Chapter 04 Differences in Culture
True / False Questions
1.
In today’s world of global communications, rapid transportation, and global
markets, cultural differences have ceased to exist.
FALSE
In these days of global communications, rapid transportation, worldwide
markets, and global brands, when the era of the global village seems just
around the corner, it is easy to forget just how different various cultures
really are. Underneath the veneer of modernism, deep cultural differences
often remain.
AACSB: Diversity
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 04-01 Explain what is meant by the culture of a society.
Topic: Introduction
2.
Culture is not static.
TRUE
Culture is not static. It can and does evolve, although the rate at which
culture can change is the subject of some dispute.
AACSB: Diversity
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 04-01 Explain what is meant by the culture of a society.
Topic: Introduction
3.
Norms are abstract ideas about what a group believes to be good, right, and
desirable.
FALSE
Norms refer to the social rules and guidelines that prescribe appropriate
behavior in particular situations.
AACSB: Diversity
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 04-01 Explain what is meant by the culture of a society.
Topic: What is Culture?
4.
The term society is another name for a country; each country has a single
society.
FALSE
The term society refers to a group of people who share a common set of
values and norms. While a society may be equivalent to a country, some
countries harbor several societies (i.e., they support multiple cultures), and
some societies embrace more than one country.
AACSB: Diversity
Blooms: Understand
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 04-01 Explain what is meant by the culture of a society.
Topic: What is Culture?
5.
A country is defined as a system of values and norms that are shared
among a group of people and that when taken together constitute a design
for living.
FALSE
Culture is viewed as a system of values and norms that are shared among a
group of people and that when taken together constitute a design for living.
AACSB: Diversity
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
6.
Folkways include rituals and symbolic behavior.
TRUE
Folkways include rituals and symbolic behavior. Rituals and symbols are the
most visible manifestations of a culture and constitute the outward
expression of deeper values.
AACSB: Diversity
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 04-01 Explain what is meant by the culture of a society.
Topic: What is Culture?
7.
Upon meeting a foreign business executive, a Japanese executive will hold
his business card in both hands and bow while presenting the card to the
foreigner. This is an example of ritual behavior.
TRUE
Rituals and symbols are the most visible manifestations of a culture and
constitute the outward expression of deeper values. For example, upon
meeting a foreign business executive, a Japanese executive will hold his
business card in both hands and bow while presenting the card to the
foreigner.
8.
Folkways have much greater significance than mores.
FALSE
Mores are norms that are seen as central to the functioning of a society and
to its social life. They have much greater significance than folkways.
AACSB: Diversity
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 04-01 Explain what is meant by the culture of a society.
Topic: What is Culture?
9.
Even if a country can be characterized as having a single homogenous
culture, often that national culture is a mosaic of subcultures.
TRUE
The relationship between culture and country is often ambiguous. Even if a
country can be characterized as having a single homogenous culture, often
that national culture is a mosaic of subcultures.
AACSB: Diversity
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 04-01 Explain what is meant by the culture of a society.
Topic: What is Culture?
10.
The values and norms of a culture do not emerge fully formed.
TRUE
The values and norms of a culture do not emerge fully formed. They evolve
over time in response to a number of factors, including prevailing political
and economic philosophies, the social structure of a society, and the
dominant religion, language, and education.
AACSB: Diversity
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 04-02 Identify the forces that lead to differences in social culture.
Topic: What is Culture?
11.
Individualism has led to a high degree of managerial mobility between
companies resulting in managers who have good general skills but lack
company-specific experience.
TRUE
The lack of loyalty and commitment to an individual company, and the
tendency to move on for a better offer, can result in managers who have
good general skills but lack the knowledge, experience, and network of
interpersonal contacts that come from years of working within the same
company.
Topic: Social Structure
12.
The emphasis on the individual in the United States may raise the costs of
doing business due to its adverse impact on managerial stability and
cooperation.
TRUE
An effective manager draws on company-specific experience, knowledge,
and a network of contacts to find solutions to current problems, and
American companies may suffer if their managers lack these attributes. The
emphasis on individualism may also make it difficult to build teams within
an organization to perform collective tasks.
AACSB: Diversity
Blooms: Understand
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 04-03 Identify the business and economic implications of differences in culture.
Topic: Social Structure
13.
In countries where the value of group identification is considered to be
primary, managers and workers are discouraged from moving from company
to company.
TRUE
The primacy of the value of group identification discourages managers and
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 04-03 Identify the business and economic implications of differences in culture.
Topic: Social Structure
14.
