Exam 5: The Cultural Environment of Global Business

Would you characterize the United States as a "masculine" or "feminine" country? Defend your answer.

Mexican business executives who buy business-to-business products from U.S. suppliers indicate that "knowledge of the Mexican culture" and "enthusiasm" were the most important cultural variables determining from which supplier they purchased. This example of which of the four characteristics of culture which is important for global companies to recognize?

Latin American negotiators will frequently engage in long periods of silence, or may have peripheral discussions among one another while ignoring foreign business people in the room.

________ refers to learned behavior; a way of life for one group of people living in a single, related and independent community.

Scenario - The Sandman Group The Sandman Group is a multinational pharmaceutical business, which provides needed medications to a variety of foreign markets around the globe.  It has recently acquired a new customer that is based in Saudi Arabia.  This area of the world is new to the company.  Sandman plans to send ten representatives and managers to the Saudi region to better serve this new client's needs.  The company feels confident in its products and its people and believes strongly they will be able to accommodate the needs of this client.The representatives of Sandman must be aware of cultural do's and don'ts of the Saudi Arabia region.  Which one of the following would be considered unacceptable or inappropriate for them to do during a business meeting?

In some countries, a high premium is placed upon foreigners and foreign items, as they are associated with sophistication -Belgian chocolate, for example, or Swedish automobiles. In other countries, there is subtle resistance to foreign items. This is an example of a cultural _____.

When doing business in Japan, it is appropriate to look directly into the eyes of your hosts.

The ability of a firm to adjust to a culture different from its own is called acculturation.

The Chinese philosophy that denotes friendship among unequals and unlimited exchanges of favors is referred to as _____.

In which country might an American businesswoman find her hosts especially reluctant to work with her?

_____ refers to the way people in a society relate to one another within group settings.

Uncertainty avoidance examines the extent to which societies tolerate ________.

In Arab countries, business executives will often digress from the primary purpose of the meeting, then eventually return to the topic initially discussed. This is an example of cultural _____.

According to the GLOBE Project research, _____ was ranked first on power distance.

Power distance is the cultural dimension that refers to ______ (equality)versus authority.

In ______, teachers are so revered that walking in their shadows is viewed as impolite.

Differentiate between the cultural dimensions of doing business in Latin America and Arab countries.

According to the GLOBE Project research, _____ has emerged as the group that was the most in favor of uncertainty avoidance.

Scenario - Reardon Enterprises Reardon Enterprises was founded in 1985 by Jonas and Samuel Reardon.  Initially this company was based solely in Santa Fe, New Mexico and sold products only in the U.S. market.  Now, this organization has grown to become fifth in the fine glassware industry in the world.  It proudly claims the distinction of having 14 manufacturing facilities located on foreign soil.  It currently provides its delicate and refined glass products to 24 foreign marketplaces around the world. Samuel continues to work in the field and feels his expertise in foreign relations is a large part of the reason the company has known such global success.  While Jonas contends the factories and workers located on foreign soil should not be treated differently from those in Santa Fe, Samuel contends it is important to know how the other countries operate.  Even with the differences in business philosophies and beliefs between the two owners, Reardon Enterprises remains a multi-billion dollar operation with a glistening future ahead of it. Reardon Enterprises has its second largest manufacturing facility located in South America.  Which one of the following would not be an important cultural fact Samuel and Jonas should know before conducting business meetings there? 

In ____ translation, a message is translated from English to another language, then someone skilled in that foreign language translates it back into English; this second translation can then be compared to the original English version.