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Thomas/Peterson, Cross-Cultural Management, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
Test Bank
Chapter 6: The Manager as Negotiator: Communicating and Negotiating
Across Cultures
Multiple Choice
1. ______ is the act of transmitting messages, including information about the nature of the
relationship, to another person who interprets these messages and gives them meaning.
A. Grounding
B. Fielding
C. Messaging
D. Communication
2. ______ occurs when the meaning of the message is understood because of the common information
shared by the sender and receiver.
A. Cultural field
B. Grounding
C. Complex messages
D. Communication
3. Amelia and Olivia are both from Singapore and often use slang words from their home that others do
not understand. However, for Amelia and Olivia, the meaning of their messages is easily understood
because of the common information they share called ______.
A. cultural field
B. grounding
C. metaphors
D. euphemisms
4. ______ refers to the culturally based elements of a person’s background (e.g., education, values, and
attitudes) that influence communication.
A. cultural field
B. communication
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C. complex messages
D. grounding
5. ______ is a symbolic code of communication consisting of a set of sounds with understood meanings
and a set of rules for constructing messages.
A. Syntax
B. Lingua franca
C. Language
D. Foreigner speak
6. The second language in use in international business is most often ______.
A. English
B. German
C. Japanese
D. French
7. The greater the fluency of second-language speakers, the more likely they are to be seen as ______ in
other respects.
A. cultural
B. distinctive
C. competent
D. foreigner speak
8. ______ occurs when first-language speakers in a cross-language interaction respond to lower
linguistic competency of their partner by modifying aspects of their speech, such as slowing the rate of
speech and reducing sentence complexity.
A. context shifting
B. lingua franca
C. competency
D. foreigner speak
9. Isla speaks French well and usually speaks very quickly. However, when she conducts business with
those for whom French is not easily understood, she speaks very slowly and carefully to help them
understand her words. When Isla does this, she is engaging in ______.
A. context shifting
B. lingua franca
C. ethnolinguistic vitality
D. foreigner speak
10. A (n) ______ message is one in which most of the information is either in the physical context or
internalized in the person, while very little is in the coded, explicit, transmitted part of the message.
A. high-context
B. low-context
C. inexact
D. direct
11. A ______ message is one in which very little is in the coded, explicit, and transmitted part of the
message,
A. cultural
B. high-context
C. metaphor
D. low-context
12. A (n) ______ communication is one in which the mass of the message is vested in the explicit code.
A. low-context
B. high-context
C. ambiguous
D. cultural
13. When addressing her colleagues, Ava wants to leave no details to interpretation. She makes her
messages very explicit. In other words, Ava’s messages are ______.
A. low context
B. high context
C. ambiguous
D. cultural
14. In ______ cultures, the message is conveyed largely by the words spoken.
A. high-context
B. inexact
C. metaphorical
D. low-context
15. In ______ cultures, a good deal of the meaning of communication is implicit. The receiver must fill in
the gaps from past knowledge of the speaker, the setting, or other contextual cues.
A. low-context
B. high-context
C. ambiguous
D. inexact
16. Sienna tends to send very brief emails with only a few words. However, her coworkers understand
what she means in these messages because they understand her and how she thinks. In other words,
Sienna’s messages are ______.
A. low context
B. high context
C. ambiguous
D. inexact
17. There is a close agreement between the position of countries on this scale of low context versus high
context and their location on Hofstede’s ______ index.
A. uncertainty avoidance
B. individualism–collective
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C. long-term orientation
D. power distance
18. Individuals with independent self-concepts are more likely to be ______ communicators.
A. metaphorical
B. high-context
C. ambiguous
D. low-context
19. Individuals with interdependent self-concepts are more likely to be ________communicators.
A. inexact
B. high-context
C. direct
D. low-context
20. In ______ cultures, speech includes more qualifiers, such as maybe, perhaps, somewhat, and
probably.
