Chapter 3: Sociocultural Forces

Question 1

T or F: When adjusting to other cultures, the first step managers can take is to compare their current culture to another to assess its value.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

T or F: Understanding how religion affects cultural attitudes is important for marketing professionals to know.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Buddhism is based on the teachings of _________ ________.

Answer 3

Siddharta Guatama

Question 4

True or False: Hofstede is primarily concerned with social values and the dimensions he identified that help parents understand their children.

Answer 4

False

Question 5

T or F: Feminine cultures in Hofstede’s dimensions care about relationships and are not focused on business success.

Answer 5

False

Question 6

Culture is a group of shared worldviews, social rules, and interpersonal dynamics that is:
a. chosen consciously by each group to set themselves apart from other groups
b. used as a way to separate economic classes
c. learned, interrelated, and shared
d. a collection of noble pursuits including opera, art, ballet, and classical music.

Answer 6

c. learned, interrelated, shared

Question 7

Molly has lived in Ireland her entire life and believes that the only way to do things is the “Irish way”. This belief is an example of:
a. stereotyping
b. cultural adaptation
c. social hierarchy
d. ethnocentrism

Answer 7

d. ethnocentrism

Question 8

Two basic ways to understand the role of leadership are to provide direction for a collection of individuals or to:
a. limit the freedom of individual group members
b. integrate a group
c. link top management with workers
d. organize workers for production

Answer 8

b. integrate a group

Question 9

Material culture includes:
a. only things that are used in production processes
b. the makers of things but not those who use them
c. all human-made objects
d. all textiles and fabrics

Answer 9

c. all human-made objects

Question 10

The most obvious cultural distinction a company must take into account when deciding to undertake international business is:
a. religion
b. language
c. aesthetics
d. finance

Answer 10

b. language

Question 11

the sum total of the beliefs, rules, techniques, institutions, and artifacts that characterize human populations.

Answer 11

culture

Question 12

the belief that your own culture is superior to other cultures. (this is something you have to guard against)

Answer 12

ethnocentricity

Question 13

T or F: We are born with a culture.

Answer 13

False; culture is learned

Question 14

T or F: Culture is shared, patterned, and mutually constructed through social interaction.

Answer 14

True

Question 15

T or F: Culture defines the boundaries of different groups.

Answer 15

True

Question 16

Culture affects all business functions. What five functions we talked about that culture affects?

Answer 16

1. Marketing
2. Human Resources
3. Production and Procurement
4. Accounting and Finance
5. Preferred Leadership Styles

Question 17

How does culture affect marketing? (2 things listed)

Answer 17

• Differences in values across markets often require different marketing mixes to reach potential customers.
• Companies must be sensitive to potential cultural issues related to product design, advertising, and pricing.

Question 18

How does culture affect human resources? (2 things listed)

Answer 18

• It plays key roles in motivating and evaluating employees.
• The role of a leader is very different around the world (in some parts of the world, the role of the leader is absolute (don’t ask questions, do as they say)).

Question 19

How does culture affect production and procurement? (3 things)

Answer 19

• Values and attitudes toward change can influence acceptance of new production methods (in some parts of the world, people are very resistant to change).
• Affects plant layout: linear assembly line vs. more group-oriented patterns.
• Norms structure resources acquisition: using social relationships or reliance on price.

Question 20

How does culture affect accounting and finance?

Answer 20

• Accounting controls directly relate to assumptions about the basic nature of people:
  - Tight controls = suggest lack of trust
  -Loose controls = suggest people act honestly even without close monitoring.

Question 21

T or F: In the US, we like to decentralize decision making.

Answer 21

True

Question 22

How does culture affect preferred leadership styles?

Answer 22

• Desired leadership traits vary by culture (is it hierarchical? is it family-based?)

Question 23

What are 4 ways culture shows itself?

