a culturally diverse workforce. In your answer, describe
several types of cultural patterns that might clash with mainstream workplace practices in the
United States.
112) If you were seeking a job with a company located in a different state, what things would you
want to review to understand the culture of that company? Describe four ways you would find out
about the organizational culture, and tell why these are important factors to be aware of.
113) Define the following terms: culture, cultural norms, and co-culture. Give an example of each.
Explain why it is important to know what these terms mean.
114) Summarize at least four guidelines for effective communication with people who have
disabilities. Include best practices as well as communicative behaviors you should typically avoid.
115) Discuss how social class can have an impact on communication in the workplace and in
college, comparing and contrasting people raise in working-class families and those raised in
middle- and upper-class families.
116) Choose two communication practices and two concerns (goals) of Asian societies. Compare
them with the communication practices and concerns of Western cultures. Provide an example to
illustrate each.
117) Identify monochronic and polychronic time orientations. Provide an example of how each
view might impact behavior in a business situation.
118) Identify key differences between high- and low-context cultures; illustrate both types with
examples.
119) Explain the differences between individualistic and collectivistic cultures; provide examples
of both types.
120) You are on a job assignment in a foreign country. On the job, you are assigned to participate
in a business practice which is typical for that culture, but it challenges your fundamental sense of
what is right and wrong. You know that your foreign co-workers expect you to participate in this
practice. What questions would you ask yourself to help decide on your course of action? Suggest
at least two possible approaches you could take to manage this dilemma. Which of those would
you prefer, and why?
121) Identify several assumptions often held by minorities and several assumptions often held by
majorities. Suggest alternative assumptions that would promote authentic relations.
122) You are a member of a culturally diverse work team. Your boss has asked you to develop a
training seminar for your team in which you identify and describe five attitudes that would
improve relationships among members of various cultures. Prepare a detailed sentence level
outline you could use to present this seminar.
123) Imagine that you work for a global manufacturing company based in the United States. Your
specific job involves overseeing two factories: one in China and one in Brazil. As a result, you
spend a lot of time interacting and communicating with managers in both countries. Identify two
potential problems you might encounter communicating with management in each country and
explain how you would work to overcome these issues.