Each essay question requires a citation and a reference from any of the course materials below:

Baron, Business and Its Environment, Pearson eText, 7/edition
Beebe, Beebe and Redmond, Interpersonal Communication: Relating to Others, Pearson eText, 8/edition
Bucher, Diversity Consciousness: Opening Our Minds to People, Cultures, and Opportunities, Pearson eText, 4/edition
Chaney and Martin, Intercultural Business Communication, Pearson eText, 6/edition
Schaefer, Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the USA, Pearson eText, 1/edition
Thill and Bovee, Excellence in Business Communication, Pearson eText, 12/edition

Question 1
Culture embodies a number of characteristics particular to a society. Which of these most accurately describes a characteristic of culture?
Select one:
a. Individuals speaking the same Chinese dialect
b. Individuals working for the same company in Mexico
c. Individuals playing on the same baseball team in Canada
d. Individuals from England dining in a Japanese restaurant

Question 2
Define “norms” in the context of culture. Provide an example of a cultural norm.

Question 3
A U.S.-based sales manager is being transferred to a foreign country. Would the sales manager have greater cultural adjustments if she were transferred to England or to Japan? What concept of cultural adjustment explains this situation?

Question 4
Sandra has been assigned to manage the Tokyo branch of a manufacturing firm from her headquarters office in New York. Sandra adopts her firm’s view of how foreign business units should act and be managed. If Sandra adopts an ethnocentric view, what kind of impact would it have on the Tokyo branch? What opportunity might Sandra miss if she manages from the ethnocentric view?

Question 5
Assume Greece is a patriarchal society. Suppose your firm wants to open a business in Greece and hire only female employees. Would your business conflict with a cultural norm, a cultural rule or a cultural role? What would your firm need to do to adapt to the culture?

Question 6
Bob is the human resource manager for a global company based in Los Angeles. He reviews the application materials of a recent Asian college graduate for a management position. The applicant has an exceptionally high GPA and recommendations from faculty and has participated in numerous extracurricular activities. However, from his background, Bob does not like Asians. Still, Bob hires the graduate. Is Bob’s perception of Asians prejudice or discrimination? Defend your answer.

Question 7
Mary is the hiring manager at a firm. Mary stereotypes male managers as being more respected than female managers. What problems could Mary’s stereotypical perceptions cause the firm? Provide an example.
Question 8
What is cultural pluralism?

Question 9
Every morning when Harold goes to work, he says “Hi, how are you today?” to the new employee from Germany named Gene. This is an example of ________.
Select one:
a. repartee conversation
b. ritual conversation
c. self-disclosure
d. verbal dueling

Question 10
Prejudice plus power is required, under many definitions, to generate which of the following terms?
Select one:
a. Perception
b. Racism
c. Segregation
d. Stereotyping

Question 11
Among the forms of informal language, which form involves technical terminology within a profession that would differ from the commonly used language in a culture?
Select one:
a. Colloquialisms
b. Euphemisms
c. Jargon
d. Slang

Question 12
How are meanings and information communicated in low-context cultures?

Question 13
Jean comes from a high-context culture and Fred comes from a low-context culture. What communication difficulties will Jean face in a one-on-one meeting with Fred regarding an idea Fred has to open a new factory in Mexico?