Exam 3: The Cultural Environment of International Business

Jordan is employed in an American investment firm and is currently working with some Japanese clients on a new project. He uses a lot of hand gestures during meetings, which his clients find very distracting and rude. This has also led to many misunderstandings between Jordan and his Japanese clients in the recent past. Which of the following best describes such a situation?

Ethnocentric assumptions lead to poor business strategies in both planning and execution.

________ are ways of behaving and conducting oneself in public and business situations.

Which of the following is characteristic of collectivist societies?

Most companies have a distinctive set of norms, values, and modes of behavior that distinguish them from other organizations.

The purpose of material productions in a society is to ________.

Managers with an ethnocentric view of the world are generally better at understanding and dealing with similarities and differences among cultures.

Language has both verbal and nonverbal characteristics.

Titania is a country characterized by a high-context culture. This implies that ________.

Cultural intelligence focuses on specific capabilities important for high-quality personal relationships and effectiveness in culturally diverse settings and work groups.

Japanese Supercenter (Scenario) The Tag-Mart chain of discount superstores is nearing completion of its new supercenter in Tokyo. The Tokyo store is the first foreign store for the large U.S.-based company. Tag-Mart offers a large variety of products at virtually unbeatable prices. A group of Tag-Mart representatives has traveled to Tokyo to inspect the new store and hire a store manager. The top two contenders for the position are Hisako Aoki and Takematsu Sato. Aoki has 25 years of experience managing a local department store renowned for its customer service. Sato, born and raised in Japan, earned a college degree in the U.S. before working six years as a manager at a Texas Tag-Mart. -Which of the following best supports the selection of Sato over Aoki?

Managers with a geocentric view of the world ________.

How is culture like an iceberg? In a short essay, explain the relationship between the iceberg theory and international business relationships.

Japanese Supercenter (Scenario) The Tag-Mart chain of discount superstores is nearing completion of its new supercenter in Tokyo. The Tokyo store is the first foreign store for the large U.S.-based company. Tag-Mart offers a large variety of products at virtually unbeatable prices. A group of Tag-Mart representatives has traveled to Tokyo to inspect the new store and hire a store manager. The top two contenders for the position are Hisako Aoki and Takematsu Sato. Aoki has 25 years of experience managing a local department store renowned for its customer service. Sato, born and raised in Japan, earned a college degree in the U.S. before working six years as a manager at a Texas Tag-Mart. -Which of the following is a cultural barrier inherent to service firms that internationalize via FDI?

Managers can achieve effective cross-cultural interaction by ________.

A cultural metaphor is a generalization about a group of people that may or may not be factual.

Company logos, trademarks, national flags, and historical monuments are considered symbolic productions.

Feminine cultures tend to emphasize ________.

Prejudices in a culture ________.

High power-distance countries are characterized by ________.