Chapter 17: International Dimensions of Talent Management

Test Bank

Multiple Choice

1. The chapter credits many factors for driving change in how work is done, but they say none is more important than ______.

A. ease of travel

B. developments in HR

C. the Internet

D. globalization

Learning Objective: 17-1: Explain the concept of culture and its implications for talent management.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Capitalism in the 21st Century
Difficulty Level: Easy

AACSB: Contexts of organizations in a global society

2. Your organization is located in a country where there are many norms about correct behavior and expect equality among the citizens. This best represents which type of culture?

A. vertical collectivism

B. horizontal collectivism

C. vertical individualism

D. horizontal individualism

Learning Objective: 17-2: Identify various dimensions that help to distinguish cultures.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Vertical and Horizontal Individualism and Collectivism
Difficulty Level: Easy

AACSB: Contexts of organizations in a global society

3. Which of these is considered an individualistic trait based on the universal dimensions by Triandis?

A. emphasizing rationality

B. norms, duties, and obligations as determinants of social behavior

C. priority given to in-group goals

D. definition of self is interdependent with others

Learning Objective: 17-2: Identify various dimensions that help to distinguish cultures.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Vertical and Horizontal Individualism and Collectivism
Difficulty Level: Medium

AACSB: Contexts of organizations in a global society

4. Which cultural dimension refers to the extent that members of organizations feel either comfortable or uncomfortable in unstructured situations?

A. power distance

B. uncertainty avoidance

C. masculinity

D. long-term versus short-term orientation

Learning Objective: 17-2: Identify various dimensions that help to distinguish cultures.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Country-Level Cultural Differences
Difficulty Level: Easy

AACSB: Contexts of organizations in a global society

5. A new employee has arrived from a different country to work for your organization in the United States. This employee is having a hard time adapting to the fact most work and rewards are not based around the group and that coworkers are considered relatively equal to their bosses. This employee probably came from a country that was ______.

A. individualistic and low power distance

B. individualistic and high power distance

C. collectivistic and low power distance

D. collectivistic and high power distance

Learning Objective: 17-2: Identify various dimensions that help to distinguish cultures.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Country-Level Cultural Differences
Difficulty Level: Medium

AACSB: Contexts of organizations in a global society

6. Which of the following is NOT true about recent advances in the study of culture?

A. The constructs of cultural intelligence and global identity were developed.

B. There is a shift from dynamic to static views of culture, so-called cultural frame shifting.

C. Country may not be the most appropriate unit of analysis for cross-cultural research.

D. Research has moved beyond main effects to examine complex culture × context interactions.

Learning Objective: 17-3: Discuss recent theoretical and methodological developments in the study of culture.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Theoretical and Methodological Developments in the Study of Culture
Difficulty Level: Hard

AACSB: Contexts of organizations in a global society

7. In order to determine if a measure has translation equivalence in a new country, ______ needs to be done.

A. validity generalization

B. cross-validation

C. utility analysis

D. blind back-translation

Learning Objective: 17-4: Distinguish translation, conceptual, and metric equivalence when psychological measures are transported across cultures.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Transporting Psychological Measures Across Cultures
Difficulty Level: Medium

AACSB: Contexts of organizations in a global society

8. What do you call an expatriate’s country of residence?

A. host country

B. home country

C. third-country nation

D. third-world nation

Learning Objective: 17-4: Distinguish translation, conceptual, and metric equivalence when psychological measures are transported across cultures.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Terminology
Difficulty Level: Easy

AACSB: Contexts of organizations in a global society

9. Which of these is NOT one of the executive competencies identified in the Spreitzer et al. study?

A. is committed to making a difference

B. acts with integrity

C. seeks feedback

D. is sensitive to cultural differences

Learning Objective: 17-4: Distinguish translation, conceptual, and metric equivalence when psychological measures are transported across cultures.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Identification of Potential for International Management and Cultural Competence
Difficulty Level: Medium

AACSB: Contexts of organizations in a global society

10. Which broad process is marked by people who are willing to take risks and have a passion for seeing the organization succeed?

A. gets organizational attention and investment

B. takes or makes more opportunities to learn

C. is receptive to learning opportunities

D. changes as a result of experience

Learning Objective: 17-4: Distinguish translation, conceptual, and metric equivalence when psychological measures are transported across cultures.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Identification of Potential for International Management and Cultural Competence
Difficulty Level: Medium

AACSB: Contexts of organizations in a global society

11. Typically, selection for international managers is often based on ______ according to research, although this is seen as less than ideal.

