Chapter 05
Culture, Management Style, and Business Systems
True / False Questions
2. We are less likely to evaluate a person’s behavior in terms of what is familiar to us
because we use our self-reference criterion (SRC).
FALSE
The self-reference criterion (SRC) is especially operative in business customs. If we do
not understand our foreign counterpart’s customs, we are more likely to evaluate that
person’s behavior in terms of what is familiar to us.
3. Cultural electives are business customs in which an outsider must not participate.
FALSE
Business customs can be grouped into imperatives, customs that must be recognized
and accommodated; electives, customs to which adaptation is helpful but not
necessary; and exclusives, customs in which an outsider must not participate.
4. Cultural imperatives are business customs that are generally similar across cultures.
FALSE
A complicating factor in cultural awareness is that what may be an imperative to avoid
in one culture is an imperative to do in another.
5. The majority of business customs fit into the cultural elective category.
TRUE
Cultural electives relate to areas of behavior or to customs that cultural aliens may wish
to conform to or participate in but that are not required. The majority of customs fit into
this category.
9. High-Power Distance Index countries are more egalitarian than low-Power Distance
Index countries.
FALSE
In high-Power Distance Index (PDI) countries such as Mexico and Malaysia,
understanding the rank and status of clients and business partners is much more
important than in more egalitarian (low-PDI) societies such as Denmark and Israel.
, 10. The three typical decision-making patterns are top-level management decisions,
decentralized decisions, and committee or group decisions.
TRUE
Although the international businessperson is confronted with a variety of authority
patterns that can complicate decision making in the global environment, most are a
variation of three typical patterns: top-level management decisions, decentralized
decisions, and committee or group decisions.
11. As businesses grow and professional management develops, there is a shift toward
centralized management decision making.
FALSE
As businesses grow and professional management develops, there is a shift toward
decentralized management decision making.
12. In the committee decision setup, every committee member must be convinced of the
merits of the proposition or product in question.
TRUE
Committee decision making is by group or consensus. In the committee decision setup,
every committee member must be convinced of the merits of the proposition or product
in question.
14. High-context cultures place great importance on the verbal aspects of communication.
FALSE
Communication in a high-context culture depends heavily on the contextual (who says
it, when it is said, how it is said) or nonverbal aspects of communication, whereas the
low-context culture depends more on explicit, verbally expressed communications.
15. Businesspeople in low-context cultures use email more often than those in high-context
cultures.
TRUE
E-mail use and usage rates by managers are also affected by culture. That is,
businesspeople in high-context cultures do not use the medium to the same extent as
those in low-context cultures.
16. Most high-context cultures operate on monochronic time.
FALSE
M-time, or monochronic time, typifies most North Americans, Swiss, Germans, and
Scandinavians. Most low-context cultures operate on M-time.
Culture, Management Style, and Business Systems
True / False Questions
2. We are less likely to evaluate a person’s behavior in terms of what is familiar to us
because we use our self-reference criterion (SRC).
FALSE
The self-reference criterion (SRC) is especially operative in business customs. If we do
not understand our foreign counterpart’s customs, we are more likely to evaluate that
person’s behavior in terms of what is familiar to us.
3. Cultural electives are business customs in which an outsider must not participate.
FALSE
Business customs can be grouped into imperatives, customs that must be recognized
and accommodated; electives, customs to which adaptation is helpful but not
necessary; and exclusives, customs in which an outsider must not participate.
4. Cultural imperatives are business customs that are generally similar across cultures.
FALSE
A complicating factor in cultural awareness is that what may be an imperative to avoid
in one culture is an imperative to do in another.
5. The majority of business customs fit into the cultural elective category.
TRUE
Cultural electives relate to areas of behavior or to customs that cultural aliens may wish
to conform to or participate in but that are not required. The majority of customs fit into
this category.
9. High-Power Distance Index countries are more egalitarian than low-Power Distance
Index countries.
FALSE
In high-Power Distance Index (PDI) countries such as Mexico and Malaysia,
understanding the rank and status of clients and business partners is much more
important than in more egalitarian (low-PDI) societies such as Denmark and Israel.
, 10. The three typical decision-making patterns are top-level management decisions,
decentralized decisions, and committee or group decisions.
TRUE
Although the international businessperson is confronted with a variety of authority
patterns that can complicate decision making in the global environment, most are a
variation of three typical patterns: top-level management decisions, decentralized
decisions, and committee or group decisions.
11. As businesses grow and professional management develops, there is a shift toward
centralized management decision making.
FALSE
As businesses grow and professional management develops, there is a shift toward
decentralized management decision making.
12. In the committee decision setup, every committee member must be convinced of the
merits of the proposition or product in question.
TRUE
Committee decision making is by group or consensus. In the committee decision setup,
every committee member must be convinced of the merits of the proposition or product
in question.
14. High-context cultures place great importance on the verbal aspects of communication.
FALSE
Communication in a high-context culture depends heavily on the contextual (who says
it, when it is said, how it is said) or nonverbal aspects of communication, whereas the
low-context culture depends more on explicit, verbally expressed communications.
15. Businesspeople in low-context cultures use email more often than those in high-context
cultures.
TRUE
E-mail use and usage rates by managers are also affected by culture. That is,
businesspeople in high-context cultures do not use the medium to the same extent as
those in low-context cultures.
16. Most high-context cultures operate on monochronic time.
FALSE
M-time, or monochronic time, typifies most North Americans, Swiss, Germans, and
Scandinavians. Most low-context cultures operate on M-time.