Answer 23

1. Aesthetics
2. Religion
3. Language
4. Gift Giving in Business

Question 24

Refers to a culture’s sense of beauty and good taste; expressed through art, drama, music, folklore, dance, etc; also applies to ideas about body and physical beauty

Answer 24

Aesthetics

Question 25

T or F: It is important to know basic tenets of religions represented in your business markets.

Answer 25

True

Question 26

What are the 5 major world religions?

Answer 26

1. Christianity 2. Islam 3. Hinduism 4. Buddhism 5. Judaism

Question 27

What has become the "language of commerce"?

Answer 27

English

Question 28

What is Hall's cultural framework called?

Answer 28

Hall's High and Low Context

Question 29

In a high/low context country: it matters more about the environment; who says what at meetings.

Answer 29

In a high context country

Question 30

T or F: In a low context country, there is less verbally explicit communication and less written/formal information

Answer 30

False; that applies to a HIGH context country

Question 31

T or F: In a high context country, there is more internalized understandings of what is communicated.

Answer 31

True

Question 32

High or low context country: Long-term relationships

Answer 32

High

Question 33

High or low context country: rule oriented, people play by external rules

Answer 33

low

Question 34

High or low context country: Knowledge is situational, relational

Answer 34

High

Question 35

High or low context country: Decisions and activities focus around personal face-to-face relationships, often around a central authority person.

Answer 35

High

Question 36

What's an example of a high context country?

Answer 36

Arab countries

Question 37

What's an example of a low context country?

Answer 37

Switzerland, Germany

Question 38

In a (low/high) context country, Everything is in writing, it doesn’t matter who says what, the contract itself matters most.

Answer 38

low

Question 39

High or low context country: More knowledge is codified, public, external, and accessible

Answer 39

low

Question 40

High or low context country: More interpersonal connections of shorter duration

Answer 40

Low

Question 41

In a low context country, knowledge is more often _________.

Answer 41

transferable

Question 42

High or low context country: Task-centered; decisions and activities focus around what needs to be done; division of responsibilities.

Answer 42

low

Question 43

What are the names of the two scientists who studied cultures and tried to classify the cultures in dimensions?

Answer 43

Hoftstede and Trompenaars

Question 44

Hofstede's Six Dimensions are concerned primarily with _____ values.

Answer 44

work

Question 45

What are Hoftstede's Six Dimensions?

Answer 45

1. Individualism-collectivism dimension 2. Power distance 3. Uncertainty avoidance 4. Masculinity-femininity dimension 5. Indulgence vs. restraint 6. Pragmatic vs. normative dimension

Question 46

contradictions between culture’s values and what is actually observed.

Answer 46

cultural paradox

Question 47

What are the 6 rules of thumb for managers when doing business across cultures?

Answer 47

1. Be prepared when you approach a foreign market 2. Slow down 3. Establish trust 4. Understand the importance of language 5. Respect the culture 6. Understand the components of culture-- surface and deep

Question 48

Which of Hoftstede's Six Dimensions does this describe: measures degree to which people in the culture are integrated into groups

Answer 48

Individualism-collectivism dimension

Question 49

People in highly-(collectivistic/individualistic) cultures belong to strong, cohesive groups that look after them in exchange for loyalty. (ex: India or Asia)

Answer 49

collectivistic

Question 50

People in highly-(collectivistic/individualistic) cultures are more loosely connected and look after themselves and their immediate family. (ex: USA)

Answer 50

individualistic

Question 51

Which of Hoftstede's Six Dimensions does this describe: extent to which members of a society expect power to be distributed unequally and accept it; suggests that a society’s level of inequality is endorsed by followers as well as by leaders.

Answer 51

power distance

Question 52

In (small/large)-power-distance societies, seniority, age, rank, and title are important; formality is emphasized. (ex: India)

Answer 52

large

Question 53

In (small/large)-power-distance environments, a consultative style of leadership predominates; informality tends to be the norm. (ex: US, Scandinavia)

Answer 53

small

Question 54

Which of Hoftstede's Six Dimensions does this describe: describes a society’s level of comfort with uncertainty.