A. general mental ability

B. willingness to go

C. international experience

D. language fluency

Learning Objective: 17-5: Describe how selection for international assignments differs from that for domestic assignments.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Selection for International Assignments
Difficulty Level: Medium

AACSB: Contexts of organizations in a global society

12. What is the validity for GMA predicting supervisor ratings of performance in medium-complexity jobs in the U.S.?

A. .63

B. .57

C. .51

D. .38

Learning Objective: 17-5: Describe how selection for international assignments differs from that for domestic assignments.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: General Mental Ability
Difficulty Level: Medium

AACSB: Contexts of organizations in a global society

13. Meta-analyses show that GMA is a valid predictor of performance in all of the following places EXCEPT ______.

A. The United States

B. South Korea

C. European countries

D. Japan

Learning Objective: 17-5: Describe how selection for international assignments differs from that for domestic assignments.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: General Mental Ability
Difficulty Level: Easy

AACSB: Contexts of organizations in a global society

14. Which of these personality traits is not related to an expatriate’s ability to complete their assignment?

A. emotional stability

B. extroversion

C. agreeableness

D. openness

Learning Objective: 17-5: Describe how selection for international assignments differs from that for domestic assignments.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Personality Characteristics and Expatriate Success
Difficulty Level: Medium

AACSB: Contexts of organizations in a global society

15. Someone who has the ability to behave as needed in the local context is considered to have ______.

A. cultural minimization

B. cultural adaptation

C. cultural integration

D. cultural mindset

Learning Objective: 17-5: Describe how selection for international assignments differs from that for domestic assignments.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Other Characteristics Related to Success in International Assignments
Difficulty Level: Easy

AACSB: Contexts of organizations in a global society

16. Which of the following is TRUE about selection people for expatriate assignments?

A. Most companies use self-assessment tools to select expatriates and give realistic previews.

B. Prior international experience is actually negatively related to adjust to new internal assignments.

C. There is a positive relationship between language skills and expatriate performance.

D. Firms should consider employees for assignments who are looking for a change of scenery.

Learning Objective: 17-5: Describe how selection for international assignments differs from that for domestic assignments.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Other Characteristics Related to Success in International Assignments
Difficulty Level: Hard

AACSB: Contexts of organizations in a global society

17. According to the reading, expatriates need training on all of the following EXCEPT ______.

A. the culture

B. the food

C. the language

D. the practical day-to-day matters

Learning Objective: 17-6: Specify key areas in which to focus expatriate training.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Cross-Cultural Training
Difficulty Level: Medium

AACSB: Contexts of organizations in a global society

18. Which of these is TRUE about the relationship between CCT (according to the Morris & Robie study)?

A. It is more strongly related to performance than adjustment.

B. It is more strongly related to adjustment than performance.

C. It is not related to either adjustment or performance.

D. It is equally related to adjustment and performance.

Learning Objective: 17-6: Specify key areas in which to focus expatriate training.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Cross-Cultural Training
Difficulty Level: Medium

AACSB: Contexts of organizations in a global society

19. Which of the following is NOT a variable that moderates the effects of training according to the reading?

A. attributes of the job

B. trainer attributes

C. family issues

D. timing of training

Learning Objective: 17-6: Specify key areas in which to focus expatriate training.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Cross-Cultural Training
Difficulty Level: Medium

AACSB: Contexts of organizations in a global society

20. How many classroom hours does it take to reach the minimal level of proficiency in an “easier” language?

A. 50 hr

B. 150 hr

C. 250 hr

D. 350 hr

Learning Objective: 17-6: Specify key areas in which to focus expatriate training.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Cross-Cultural Training
Difficulty Level: Medium

AACSB: Contexts of organizations in a global society

21. Which of the following is NOT a constraint on goal achievement in foreign countries mentioned in the reading?

A. From the perspective of home-country executives, differences in local accounting rules or labor laws may make it difficult to compare the relative performance of managers of subsidiaries in different countries.

B. Separation by time and distance may make it difficult for performance management systems to take account of country-specific factors.

C. In turbulent international environments, long-term objectives need to be flexible.

D. Market development in foreign subsidiaries is generally faster in other countries.

Learning Objective: 17-7: Identify key components of an effective performance management system for expatriates.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Performance Management
Difficulty Level: Hard

AACSB: Contexts of organizations in a global society

22. The degree to which an expatriate facilitates team performance is part of which dimension of performance?

A. communication and persuasion

B. effort and Initiative

C. interpersonal relations

D. personal discipline

Learning Objective: 17-7: Identify key components of an effective performance management system for expatriates.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Performance Criteria
Difficulty Level: Easy

AACSB: Contexts of organizations in a global society

23. If you are mostly at performance criteria for your expatriates in terms of organizational citizenship behaviors and cross-cultural skill development, which type of criteria are focusing on?

