Chapter 9: INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS IN A GLOBAL WORK CONTEXT
Test Bank
Multiple Choice
1. There are different levels of cultural diversity, what is the most salient level of diversity to workers and
scholars?
a. Subtle differences
b. Demographic differences
c. Cultural variation
d. Overt differences
2. Markers of diversity at the cultural variation level can be difficult to observe directly. What type of
variation does this level include?
a. Variations in cognitive style
b. Variations variations in ethnicity
c. Variations in gender
d. Variations in regional differences
3. Culture refers to a shared understandigs made manifest in act and artifact about what is true, good,
and _____________
a. Observable
b. Accepted
c. Efficient
d. Embedded in meaning
4. What is the challenge for intercultural businesses in understanding proper relational styles found within
cultures?
a. Understanding differences in cultural variation
b. Understanding demographic differences
c. Understanding differences in ethnicity
d. Understanding differences in human behavior
5. The cognitive bias known as naïve realism assumes that what is correct in our immediate environment
is appropriate and proper as a way of communicating. What is another assumption of this bias?
a. That the behavior is only correct in our unique environment
b. That the behavior will change when new people enter into the environment
c. That the behavior is static and does not change over time
d. That the behavior is also universally correct.
6. What author was credited with proposing the first concept of a relational mental model?
a. Baldwin (1992)
b. Hofstede (1980)
c. Bartlett (1932)
d. Sanchez-Burks (2000)
7. The concept of relational mental models was first developed based on studies of:
a. Relationships
b. Cognitive scans
c. Memory
d. Cultural patterns
8. In regards to culture, what have mental models allowed us to do?
a. Gain a better understanding of cultural demographics
b. Gain a better understanding of social categorization
c. Gain a better understanding of culturally related variation and thinking styles
d. Gain a better understanding of societal differences
9. ____________ allows people to coordinate thought and action by creating shared expectations about
how a social interaction should unfold, what behaviors are appropriate, and which elements of an
interaction are important to notice.
a. Cultural mental models
b. Task-focused mental models
c. Relational mental models
d. Social-emotional mental models
10. Which two relational mental models if present together would most likely end up with the participants
having a successful business relationship?
a. Quanxi; simpatia
b. Chaebol; simpatia
c. Simpatia; Protestant relational ideology
d. Protestant relational ideology; quanxi
11. Which two relational mental models if present together would most likely end up with the participants
having a discordant business relationship?
a. Quanxi; simpatia
b. Chaebol; simpatia
c. Simpatia; Protestant relational ideology
d. Protestant relational ideology; quanxi
12. In the series of field studies on work groups which included Mexicans, Mexican Americans and
Europeans Americans; which group was far less likely to recall interpersonal and social emotional
dynamics?
a. Their were no significant differences
b. Mexicans
c. Mexican-Americans
d. European Americans
13. Rational mental models that are characterized as broad cultural dimensions include:
a. Power distances
b. Masculinity- femininity
c. Individualism-collectivism
d. Broad-narrow
14. The ________ national government launched a campaign to eliminate the social practice of arriving
15 to 30 minutes late to business meetings and social events.
a. Ecuadorian
b. Jamacian
c. Canadian
d. South African
15. At the microlevel how do relational mental models influence the interaction between two people?
a. It influences the choice of language used
b. It influences the formality of their language
c. It influences whether there is a desire to communicate
d. It influences the degree of nonverbal coordination
16. In a study conducted at a Fortune 500 company involving interview performance and nonverbal
coordination, which group of applicants was interview performance contingent on the level of nonverbal
coordination?
a. Mexican
b. Latino
c. European American
d. Chinese
17. In organizations relational mental models shape a variety of dynamics, including:
a.What people notice and take away from business meetings
b.How many meetings an organization conducts
c.The complexity of decision making
d.Social categorizations within the organization
18. Maintaining a dual focus on task and interpersonal concerns or having dual attention means that:
a.there is not a sharp distinction between the two areas
b.the two areas are given equal attention at all times
c.both models are used however it depends on the task as to which model gets used at that time
d.while they have two models, one is used at work and the other is used at home
19. This mental model is focused exclusively on elements of the situation directly related to the task, such
as whether progress on the agenda is being made.
