Chapter 3

Communicating Effectively Across Cultures

Multiple-Choice Questions

1. Which of the following explains continuing problems in communication for international managers?
   1. Managers do not recognize the value of cross-cultural communication
   2. Managers value communication in the abstract, but in the heat of actual situations communication can take a back seat to more urgent issues
   3. Managers recognize that communication comes in many different forms
   4. Managers assume that communication is different everywhere
2. A silent pause in a conversation indicates which of the following?
   1. The participants have an opportunity (or obligation) to respond
   2. The participants are carefully considering what has been said
   3. The participants are uncomfortable and someone should immediately say something to fill the silence
   4. All of the above, depending on the cultural perspective of the participants
3. Which of the following does not accurately describe the primary features of the world’s languages?
   1. Only about 6% of all languages have more than 1 million speakers
   2. About 25 languages account for most of the world’s communication
   3. A language spoken by only one group of people has less influence than a language spoken by people in many different countries
   4. About 10 languages account for most of the world’s communication
4. Measures of impact of a specific language include all but which one of the following?
   1. Number of countries where a language is spoken
   2. Number of total speakers of a language
   3. The type of government in the country
   4. The economic power of countries using the language
5. Which of the following are known language challenges to international managers?
   1. Studying a language and becoming fluent is important, but easy
   2. Studying a language and becoming fluent is making a commitment to that particular language
   3. Being fluent in another language signals that a manager is highly intelligent
   4. Being fluent in another language is not time consuming
6. Which of the following has not been given as a reason for Americans’ lack of interest in other languages?
   1. Studies show that Americans think foreigners will take higher paying jobs because of their language skills
   2. The United States is relatively isolated geographically and has no need for additional languages
   3. Rapid transmission of information is now possible via the Internet, primarily in English
   4. Americans tend to be ethnocentric and inwardly focused on their own culture
7. Why is English becoming more pervasive among international businesses?
   1. The size of the American economy and global reach of the United States
   2. The Internet is exposing many people to the English language
   3. English is grammatically complex, but important
   4. Both a and b
8. American reliance on the English language can result in a competitive disadvantage because:
   1. American firms overplay the value of multilingual employees
   2. American managers do not feel that foreign-language skills are important
   3. The United States receives a high rating on language knowledge
   4. American managers feel that foreign-language skills are important
9. Experts in international communication recommend all of the following as a starting point for becoming an effective intercultural communicator except:
   1. Assume that people are different, not similar, and treat your interpretations as temporary and subject to further analysis
   2. Make judgments quickly and emphasize the evaluation and interpretation of events
   3. Practice putting yourself in other people’s shoes when communicating—be patient and understanding
   4. When experiencing a lot of conflict, look for communication problems as the first source
10. Experts in international communication suggest which of the following for becoming an effective intercultural communicator?
    1. Assume that people are similar
    2. When experiencing conflict, look for cultural differences as the first source
    3. Delay judgment; emphasize description of events, evaluation, and interpretation
    4. Practice putting yourself in other people’s shoes when communicating—be patient and understanding
11. Managers who do not understand the link between the type of apologies and explanations people provide risk provoking conflict and creating misunderstandings in cross-cultural situations such as during:
    1. Infrequent interactions with employees
    2. Infrequent interactions with clients
    3. Performance appraisals
    4. Formal reports to the board
12. Which of the following differences in cultural approaches to common communication issues are correctly paired?
    1. Compliments: Individualistic —infrequent praise in private; Collectivistic—praise is common
    2. Criticism: Individualistic—indirect and toward groups; Collectivistic—passive and ambiguous
    3. Apology: Individualistic—direct with justifications; Collectivistic—direct and extensive with no explanation
    4. Both a and c
13. Which of the following are considered advantages to communicating in writing?
    1. Individuals with writing expertise and knowledge of a language can be readily hired
    2. It is a practical approach for routine, daily communications
    3. It is an inexpensive approach
    4. No additional effort on the part of the manager is required
14. English is becoming more pervasive in international business circles because of:
    1. The influence of European higher education around the world
    2. The grammatically simple nature of English as a common tongue
    3. The exposure to many languages around the world via the Internet
    4. The number of multinational firms
15. Context seems to affect communication style in different ways. Which of the following is an accurate statement regarding the influence of context?
    1. Japanese business communications are direct and rely on an intuitive style so they prefer to communicate via letters
    2. American and Canadian communications are generally indirect and rely on a rational, process-based approach
    3. Managers in high-context cultures are generally more comfortable with silence, feel that details can be worked out later, and engage in more complex and indirect communication
    4. Managers in low-context cultures frequently use nonverbal features and prefer to “beat around the bush”
16. Which of the following accurately describes how vocal qualities influence verbal communication?
    1. Americans will likely interpret a fast pace or rate of speaking as a show of incompetence and indecisiveness
    2. Speed and loudness can, in and of themselves, communicate a message
    3. Koreans are likely to interpret a slow pace or rate of speaking as a show of incompetence
    4. None of the above are accurate
17. Which of the following statements are valid examples of how context influences communication in high-context cultures such as China, Korea, Japan, or France?
    1. Relies on trust for agreement and personal relations detract from business
    2. Relies on trust for agreement and what is unsaid, but understood; carries less weight than written comments
    3. Personal relations add to business and relies on trust for agreement
    4. Relies on trust for agreement and what is unsaid but understood; carries less weight than written or verbal comments
18. Which of the following statements are valid examples of how context influences communication in low-context cultures such as Germany, Switzerland, and the United States?
    1. A handshake is sufficient for an agreement
    2. The focus is on the general tone of what was actually written
    3. Trust is secured with improved personal relationships
    4. Personal relations detract from business
19. Which of the following is not an example of the types of communications that can readily be influenced by cross-cultural differences:
    1. Compliments and criticisms
    2. Criticisms and apologies
    3. Observations and questions
    4. Forgiveness and apologies
20. Characteristics of business letters from Americans to foreign firms include which of the following?
    1. Use of informal, casual tone
    2. Use of exaggerated courtesy
    3. Use of frequent compliments
    4. Use of formal tone