The term social strata refers to the extent to which individuals can move out
of the strata into which they were born.
FALSE
All societies are stratified on a hierarchical basis into social categories—
that is, into social strata. These strata are typically defined on the basis of
characteristics such as family background, occupation, and income.
AACSB: Diversity
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 04-02 Identify the forces that lead to differences in social culture.
Topic: Social Structure
15.
The most rigid system of stratification is a class system.
FALSE
The most rigid system of stratification is a caste system. A class system is a
less rigid form of social stratification in which social mobility is possible.
AACSB: Diversity
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 04-02 Identify the forces that lead to differences in social culture.
Topic: Social Structure
16.
A caste system is a closed system of stratification in which social position is
determined by the family into which the person is born.
TRUE
A caste system is a closed system of stratification in which social position is
determined by the family into which a person is born, and change in that
position is usually not possible during an individual’s lifetime.
AACSB: Diversity
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 04-02 Identify the forces that lead to differences in social culture.
Topic: Social Structure
17.
A class system is a rigid form of social stratification in which the position a
person has by birth cannot be changed through his/her own achievements
or luck.
FALSE
A class system is a less rigid form of social stratification in which social
mobility is possible. It is a form of open stratification in which the position a
person has by birth can be changed through his or her own achievements or
luck.
AACSB: Diversity
18.
Class consciousness refers to a condition where people tend to perceive
themselves in terms of their class background.
TRUE
Class consciousness refers to a condition where people tend to perceive
themselves in terms of their class background, and this shapes their
relationships with members of other classes.
AACSB: Diversity
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 04-03 Identify the business and economic implications of differences in culture.
Topic: Social Structure
19.
An antagonistic relationship between management and labor classes may
result in lower costs of production.
FALSE
An antagonistic relationship between management and labor classes, and
the resulting lack of cooperation and high level of industrial disruption,
tends to raise the costs of production in countries characterized by
significant class divisions.
AACSB: Diversity
Blooms: Understand
20.
Ethical systems may be defined as a system of shared beliefs and rituals
that are concerned with the realm of the sacred.
FALSE
Ethical systems refer to a set of moral principles, or values, that are used to
guide and shape behavior. Most of the world’s ethical systems are the
product of religions.
AACSB: Ethics
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 04-02 Identify the forces that lead to differences in social culture.
Topic: Religious and Ethical Systems
21.
According to Max Weber, Protestantism encouraged capitalism’s
development by emphasizing the importance of wealth creation and
frugality.
TRUE
Weber argued that Protestant ethics emphasize the importance of hard
work and wealth creation (for the glory of God) and frugality (abstinence
from worldly pleasures). According to Weber, this kind of value system was
needed to facilitate the development of capitalism.
AACSB: Ethics
22.
Like Christianity and Judaism, Islam is a polytheistic religion.
FALSE
Like Christianity and Judaism, Islam is a monotheistic religion. The central
principle of Islam is that there is but the one true omnipotent God.
AACSB: Diversity
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 04-02 Identify the forces that lead to differences in social culture.
Topic: Religious and Ethical Systems
23.
The Koran speaks disapprovingly of free enterprise.
FALSE
The Koran speaks approvingly of free enterprise and of earning legitimate
profit through trade and commerce (the prophet Mohammed himself was
once a trader).
AACSB: Diversity
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 04-03 Identify the business and economic implications of differences in culture.
Topic: Religious and Ethical Systems
24.
The protection of the right to private property is embedded within Islam.
TRUE
The protection of the right to private property is also embedded within
Islam, although Islam asserts that all property is a favor from Allah (God),
who created and so owns everything. Those who hold property are regarded
as trustees rather than owners in the Western sense of the word.
AACSB: Diversity
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 04-03 Identify the business and economic implications of differences in culture.
Topic: Religious and Ethical Systems
25.
The mudarabah contract is the most widely used Islamic banking method,
because it is the easiest to implement.
FALSE
The Islamic banking method, the murabaha contract, is the most widely
used among the world’s Islamic banks, primarily because it is the easiest to
implement.
AACSB: Diversity
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 04-03 Identify the business and economic implications of differences in culture.
Topic: Religious and Ethical Systems
26.
Max Weber thought that devout Hindus would be less likely to engage in
entrepreneurial activity than devout Protestants.
TRUE
Max Weber argued that the ascetic principles embedded in Hinduism do not
encourage the kind of entrepreneurial activity in pursuit of wealth creation
found in Protestantism. Given the emphasis on an ascetic lifestyle, Weber
thought that devout Hindus would be less likely to engage in
entrepreneurial activity than devout Protestants.
