88) A company that wants to market winter gear to citizens of Alaska should be aware that there
are 24 words used in the state to describe different types of snow. This shows how ________
structures how we perceive the world and defines a culture.
A) language
B) nonverbal cues
C) listening
D) perception
E) dissonance
89) What is the most widely spoken language in the world, and is increasingly becoming the
language of international business?
A) Chinese
B) French
C) English
D) Spanish
E) German
90) Chinese is the mother tongue of the largest number of people, but English is the most widely
spoken language in the world. This indicates that
A) many people speak English as a second language.
B) many native English speakers are learning Chinese.
C) the population of native English speakers exceeds that of China
D) Chinese will soon overtake English as the most widely spoken language.
E) Chinese is increasingly becoming the language of international business.
91) Greta felt very uncomfortable while talking to the store manager because she moved so close
to Greta until her face was just inches away. What aspect of the situation was bothering Greta?
A) verbal cues
B) punctuation
C) speech tone
D) unspoken language
E) voice modulation
92) In a business context, what is the best definition of personal space?
A) It is the amount of distance to be maintained from the audience in order to be audible to them.
B) It is a psychological phase wherein a person has free flowing thoughts.
C) In ergonomics, it is the minimum amount of space required by an average employee in order to
work efficiently.
D) It is the comfortable amount of distance between you and someone you are talking with.
E) It is the amount of space a country has per person and is arrived at by dividing the country’s total
geographical area by its total population.
93) When schools emphasize respect for others, obedience to authority, honesty, neatness, being
on time, and use a grading system, they are
A) teaching children to be noncompetitive.
B) impinging on fundamental freedoms and values.
C) indirectly teaching cultural values and norms.
D) indirectly creating a rigid caste system.
E) unnecessarily deviating from formal education.
94) What does Porter point to as the reason for Japan’s success in the post–World War II economy?
A) family heritage
B) high taxation
C) education system
D) government intervention
E) more small businesses
95) Managers at the Blue Dragon Inc., an international company with operations in China and the
United States, are often heard complaining about the difficulties in achieving synergy and
cooperation between the employees of both the countries. After extensive research it was
concluded that the cultural differences between these countries, which resulted in different
work-related values, caused the lack of cooperation. In order to effectively tackle this problem,
Blue Dragon Inc. should
A) vary its management processes and practices to account for these differences.
B) adopt the host country’s management processes and practices in both countries.
C) opt to exit one of the countries to avoid a conflict.
D) provide incentives to the employees based only on their individual performance.
E) adopt the home country’s management processes and practices in both countries.
96) Hofstede added a fifth dimension known as long-term versus short-term orientation which was
inspired by
A) Hinduism.
B) capitalism.
C) Confucianism.
D) Christianity.
E) communism.
97) Which statement is true regarding Geert Hofstede’s cultural dimensions?
A) In societies where collectivism was emphasized, the ties between individuals were loose.
B) Low power distance cultures were found in countries that let inequalities grow over time into
inequalities of power and wealth
C) Members of high uncertainty avoidance cultures had a strong need for rules and regulations.
D) In masculine cultures, little differentiation was made between men and women in the same job.
E) Members of low uncertainty avoidance cultures placed a premium on job security, career
patterns, and retirement benefits.
98) In Maddie’s company, senior officers eat in the same cafeteria as the entry-level workers. On a
trip to a different country, she was surprised to find that the company had different cafeterias for
managers and workers as well as different parking lots. The difference that Maddie perceived can
be attributed to which of Hofstede’s dimensions?
A) uncertainty avoidance
B) individualism
C) power distance
D) collectivism
E) masculinity
99) Job security and retirement benefits are extremely important to Kevin. Hofstede would say that
Kevin exhibits high
A) collectivism.
B) masculinity.
C) uncertainty avoidance.
D) power distance.
E) class consciousness.
100) When traveling to another country on business, Jenner was shocked to meet a male nurse. In
his hometown, nurses were always female. Jenner’s home country culture displays a high degree of
which of Hofstede’s cultural dimensions?
A) collectivism
B) masculinity
C) low uncertainty avoidance
D) high power distance
E) class consciousness
101) A country where “saving face” is valued is an example of which of Hofstede’s dimensions?
A) individualism versus collectivism
B) long-term versus short-term orientation
C) masculinity versus femininity
D) uncertainty avoidance
E) power distance
102) What is a characteristic of high uncertainty avoidance cultures?
A) They do not place importance on job security, career patterns, retirement benefits, and so on.
