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True / False
Indicate whether the statement is true or false.
1. Power distance describes the degree to which members of a society accept the unequal distribution of power among
members.
a.
True
b.
False
2. Intercultural communication does not occur unless you leave your home country.
a.
True
b.
False
3. Ethnicity and race the same thing.
a.
True
b.
False
4. Assumed similarity helps us communicate interculturally because we usually communicate better when we understand
others in terms of ourselves.
a.
True
b.
False
5. Altruism means being insensitive to cultural differences.
a.
True
b.
False
Multiple Choice
Indicate the answer choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
6. Jerry is more likely to be a member of a collectivist culture if he ______________________________.
a.
is concerned that he receive the credit for his work from his co-workers
b.
decides to quit work with the family business even though it will upset his mother
c.
is careful to bring up delicate topics with his boss in private, not in public
d.
gets impatient with his group so he tells them what to do rather than letting them come to a consensus
7. When Elizabeth moved from New York to Savannah, Georgia, she had a hard time adjusting to the slower pace, to
people opening doors for her, and to people calling her ma’am. She felt that what others intended as friendly gestures
invaded her personal space. Elizabeth experienced ____
a.
culture shock
b.
low power distance
c.
high uncertainty avoidance
d.
low context
8. Sharon works at a high-end clothing store. Even though the transactions take longer and are more difficult when she
serves a foreign customer, Sharon is patient and realizes these interactions are inevitable and can still result in satisfaction
for both the customer and her. Sharon is doing what suggested behavior to improve intercultural communication?
a.
being altruistic
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b.
tolerating ambiguity
c.
being ethnocentric
d.
immersing herself in culture
9. When Miriam noticed that a group of Asian women in the cafeteria had an increased loudness or pitch to their speech,
she assumed that they must be arguing. Which of the following is she demonstrating?
a.
ethnocentrism
b.
incompatible communication codes
c.
incompatible norms and values
d.
anxiety
10. If you come from a culture characterized as having low power distance, ____
a.
you believe that powerful positions in society are subject to low supervision
b.
you believe in using proper and polite forms of language and using titles as a sign of respect
c.
inequalities in power, status, and rank are viewed as natural
d.
individuals are expected to downplay differences in power, status, and rank
11. If someone prefers concrete and specific language and predictability, they are likely to be from a____
a.
low uncertainty-avoidance culture
b.
high uncertainty-avoidance culture
c.
culture that values power distance
d.
culture characterized by uncertainty reduction
12. Johanna and Alexis are friends and co-workers. When Alexis gets promoted to a high-level management position and
becomes Johanna’s boss, Johanna suddenly begins to speak more formally with her. Alexis doesn’t understand why her
friend is acting so distant, but Johanna feels that she is simply acting more respectful of Alexis’s new position. Which of
the following communication barrier are they experiencing?
a.
ethnocentrism
b.
incompatible communication codes
c.
incompatible norms and values
d.
anxiety
13. Which of these might be a factor that distinguishes a co-culture?
a.
Sexual orientation
b.
Social class
c.
Gender
d.
All of these
14. If you come from a culture characterized as having high power distance, ____
a.
you believe there should be opportunities to attain powerful positions in society
b.
you believe that power corrupts
c.
inequalities in power, status, and rank are viewed as natural
d.
individuals are expected to downplay differences in power, status, and rank
15. Cultural identity ______________________.
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a.
comes from our ethnicity and race.
b.
it becomes more important to people as they get older
c.
is based on how closely we associate with the dominant culture and various co–culture
d.
doesn’t matter if you are a member of the dominant culture
16. Culture shock __________________.
a.
is a psychological discomfort when engaging in a new cultural situation
b.
refers to culturally sensitive interactions between people of different races
c.
is caused by an absence of sensitivity
d.
is caused when one person feels rejected or ignored
17. Intercultural communication _______________________.
a.
refers to an exchange between members of different cultures
b.
refers to the psychological discomfort you may feel when you interact with people from different cultures
c.
refers to interactions that occur between people whose cultures are so different that the communication
between them is altered
d.
hurts local cultures
18. Four of the seven dimensions of culture as identified by Hofstede are ____
a.
individualism/collectivism, chronemics, power distance, and masculinity/femininity
b.
chronemics, uncertainty reduction, power difference, and masculinity/femininity
c.
long-term/short-term orientation, coherency, difference avoidance, and individualism/collectivism
d.
power distance, context, psychology, and masculinity/femininity
19. Matthew lives his life by Christian principles, attends church twice a week, and is actively involved in a Bible study.
When faced with choices in his life, he asks what the right choice is based on his faith. Matthew’s religion is an example
of ____
a.
culture shock
b.
a co-culture
c.
ethnocentrism
d.
uncertainty anxiety
20. Raul expects to earn a paycheck outside the home and values being self-reliant. He expects his wife to stay at home,
do the housework, and raise their children. Based on this information, Raul is probably from a ____ culture.
a.
low uncertainty avoidance
b.
high uncertainty avoidance
c.
feminine
d.
masculine
21. Ashlee likes that she is small, has long hair and enjoys wearing dresses. However, she also likes to wear men’s jeans,
is a construction worker, and does not intend to have children. Based on this information, Ashlee is probably from a ____
culture.
a.
feminine
b.
high power distance
c.
low uncertainty avoidance
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d.
collectivist
22. If Yolanda was upset because she was unable to get a hamburger and French fries for lunch one day while in
Tajikistan, her attitude would be demonstrating
a.
ethnocentrism
b.
anxiety
c.
assuming similarity
d.
stereotyping
23. Your textbook mentions several ways to adopt correct attitudes in order to interact with more cultural sensitivity.
Which of the following was not listed?
a.
Tolerate ambiguity.
b.
Be open-minded.
c.
Act altruistically.
d.
Be egocentric.
24. Some of the ways we might acquire knowledge about other cultures include all of the following except ____
a.
observation
b.
assuming differences
c.
engaging in formal study
d.
immersing yourself in the culture
25. Intercultural empathy is ____________________________.
a.
feeling sympathy with someone’s culture
b.
the power that a listener has over a speaker.
c.
being careful to avoid the risk of hurting the other person
d.
imagining yourself in the other person’s cultural world so as to experience what he or she is experiencing
Essay
26. Assume you are involved in a conflict at work. Discuss three ways in which you might approach this conflict if you
were from a collectivist culture, and explain how your approach would differ if you were from an individualistic culture.
27. Identify a saying or proverb from a culture of which you are a member or have knowledge. What does the saying
mean? Choose one of Hofstede’s seven dimensions of culture and explain how that saying illustrates that aspect of the
culture.
28. What factors should be considered when investigating barriers to intercultural communication? Name and describe at
least three barriers.
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