a. Social-emotional mental model
b. Task-focused mental model
c. Cultural mental model
d. Relational mental model
20. This mental model focuses attention and effort on emotional and interpersonal concerns.
a. Relational mental models
b. Task-focused mental models
c. Cultural mental models
d. Social-emotional mental models
21. Immigrants and members of ethnic groups whose culture of origin use the inter-dependent cultural
mental model are ______ to use it when living in a differentiated cultural context
a. Unlikely
b. Motivated
c. Highly likely
d. Concerned
22. Which groups have been found to be more attentive to social emotional aspects of work
relationships?
a. Anglo Americans; women
b. Latinos; men
c. Latino’s; women
d. Anglo Americans; men
23. Although American women may have more interdependent self-construals than American men, they
are ______ independent than Japanese men and __________ independent than Japanese women
a. More; more
b. Less; more
c. More; less
d. Less; less
24. Research suggests that gender differences can be quite ____________, emerging in some studies
but not others.
a. Inconsequential
b. Inconsistent
c. Consistent
d. Consequential
25. In _____________, in particular, acting “professional” means suppressing authentic displays of social
emotionality, maintaining a divide between one’s work and personal life, and not letting interpersonal
issues stand in the way.
a. France
b. the United States
c. Japan
d. Canada
26. Morris and his colleagues (2008) investigated the overlap between work and social ties among
Citibank employees in Spain, China, Germany and the United States. Based on the study, which
population was significantly less likely to show overlap between work, friends and family?
a. China
b. Spain
c. United States
d. Germany
27. Previous studies point to the fact that cultures of ____________ promote well-being in contrast to
cultures of _________ which tend to foster psychological distress.
a. Independence; interdependence
b. Interdependence; independence
c. Inter-relational ; non- relational
d. Non-relational; inter-relational
28. In a survey conducted in the United States, China, and Korea, Neuman and his colleagues (2004)
asked managers and business students to what extent task and relationship conflict were a roadblock to
success. Virtually all ___________ reported that they believed that task-related conflict was a barrier to
success.
a. North Koreans
b. Managers
Instructor Resource
Mor Barak, Managing Diversity, 4th Edition
SAGE Publishing, 2017
c. European Americans
d. Leaders
29. Which poses the more serious threat to cross cultural working relationships?
a. Actual affects of relationship conflict
b. Beliefs about relationship conflict
c. Ruminating over relationship conflict
d. Not resolving relationship conflict
30. In which type of culture is there the assumption that it is better to manage conflict directly?
a. High context cultures
b. Dual focus cultures
c. Interdependent cultures
d. Task focused cultures
31. Culture and ________ rather than language are necessary to explain likely miscommunication in
cross-cultural situations.
a. Context
b.Ethnicity
c. Education
d. Relational style
32. An important theoretical construct used to differentiate among cultural communication styles involves
the continuum of:
a. Low-context to high-context
b. Individualism and collectivism
c. Independence and Interdependence
d. Involvement to detachment
33. Successful cross-cultural communication relies on many shared understandings about
a. Emotional displays
Instructor Resource
Mor Barak, Managing Diversity, 4th Edition
SAGE Publishing, 2017
b. Intent
c. Background
d. Shared status
34. What country below is a member of low-context cultures:
a. China
b. Japan
c. Chile
d. United States
35. Cultures that have a collectivist value system also tend to have
a. A high-context orientation
b. A low context orientation
c. An individualistic culture
d. There are not associations between culture and collectivist values
36. Individualistic cultures also tend to have:
a. A high-context orientation
b. A low context orientation
c. A individualistic cultures
d. No associations
37. The process through which “face” is regulated in a particular cultural context refers to:
a. Harmony
b. Individualism
c. Collectivism
d. Relationship
38. “The public self-image that every member of society wants to claim for him/herself” refers to:
a. Harmony
b. Individualism
c. Face
d. Relationship
39. Members of high context cultures exchange information using a communication style in which the
content and meaning of the information is derived from:
a. The transmitted message itself
b. Verbal communication
c. Contextual cues
d. Nonverbal communication
40. In which type of culture are people expected to act according to their own self interest?
a. Collectivist
b.Low context
c. Individualist
d. High context
41. In high context collectivist cultures members are more likely to be concerned with saving __________
in their interpersonal communication and negotiations
a. Self face
b. Other face
c. Private face
d. Public face
42. What is the most universal communication strategy to preserve face and harmony especially when
conveying bad news?