B) They allow a manager to tightly control subordinates’ initiatives.
C) They demonstrate less emotional resistance to change.
D) They are characterized by a greater readiness to take risks.
E) They oppose the use of rules and regulations to exercise control over individuals.
103) A country characterized with low uncertainty avoidance and low masculinity will
A) place a premium on job security and career progression for both men and women.
B) support stringent managerial control and competition between men and women.
C) be less resistant to change and less distinguishing between men and women in the same job.
D) have a strong need for rules and exertion of power in the society and gender egalitarianism.
E) oppose risk-taking and gender egalitarianism.
104) What would be a traditional value in a masculine culture?
A) empathy
B) achievement
C) indistinguishable sex roles
D) muted power
E) reciprocity
105) Which of Hofstede’s dimensions focused on how a society deals with the fact that people are
unequal in physical and intellectual capabilities?
A) individualism versus collectivism
B) power distance
C) uncertainty avoidance
D) masculinity versus femininity
E) Confucian dynamism
106) What is the new “sixth dimension” to be added to Hofstede’s original dimensions?
A) sympathy versus empathy
B) individualism versus collectivism
C) static versus constancy
D) indulgence versus restraint
E) supply versus demand
107) What term is used to describe a society that allows relatively free gratification of basic human
drives?
A) democratic
B) utilitarian
C) ambiguous
D) indulgence
E) persistence
108) A decade ago the government of Weinsland decided to liberalize the country’s economy. As a
result, today the country is experiencing rapid economic advancement and societal changes
favorable to international business. Which change is most likely to occur next in Weinsland?
A) The country will exhibit more need for social and material support structures built on
collectives.
B) As the country gets richer, there will be a shift in the society from “traditional” to “secular
rational” values.
C) As the country gets richer, there will be a shift in the society from “well-being” to “survival”
values.
D) The people in the country will give more importance to collectivism than to individualism.
E) The country, to further facilitate globalization, will commit to authoritarian ideologies.
109) As Japan has become economically richer, there has been a decline in
A) collectivism.
B) individualism.
C) business.
D) values.
E) achievement.
110) The World Values Survey has linked changes in the values of a country to the country’s
A) democratic government.
B) level of economic development.
C) ability to innovate.
D) participation in political processes.
E) decline in urbanization.
111) The distinctive culture of Wengiston has been losing its predominance among the citizens of
the country. This is due to the fact that the people of Wengiston are extensively adopting certain
universally accepted values and norms. This behavior of the citizens of Wengiston demonstrates
A) ethnocentrism.
B) the convergence hypothesis.
C) egocentrism.
D) cultural stagnation.
E) social mobility.
112) Janet believes that the cultural group she belongs to is superior and as a result, she is highly
intolerant toward employees from the cultures of other countries. This behavior of Janet is known
as
A) cultural convergence.
B) Confucian dynamism.
C) ethnocentrism.
D) cultural literacy.
E) class consciousness.
113) Which scenario best exemplifies ethnocentrism?
A) Sarah believes that her opinions and interests are superior to that of her siblings.
B) Nicole is highly tolerant toward different cultures and enjoys learning different languages.
C) Bryan’s belief in the superiority of his culture has resulted in conflicts with his colleagues from
different countries.
D) Emilio faces an ethical dilemma as he must decide whether or not to hire his underqualified
cousin.
E) Galaxy Inc. has been accused of using legal but unethical ways to gain access to the markets of
less developed countries.
114) When interacting with a Japanese business counterpart, Lorraine made it very clear that the
American way of making the product was superior. Lorraine is demonstrating
A) power distance.
B) the class system.
C) ethnocentrism.
D) individualism.
E) uncertainty avoidance.
115) Compare and contrast values and norms, and then discuss the various types of norms.
116) Discuss the idea of culture at different levels within a society and provide an example.
117) How does a caste system differ from a class system?
118) Explain why some sociologists believe that modern British society still displays some
evidence of a class structure.
119) Elaborate on the connection made between Protestant ethics and “the spirit of capitalism.”
120) Briefly explain how practitioners of Islam view the idea of earning a profit.
121) What are the two different banking methods that Islamic banks have experimented with in
order to avoid the payment or receipt of interest?
122) Elaborate on the Hindu beliefs of dharma, karma, and nirvana.
123) Compare and contrast the principles of Hinduism and Buddhism.
124) What are the three values that are central to the Confucian system of ethics?
125) Briefly describe the five cultural dimensions in Hofstede’s model.