A. objective criteria

B. contextual criteria

C. flexible criteria

D. subjective criteria

Learning Objective: 17-7: Identify key components of an effective performance management system for expatriates.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Performance Criteria
Difficulty Level: Easy

AACSB: Contexts of organizations in a global society

24. Which of the following is NOT one of the potential problems with objective criteria in other countries?

A. Record keeping of profits and sales is often less reliable in other countries.

B. All financial figures generally are subject to the problem of currency conversion.

C. Financial measures ignore the ways that results are obtained.

D. Host governments may place restrictions on the repatriation of profits and also on currency conversion.

Learning Objective: 17-7: Identify key components of an effective performance management system for expatriates.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Performance Criteria
Difficulty Level: Medium

AACSB: Contexts of organizations in a global society

25. Which of these countries would you want to avoid giving an employee feedback about their faults directly?

A. United States

B. Great Britain

C. Australia

D. Korea

Learning Objective: 17-7: Identify key components of an effective performance management system for expatriates.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Performance Feedback
Difficulty Level: Easy

AACSB: Contexts of organizations in a global society

26. All of these are suggestions from the reading for what companies can do for repatriates EXCEPT ______.

A. Find ways to help repatriates disseminate what they have learned abroad

B. Pay as much attention to “reboarding” repatriates as they do to “onboarding” new employees.

C. Create a support group for repatriates within your company.

D. Have champions back home who look after their interests.

Learning Objective: 17-8: Suggest evidence-based actions that organizations can take to reduce turnover among repatriates.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Repatriation
Difficulty Level: Medium

AACSB: Contexts of organizations in a global society

27. The turnover rate for repatriates within the first year back is ______.

A. 13%

B. 21%

C. 30%

D. 43%

Learning Objective: 17-8: Suggest evidence-based actions that organizations can take to reduce turnover among repatriates.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Repatriation
Difficulty Level: Medium

AACSB: Contexts of organizations in a global society

28. Which of the following is TRUE about repatriation?

A. Repatriates typically receive better benefits and services when they come home.

B. Repatriates are less likely to leave the organization because of the enriching opportunity.

C. Most repatriates come back to a job that a promotion from their previous role.

D. A firm should define the primary purpose of an expatriate assignment beforehand to improve repatriation outcomes.

Learning Objective: 17-8: Suggest evidence-based actions that organizations can take to reduce turnover among repatriates.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Repatriation
Difficulty Level: Medium

AACSB: Contexts of organizations in a global society

29. Which type of equivalence requires that statistical associations among dependent and independent variables remain relatively stable?

A. translation

B. metric

C. conceptual

D. statistical

Learning Objective: 17-4: Distinguish translation, conceptual, and metric equivalence when psychological measures are transported across cultures.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Transporting Psychological Measures Across Cultures
Difficulty Level: Easy

AACSB: Contexts of organizations in a global society

30. In countries low on this cultural value, organization emphasize quality of life of employees and trying to help others.

A. power distance

B. uncertainty avoidance

C. masculinity

D. long-term versus short-term orientation

Learning Objective: 17-2: Identify various dimensions that help to distinguish cultures.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Country-Level Cultural Differences
Difficulty Level: Easy

AACSB: Contexts of organizations in a global society

Short Answer

1. What are some ways that the Internet is changing the way companies do business?

Learning Objective: 17-1: Explain the concept of culture and its implications for talent management.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Capitalism in the 21st Century
Difficulty Level: Medium

AACSB: Contexts of organizations in a global society

2. What are some ways that cultural values such as individualism/collectivism manifest in the workplace?

Learning Objective: 17-2: Identify various dimensions that help to distinguish cultures.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Vertical and Horizontal Individualism and Collectivism
Difficulty Level: Medium

AACSB: Contexts of organizations in a global society

3. Define cultural competence and discuss some of the research about the concept.

Learning Objective: 17-4: Distinguish translation, conceptual, and metric equivalence when psychological measures are transported across cultures.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Identification of Potential for International Management and Cultural Competence
Difficulty Level: Medium

AACSB: Contexts of organizations in a global society

4. Define global mindset and why it is related to expatriate success.

Learning Objective: 17-5: Describe how selection for international assignments differs from that for domestic assignments.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Other Characteristics Related to Success in International Assignments
Difficulty Level: Medium

AACSB: Contexts of organizations in a global society

5. Explain what a needs assessment, training, and evaluation for cross-cultural training should look like.

Learning Objective: 17-6: Specify key areas in which to focus expatriate training.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Cross-Cultural Training
Difficulty Level: Medium

AACSB: Contexts of organizations in a global society

6. What are the five universal principles about performance management?

Learning Objective: 17-7: Identify key components of an effective performance management system for expatriates.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Performance Management
Difficulty Level: Medium

AACSB: Contexts of organizations in a global society

Essay

1. What are some critiques of Hofstede’s work on cultural differences, as well as the value it adds to the literature and practice?

Learning Objective: 17-2: Identify various dimensions that help to distinguish cultures.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Country-Level Cultural Differences
Difficulty Level: Hard

AACSB: Contexts of organizations in a global society

2. After translation equivalence has been established, what other two types of equivalence need to be established to ensure transferability? Also explain why these equivalences are important.

Learning Objective: 17-4: Distinguish translation, conceptual, and metric equivalence when psychological measures are transported across cultures.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Transporting Psychological Measures Across Cultures
Difficulty Level: Medium

AACSB: Contexts of organizations in a global society

3. What are the two major components of a CCT, what do they look like, and how do they help prepare an expatriate for their new assignment?

Learning Objective: 17-6: Specify key areas in which to focus expatriate training.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Cross-Cultural Training
Difficulty Level: Hard

AACSB: Contexts of organizations in a global society