A. individualist
B. collectivist
C. direct
D. inexact
21. Directness in communication is associated with ______ cultures.
A. high-power distance
B. ambiguous
C. collectivist
D. individualist
22. Indirectness in communication is associated with ______ cultures.
A. collectivist
B. inexact
C. individualist
D. uncertainty avoidance
23. In ______ cultures, politeness and a desire to avoid embarrassment often take precedence over
“truth.”
A. individualist
B. collectivist
C. high-power distance
D. low uncertainty avoidance
24. Although making untrue statements (white lies) to preserve harmony is probably universal, the
extent of its use is probably higher in ______ cultures.
A. high-context
B. implicit
C. collectivist
D. individualist
25. Communicators in ______ cultures tend to value silence as a way of controlling the communication
interaction.
A. high-power distance
B. individualist
C. low uncertainty avoidance
D. collectivist
26. Communicators in ______ cultures tend to value talking as a way of controlling the communication
interaction.
A. individualist
B. low-context
C. collectivist
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D. low uncertainty avoidance
27. Matilda often uses silence in her meetings to communicate and control the conversation. For
Matilda, silence might be thought of as an extreme form of ______ communication.
A. explicit
B. high-context
C. ambiguous
D. low-context
28. ______ is an informal usage of language typically more playful and associated with a particular
subgroup.
A. Jargon
B. Metaphor
C. Slang
D. Euphemism
29. ______ is a language associated with a particular subgroup but is often a very specialized or technical
language of people engaged in a similar occupation or activity.
A. Slang
B. Metaphor
C. Euphemism
D. Jargon
30. When a communicator substitutes a bland or less direct expression to refer to a word that is not
often used publicly, such as words associated with sexual relations or bodily functions, the
communicator is using a (n) ______.
A. euphemism
B. slang
C. proverb
D. metaphor
31. Evelyn would prefer not to use words associated with bodily functions. Instead of asking members of
the meeting if a bathroom break was necessary, she asked if anyone needed a “comfort break.” Evelyn
is using a (n) ______ to obscure meaning.
A. proverb
B. euphemism
C. discourse
D. prohibited word
32. ______ are short sayings that express things that are obviously true in a particular culture and often
advise people how they should behave.
A. Proverbs
B. Idioms
C. Maxims
D. Euphemisms
33. ______ involves shifting one’s speech patterns to achieve greater language similarity.
A. Language similarity
B. Ethnolinguistic vitality
C. Lack of fluency
D. Speech accommodation
34. The ______ of the language in an exchange refers to the language that has higher prestige and is
widely used in the relevant institutions or settings.
A. speech accommodation
B. ethnolinguistic vitality
C. cultural conflicts
D. speech patterns
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35. In business situations, the default language, because of lack of fluency or cultural conflicts, is often
______.
A. English
B. French
C. Italian
D. Chinese
36. The idea that adapting one’s communication style to that of the other culture participant will help to
bridge cultural distance and improve communication is based on the ______ hypothesis.
A. similarity–attraction
B. optimal level of accommodation
C. linguistic accommodation
D. cultural participant
37. Higher degrees of language fluency can lead to the second-language user being perceived as having
a higher ______ in other areas.
A. difference
B. similarity
C. competency
D. behavior
38. as much as ______ of communication between people in the same language group is nonverbal.
A. 20%
B. 70%
C. 50%
D. 90%
39. ______ communication helps to regulate intercultural interaction by providing information about
our feelings and emotional state, adding meaning to our verbal messages, and governing the timing and
sequencing of the interaction.
A. Verbal
B. Fluent
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C. Stylistic
D. Nonverbal
40. ______ is a nonverbal behavior in communication that includes pitch, volume, speed, tension,
variation, enunciation, and a number of other voice qualities such as breathiness and creakiness.
A. Word choice
B. Language
C. Verbal component
D. Tone of voice
41. ______ refers to the way in which people use personal space in their interactions with others.
A. Similarity
B. Proxemics
C. Fluency
D. Linguistics
42. Millie is from a country with a cold climate. According to the study of proxemics, it is likely that she
will prefer ______ physical distance in communication than do people in warmer climates.