True or False Questions

1. A significant advantage of knowing how cultures and countries cluster together is that it helps companies “customize” management practices and thus makes international business easier and more productive.
2. Because managers recognize the importance of effective cross-cultural communication there are few significant communication issues and barriers remaining.
3. There are many subtleties, not often understood as “communication,” that can play a big role in cross-border interaction, such as a silent pause in conversation being perceived as an opportunity (or obligation) to respond by an American manager and not by a Japanese manager.
4. Sometimes specific actions and the cultural context surrounding communication affect its actual meaning.
5. The single most important way that humans communicate is through spoken and written language.
6. Approximately 15% of all languages have more than one million speakers, while about five languages account for most of the communication on the planet.
7. English is the language for international air traffic, regardless of the city of departure or arrival; it is the most common language on the Internet; and universities and academia around the world use English for research and teaching.
8. English is becoming more pervasive in international business circles in spite of being grammatically complex and being a relatively difficult “common tongue” to use in international business.
9. Language competence pays dividends in international business and that is why American reliance on the English language represents a competitive disadvantage that will continue to cause problems into the future.
10. Communication patterns matter and are often built into the language structure itself. These patterns may act as filters that shape what we see, how we see it, and our subsequent actions.
11. The need for group harmony in collectivist cultures impacts how people deliver critical comments, except in the case of direct criticism, such as insults, which do not seem to be tied to culture.
12. International companies should help their employees, especially managers, understand that the type of apologies and explanations provided by people are driven by culture-specific attitudes.
13. Managers who do not understand the link between the type of apology and the explanation people provide risk provoking conflict and creating misunderstandings in cross-cultural situations, such as daily teamwork, and in regular interactions with employees and clients.
14. Written communication, in several different forms, can provide increased message clarity because a communicator can take more time to carefully craft a letter or e-mail and it can be referred to repeatedly by the recipient.
15. In low-context cultures such as Germany, the United States, and Japan people tend to rely on written communication because that medium allows for a permanent and explicit record of a message, so face-to-face communications are not needed.

Short-Answer Questions

1. Would high-context cultures prefer written or spoken language as a communication medium? Would the preferences of those from low-context cultures be the same?
2. List three of the five recommendations made by international communication experts for becoming an effective intercultural communicator.
3. What are three reasons simply relying on written communication rather than verbal communication is not as easy as it might first appear?
4. What are some common cross-cultural situations in which managers who fail to adjust their communication strategies risk provoking conflict and creating misunderstandings?
5. What are some of the downsides for international managers to becoming fluent in a second or third language?
6. What factors should be taken into account to determine the influence and impact of any specific language?
7. What factors have been suggested to account for American lack of interest in other languages?
8. Explain what is meant by “ethnocentricism” and how it might explain why Americans place relatively low importance on foreign-language proficiency.
9. Provide two examples of what is meant by the statement: “What is intended to be communicated may not be what is understood.”
10. Why are more mistakes likely in “real-time” communication than when communicators have thought through and prepared their message? Give two examples.

Essay Questions

1. Explain why both spoken and written communication presents many challenges to cross-cultural communication. Provide some examples of the types of challenges.
2. How might you expect the dimensions of power distance and country collectivism to affect electronically delivered messages across cultures?
3. How would you expect a specific country’s standing on the context aspect of nonverbal behavior to affect its communication patterns?
4. Explain some of the reasons English is becoming more pervasive in international business circles and why, in spite of these reasons, language competence is considered a plus in international business.