a.The use of straight talk
b. The use of soft tones
c. The use of indirectness
d. The use of coupling the bad news with good news
43. Exchanging business cards is a decades-old tradition within the business community – a tradition that
originated in the United States and ________.
a. South America
b. Europe
c. Asia
d. Canada
44. Indirectness is an important communicative strategy that varies according to
a. Familiarity
b. Cultural context
c. Task orientation
d. Message importance
45. The difference between the literal meaning of what one says (semantic meaning) and the intended
meaning is referred to as ______________________.
a. Direct Communication
b. Indirect Communication
c. Nonverbal Communication
d. None of the above
46. Jorge had a very busy workday with many back to back meetings scheduled. By 1 pm Jorge noticed
he was already one hour behind because everyone seemed so talkative that each meeting ran over. In
which mental model would this not be acceptable organization behavior?
a. Simpatia
b. Protestant relational
c. Quanxi
d. Chaebol
47. People guided solely by a task focused mental model, focus exclusively on:
a. Emotional concerns
b. The situation directly related to the task
c. Interpersonal concerns
d. Saving face
48. The permeability of the work/nonwork boundary in a culture, also has implications for how well
individuals and teams are able to:
a. Meet individual work goals
b. Meet organizational goals
c. Participate in decision-making
d. Develop creative innovative ideas
49. By having a lot of social emotional elements included in one’s work place relational mental model, the
team becomes more vulnerable to:
a.Non productive social time
b.Socio emotional disruptions
c. Public displays of affection
d. Social demands
50. Relational styles further shape how individuals convey _________.
a. Feelings
b. Disagreements
c. Information
d. Judgements
True/False
1. Interpersonal harmony is regarded as essential to test success across all societies.
2. There is no such thing as an interpersonal style that is culture neutral.
3. Mental models serve as a framework to understand encoding, understanding, and remembering
information.
4. The relational mental models people use, influences their specific approach toward achieving their
desired goals.
5. What Just Happened in That Meeting? Cultural differences were found in their ability to recall task–
related information such as progress on the agenda or questions raised, although there was no significant
difference in their memory for interpersonal dynamics.
6. When people are “out of sync” in their nonverbal gestures as a result of diversity in relational mental
models, it can decrease levels of anxiety and can actually improve one’s performance in the situation.
7. There are no gender differences in interpersonal styles.
8. In the United States, bringing authentic emotionality to the workplace is ok and is still considered
within the bounds of professional behavior
9. In a survey conducted in the United States, China, and Korea, Neuman and his colleagues (2004)
asked managers and business students to what extent task and relationship conflict were a roadblock to
success. Only the Europeans and Americans, and particularly men, had a different belief about the
effects of relationship conflict.
10. Cross-cultural communication relies on many shared understandings about emotional displays.
11. Research reveals links between the cultural context continuum of low to high context and the cultural
value system.
Essay
1. In a series of field studies on workgroups, Mexicans, Mexican Americans, and European Americans
were asked to view recordings of a team meeting and later report what they could remember about what
happened in the meeting. What were the results of the studies?
2. According to three interrelated dimensions – face and harmony orientation; relationship versus task
orientation; and direct versus indirect communication – how does the cultural context affect
communication styles?
3. Exchanging business cards is a decade old tradition within the business community. The reason for
this custom was straightforward: to provide the very basic information about the bearer of the card, so
that the other person would remember the card owner’s name, job title, company, etc. Is this approach
considered relationship mental model or task oriented and why?
4. In what ways can the relational mental models affect what happens in the workplace?
5. What challenges arise when people from cultures using the differing culture styles of interdependence
and independence attempt to work together?