A. smaller
B. fluent
C. larger
D. conflicting
43. High touch cultures include all of the following EXCEPT:
A. Germans
B. Mediterranean cultures
C. Eastern Europeans
D. Israelis
44. Low touch cultures include all of the following EXCEPT:
A. eastern Europeans
B. English
C. northern European
D. Asian
45. When talking to someone, Millie automatically adjusting her body position to reflect that of a person
with whom one is talking. This adjustment is known as ______.
A. hand gestures
B. mirroring
C. submissiveness
D. dominance
46. People from high-power distance cultures might show more bodily tension as a way of indicating
______.
A. power
B. mimicking
C. dominance
D. submissiveness
47. Hand gestures used as a substitute for words are called ______.
A. metaphors
B. holistic
C. emblems
D. characteristics
48. Which of the following is NOT one of the six basic emotions that are evident in facial expressions
around the world from a very early age.
A. Hate
B. Fear
C. Disgust
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D. Surprise
49. The emotion of ______ is evident in facial expressions that include a smiling mouth, puffed lower
eyelids, smooth brow and forehead.
A. happiness
B. sadness
C. surprise
D. anger
50. The emotion of ______ is evident in facial expressions that include raised eyebrows, wide-open eyes,
and open mouth.
A. anger
B. surprise
C. fear
D. happiness
51. The emotion of ______ is evident in facial expressions that include a brow lowered and drawn
inward, upper lip raised, which sometimes causes the nose to wrinkle.
A. sadness
B. happiness
C. fear
D. disgust
52. The emotion of ______ is evident in facial expressions that include a brow raised, furrowed, and
drawn inward, wide-open eyes, and mouth open with lips drawn back.
A. anger
B. disgust
C. fear
D. sadness
53. The emotion of ______ is evident in facial expressions that include a lowered brow, staring
(sometimes narrowed) eyes, jaw clenched, and mouth either closed or open with teeth bared.
A. sadness
B. anger
C. fear
D. disgust
54. The emotion of ______ is evident in facial expressions that include a brow lowered (sometimes
drawn inward), inside corners of eyelid raised, and corners of the mouth pulled down.
A. sadness
B. anger
C. happiness
D. fear
55. Which of the following is NOT a factor that the outcomes of negotiation are thought to be
contingent on?
A. The negotiation situation
B. The negotiation topic
C. The process of negotiation
D. The negotiation style
56. ______ approaches to understanding cross-cultural negotiation document differences in negotiation
processes and behaviors in different cultures.
A. Descriptive
B. Cognitive
C. Distributive
D. Persuasive
57. The ______ approach to understanding cross-cultural negotiation involves attributing the cultural
effects to the cultural values and norms of the participants’ home societies.
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A. cognitive
B. social
C. distributive
D. cultural dimensions
58. The ______ approach to understanding cross-cultural negotiation considers both the knowledge
structures of the participants and the social context in which the negotiation takes place.
A. holistic
B. distributive
C. social
D. cognitive
59. In trying to persuade her coworkers to join her on a project, Eleanor described how the project
would help each person reach their work goals. Her presentation was factual and appealed to logic.
Elenaor was using a ______ style of persuasion.
A. face-to-face
B. universal
C. rational
D. agreement
60. Maisie’s style of persuasion is intuitive. For example, when trying to persuade her coworkers to
donate time to a service project, she used an emotional appeal. Maisie’s persuasion style is ______.
A. assertive
B. face-to-face
C. affective
D. bargaining
61. Hannah sought to persuade her coworkers to change the direction of the project because the
current course was unethical. In her presentation, she referenced that changing course was “the right
thing to do” and tried to appeal to their principles. Hannah was using the ______ style of persuasion.
A. task-related exchange
B. conflict resolution
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C. descriptive
D. ideological
62. Negotiators from individualistic societies typically interpret ______ as attempts to complete the
negotiation process and reach an agreement.