Answer 54

Uncertainty Avoidance

Question 55

(Strong/weak) uncertainty avoidance cultures resist change; they expect clear procedures and preserve the status quo. (ex: Mexico or Saudi Arabia)

Answer 55

Strong

Question 56

(Strong/weak) uncertainty avoidance culture sees conflict as having positive aspects; they expect innovation, encourage risk taking and reward change. (U.S. are risk-takers)

Answer 56

Weak

Question 57

Which of Hoftstede's Six Dimensions does this describe: describes the distribution of roles between the sexes; addresses the gap between men’s and women’s roles in a culture.

Answer 57

Masculinity-femininity dimension

Question 58

Masculinity-femininity dimension: In _______ cultures, quality of work life is important; in _________ cultures, economic growth is central and business performance is the primary goal.

Answer 58

feminine; masculine

Question 59

Which of Hoftstede's Six Dimensions does this describe: describes a culture’s tendency either to allow relatively free gratification of human desires or suppress human drives through strict social norms.

Answer 59

Indulgence vs. restraint

Question 60

In (indulgent/restraining) cultures, people believe they have personal control over their lives. (ex: US takes on loans to get the stuff they want now rather than wait to get it when they have the money to pay for it)

Answer 60

indulgent

Question 61

In (indulgent/restraining) cultures, much more energy is dedicated to establishing order and structure.

Answer 61

restraining

Question 62

Which of Hoftstede's Six Dimensions does this describe: is a measure of how people deal with the unexplainable in their lives.

Answer 62

Pragmatic vs. normative dimension

Question 63

In (pragmatic/normative) societies: there is a strong desire to explain and to know the absolute Truth. Respect for tradition, a low propensity to save, and a focus on quick results.

Answer 63

normative

Question 64

A (pragmatic/normative) orientation suggests people not concerned with understanding so much because life as a complex process is a given

Answer 64

pragmatic

Question 65

What are Trompenaar's Seven Dimensions?

Answer 65

1. Universalism vs. particularism 2. Individualism vs. communitarianism 3. Neutral vs. affective (unemotional vs. emotional) 4. Specific vs. diffuse 5. Achievement vs. ascription 6. Time 7. Internal vs. external

Question 66

Which of Trompenaar's Seven Dimensions does this describe: addresses whether rules or relationships regulate behaviors.

Answer 66

universalism vs. particularism

Question 67

- People in (universalist/particularist) cultures apply rules across the board, to all people, in all situations. - People in (universalist/particularist) cultures consider context before they apply the rule.

Answer 67

universalist;particularist

Question 68

Which of Trompenaar's Seven Dimensions does this describe: whether people plan their actions with reference to individual benefits or group benefits.

Answer 68

Individualism vs. communitarianism

Question 69

People in (neutral/affective) cultures tend to withhold emotional expression, while people in (neutral/affective) cultures are much more expressive.

Answer 69

neutral;affective

Question 70

Which of Trompenaar's Seven Dimensions does this describe: distinguishes among cultures based on their differentiation between private life and public or work life.

Answer 70

specific vs. diffuse

Question 71

Which of Trompenaar's Seven Dimensions does this describe: considers what a person does contrasted with who a person is.

Answer 71

Achievement vs. ascription

Question 72

- (Ascription/achievement) cultures consider who a person is in terms of family lineage, age, or other attributes. - (Ascription/achievement) cultures are meritocracies that reward what you do.

Answer 72

ascription; achievement

Question 73

What are the two aspects of Trompenaar's "Time" Dimension?

Answer 73

1. Where the primary focus is (past, present, and future) as a lens to view the present. 2. Whether actions are sequential (monochronic) or synchronous (polychronic).

Question 74

Which of Trompenaar's Seven Dimensions does this describe: reflects attitude toward controlling nature.

Answer 74

internal vs. external

Question 75

- In (external/internal) direction cultures, people believe they control nature. - In (external/internal) direction cultures, people believe the natural world controls them, and they need to work with their environment.

Answer 75

internal; external