AACSB: Diversity
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 04-03 Identify the business and economic implications of differences in culture.
Topic: Religious and Ethical Systems
27.
Unlike Hinduism, Buddhism supports the caste system.
FALSE
According to Buddhism, suffering originates in people’s desires for pleasure.
Cessation of suffering can be achieved by following a path for
transformation. Unlike Hinduism, Buddhism does not support the caste
system.
28.
Both Hindus and Buddhists stress the afterlife and spiritual achievement
rather than involvement in this world.
TRUE
Like Hindus, Buddhists stress the afterlife and spiritual achievement rather
than involvement in this world.
AACSB: Diversity
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 04-02 Identify the forces that lead to differences in social culture.
Topic: Religious and Ethical Systems
29.
Confucianism is a religion.
FALSE
For more than 2,000 years until the 1949 Communist revolution,
Confucianism was the official ethical system of China. Although not a
religion, Confucian ideology has become deeply embedded in the culture of
these countries over the centuries, and through that, has an impact on the
lives of many millions more.
AACSB: Ethics
Blooms: Remember
30.
Guanxi is an important mechanism for building long-term business
relationships and getting business done in China.
TRUE
In a society that lacks a rule-based legal tradition, and thus legal ways of
redressing wrongs such as violations of business agreements, guanxi is an
important mechanism for building long-term business relationships and
getting business done in China.
AACSB: Ethics
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 04-03 Identify the business and economic implications of differences in culture.
Topic: Religious and Ethical Systems
31.
Since English is often thought of as the global language of business, it is
not important for an American business executive to learn foreign
languages.
FALSE
Although English is widely used, learning the local language yields
considerable advantages. Most people prefer to converse in their own
language, and being able to speak the local language can build rapport,
which may be very important for a business deal.
Topic: Language
32.
Unspoken language refers to nonverbal communication.
TRUE
Unspoken language refers to nonverbal communication.
AACSB: Diversity
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 04-02 Identify the forces that lead to differences in social culture.
Topic: Language
33.
Education plays an important role, from an international business
perspective, as a determinant of national competitive advantage.
TRUE
From an international business perspective, one important aspect of
education is its role as a determinant of national competitive advantage.
The availability of a pool of skilled and educated workers seems to be a
major determinant of the likely economic success of a country.
AACSB: Diversity
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 04-02 Identify the forces that lead to differences in social culture.
Topic: Education
34.
Hofstede’s study found that in masculine cultures, sex roles were less
sharply distinguished, and little differentiation was made between men and
women in the same job.
FALSE
Hofstede’s masculinity versus femininity dimension looked at the
relationship between gender and work roles. In masculine cultures, sex
roles were sharply differentiated and traditional “masculine values,” such as
achievement and the effective exercise of power, determined cultural
ideals.
AACSB: Diversity
Blooms: Understand
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 04-04 Recognize how differences in social culture influence values in the workplace.
Topic: Culture and the Workplace
35.
Hofstede’s research has been criticized because it was culturally bound.
TRUE
Hofstede’s research may have been culturally bound. The research team
was composed of Europeans and Americans. Hofstede’s results confirm
Western stereotypes, because it was Westerners who undertook the
research.
Topic: Culture and the Workplace
36.
People who take food or safety for granted tend to be xenophobic, are wary
of political activity, have authoritarian tendencies, and believe that men
make better political leaders than women.
FALSE
According to the the World Values Survey, “survival values” are the values
people hold when the struggle for survival is of paramount importance.
People who cannot take food or safety for granted tend to be xenophobic,
are wary of political activity, have authoritarian tendencies, and believe that
men make better political leaders than women.
AACSB: Diversity
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 04-05 Demonstrate an appreciation for the economic and business implications of cultural change.
Topic: Cultural Change
37.
The convergence hypothesis states that there is a slow but steady merging
occurring across different cultures towards some universally accepted
values and norms.
TRUE
With regard to globalization, some have argued that advances in
transportation and communication technologies are helping to create
conditions for the merging or convergence of cultures. There may be, in
other words, a slow but steady convergence occurring across different
cultures towards some universally accepted values and norms: This is
known as the convergence hypothesis.
AACSB: Diversity
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 04-05 Demonstrate an appreciation for the economic and business implications of cultural change.
Topic: Cultural Change
38.
International businesses that are ill-informed about the practices of another
culture are likely to fail.
TRUE
International businesses that are ill-informed about the practices of another