A. contexts
B. collectivism
C. offers
D. tasks
True or False
1. Having less grounding in common makes cross-cultural communication significantly more demanding
than communicating in a single culture.
2. When translators know the meaning of words and the grammatical rules for putting them together,
effective communication is often still not achieved.
3. The second language in use in international business is most often French.
4. In high-context cultures, the message is conveyed largely by the words spoken.
5. In low-context cultures, a good deal of the meaning is implicit, and the words convey only a small part
of the message.
Instructor Resource
Thomas/Peterson, Cross-Cultural Management, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
6. Directness in communications is associated with individualist cultures and indirectness with
collectivist cultures.
7. Communicators in collectivist cultures tend to value silence as a way of controlling the
communication interaction.
8. Communicators in individualist cultures tend to value talking as a way of controlling the
communication interaction.
9. Slang is an informal usage of language typically more playful or metaphorical and associated with a
particular subgroup.
10. Slang is associated with a particular subgroup but is often a very specialized or technical language of
people engaged in a similar occupation or activity.
11. Euphemisms can be used to promote respect and nonemotional discourse.
12. Proverbs are short sayings that express things that are obviously true in a particular culture and
often advise people how they should behave.
Instructor Resource
Thomas/Peterson, Cross-Cultural Management, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
13. Speech accommodation involves shifting one’s speech patterns to achieve greater language
similarity.
14. Nonverbal communication helps to regulate intercultural interaction by providing information about
our feelings and emotional state, adding meaning to our verbal messages.
15. Proxemics is a nonverbal behavior in communication that includes pitch, volume, speed, tension,
variation, enunciation, and a number of other voice qualities such as breathiness and creakiness.
16. Descriptive approaches to understanding cross-cultural negotiation document differences in
negotiation processes and behaviors in different cultures.
17. The affective style of persuasion is illustrated by a factual–inductive style which relies on appeals to
logic.
Completion (Fill in the Blank)
1. ______ is the act of transmitting messages, including information about the nature of the
relationship, to another person who interprets these messages and gives them meaning.
2. ______ is a symbolic code of communication consisting of a set of sounds with understood meanings
and a set of rules for constructing messages.
3. ______ occurs when first-language speakers in a cross-language interaction respond to lower
linguistic competency of their partner by modifying aspects of their speech, such as slowing the rate of
speech and reducing sentence complexity.
4. A ______ message is one in which very little is in the coded, explicit, and transmitted part of the
message.
5. A(n) ______ communication is one in which the mass of the message is vested in the explicit code.
6. When a communicator substitutes a bland or less direct expression to refer to a word that is not often
used publicly, such as words associated with sexual relations or bodily functions, the communicator is
using a(n) ______.
7. ______ can be used to promote respect and nonemotional discourse, or to simply obscure meaning.
8. ______ are short sayings that express things that are obviously true in a particular culture and often
advise people how they should behave.
9. ______ involves shifting one’s speech patterns to achieve greater language similarity.
10. The ______ style of persuasion is illustrated by an intuitive style which relies on emotional appeals.
Essay
1. How do the cultural field and language affect the five steps in communicating?
Ans: The term cultural field refers to the culturally based elements of a person’s background (e.g.,
education, values, attitudes) that influence communication. First, the meaning of the message is
grounded in the personal field of experience of the sender, which can affect how it is encoded. Second,
2. How do communication styles tend to differ between cultures?
3. Describe the implications the use of a second language has for cross-cultural communication.
Ans: First, unless completely fluent, using a second language is less automatic and requires more
deliberative thought than does using a first language. It takes more effort on the part of the second–
4. Describe some of the pragmatic ways of dealing with language differences.
5. Describe the nonverbal messages and how they affect communication.
6. Describe how culture affects behavior during different negotiation stages and negotiation in general.
Ans: Cross-cultural negotiators exhibit characteristic differences in their preferred negotiating style,
conflict resolution preferences, and persuasion styles. Some evidence suggests that their behavior