Chapter 4 Dimensions of Culture

Match the types of organizations in terms of power distance (in the left column) with their features (in the right column). Instructions Firms in high-power-distance countries Firms in low-power-distance countries

They are likely to be centralized and have tall organization structures. They tend to be decentralized and have flatter organization structures.

Based on the findings of Dutch researcher Geert Hofstede about the effects of individualism, match the types of nations (in the left column) with their descriptions (in the right column). Instructions Nations with high individualism Nations with low individualism

They are likely to have more support for the Protestant work ethic, greater individual initiative, and promotions dependent on market value. They are likely to have less support for the Protestant work ethic, less individual initiative, and promotions dependent on seniority.

Originally called Confucian Work Dynamism, time orientation is explained by Dutch researcher Geert Hofstede as _____. dealing with ambiguous situations the extent to which less powerful members of institutions accept that power is distributed unequally dealing with society's search for virtue the tendency of people to look after themselves and their immediate family only

dealing with society's search for virtue

Based on the study by Dutch researcher Fons Trompenaars, match the kinds of relationship orientations (in the left column) with their definitions (in the right column). Universalism Particularism

The belief that ideas and practices can be applied everywhere without modification The belief that circumstances dictate how ideas and practices should be applied

Match the types of cultures (in the left column) with their descriptions (in the right column). Instructions neutral culture emotional culture

A culture in which emotions are held in check A culture in which emotions are expressed openly and naturally

Based on Fons Trompenaars's relationship orientations based on cultural dimensions, which of the following countries have high individualism? (Check all that apply.) Korea Canada Malaysia Thailand

Canada Thailand

Which of the following primarily exhibit a high long-term orientation? (Check all that apply.) Spain China Indonesia Japan The United Kingdom

China, Japan, Indonesia

Match the various studies on cultural dimensions (in the left column) with their features (in the right column). Research by Dutch researcher Geert Hofstede The Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness (GLOBE) research program

Concentrated on one institution and surveyed employees Conducted interviews with managers across many corporations

In the context of a research study on the effects of the U.S. environment on the cultural values of Japanese managers working for Japanese firms in the United States, which of the following are generally very important in Japanese culture? (Check all that apply.) Conditional tenure Conformity Informal authority Group orientation Paternalism

Conformity Group orientation Paternalism

True or false: There is increasing evidence that individualism in Japan is declining, indicating that Japanese values are seldom changing.

False. This is false. There is increasing evidence that individualism in Japan is on the rise, indicating that Japanese values are changing—and not just among managers outside the country. The country's long economic slump has convinced many Japanese that they cannot rely on the large corporations or the government to ensure their future.

According to F. Elashmawi and Philip R. Harris, match the regions (in the left column) with the cultural values they consider important (in the right column). US Japan Arab countries

Individualism Collectiveness Authority

Identify the true statements about organizations with high power distance. (Check all that apply.) Individuals blindly follow the orders of their superiors. Flat organization structures are popular. The low-level employees are highly qualified people. Strict obedience is seen even among high-level employees.

Individuals blindly follow the orders of their superiors. Strict obedience is seen even among high-level employees.

Which of the following is true about culture? It is based on the genetically driven adaptive process of human beings. It cannot be acquired by learning or experience. It is dependent on the human ability to symbolize. It cannot be passed down from one generation to the next.

It is dependent on the human ability to symbolize.

Match the types of organizational procedures (in the left column) with their descriptions (in the right column). Instructions Informal procedures Formal procedures

Most tasks are accomplished through casual means. Official procedures are set forth and followed rigidly.

Identify the countries that were identified by Dutch researcher Geert Hofstede as having a low long-term orientation index. (Check all that apply.) Spain The United States of America The United Kingdom China Indonesia

Spain The United States of America The United Kingdom

Match the types of cultures based on time orientation short term cultures Long term cultures

Students attribute success and failure to luck, and traditions are sacrosanct. Students attribute success to effort and failure to lack of effort, and traditions are adaptable to changed circumstances.

Match the types of cultures based on the aspects of public space and private space (in the left column) with their examples (in the right column). Cultures that are highly specific Cultures that are highly diffuse

The United States Germany

According to the study by Dutch researcher Fons Trompenaars, match the kinds of relationship orientations (in the left column) with their features (in the right column). Cultures with high universalism Cultures with high particularism

The focus is more on formal rules than on relationships. The focus is more on relationships and trust than on formal rules.

What are the features of countries with a high masculinity index? (Check all that apply.) Individuals are encouraged to be group decision makers, and achievement is defined in terms of layman contacts and the living environment. The school system is geared toward fostering high performance. The workplace involves high job stress, and many managers think that their employees dislike work and must be kept under some degree of control. Young men expect to have careers, and those who do not often consider themselves failures. These countries prefer small-scale enterprises and place great importance on conservation of the environment.

The school system is geared toward fostering high performance. The workplace involves high job stress, and many managers think that their employees dislike work and must be kept under some degree of control. Young men expect to have careers, and those who do not often consider themselves failures.

Identify the attributes of countries with a low masculinity index. (Check all that apply.) The workplace is often characterized by high job stress. The school system is geared toward teaching social adaptation. Several women have higher-level jobs and do not find it necessary to be assertive. Young men expect to have careers, and those who do not often view themselves as failures. Individuals are urged to be group decision makers.

The school system is geared toward teaching social adaptation. Several women have higher-level jobs and do not find it necessary to be assertive. Individuals are urged to be group decision makers.

Based on the aspects of cultural dimensions, match the terms (in the left column) with their definitions (in the right column). individualism collectivism

The tendency of people to look after themselves and their immediate family only The tendency of people to belong to groups or collectives and to look after each other in exchange for loyalty

Match the types of countries based on their indulgence index (in the left column) with the associated regions (in the right column). Instructions Countries that show a high indulgence index Countries that show a low indulgence index

They tend to be located in the Americas and Western Europe, including the USA, Australia, Mexico, and Chile. They tend to be located in Asia and Eastern Europe, including Egypt, Russia, India, and China.

True or false: When developing the measures and conducting the analysis as part of the Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness (GLOBE) research program, researchers used archival measures of country economic prosperity and of the physical and psychological welfare of the cultures studied.

True.

Match the types of cultures based on the concept of time Sequential-time cultures Synchronous-time cultures

US Mexico

Basic convictions that people have regarding what is right and wrong, good and bad, and important and unimportant are known as _______

Values

According to F. Elashmawi and Philip R. Harris, match the regions (in the left column) with the cultural values they prioritize (in the right column). US Japan Arab Countries

directness belonging parental guidance

When doing business with a past- and present-oriented culture, managers should not _____. find out whether internal relationships will sanction the types of changes to be made fix deadlines for completions agree to future meetings in principle place emphasis on the history and tradition of the culture at any cost

fix deadlines for completions

Research on the effects of the U.S. environment on the cultural values of Japanese managers working for Japanese firms in the United States found that the stateside Japanese managers supported the idea of _____. formal authority unconditional employment conformance to hierarchic position paternalism

formal authority

According to Dutch researcher Geert Hofstede, a cultural characteristic in which the dominant values in society are success, money, and things is termed _____. femininity masculinity universalism particularism

masculinity

Unlike people in sequential-time cultures, people in synchronous-time cultures will _____. stop what they are doing to meet and greet a person coming into their office show a strong preference for following plans as they are laid out and not deviating from them do only one activity at a time keep appointments strictly

stop what they are doing to meet and greet a person coming into their office

The extent to which people feel threatened by ambiguous situations and have created beliefs and institutions that try to avoid these is known as _____ _____.

uncertainty avoidance

Match the types of cultures based on the aspects of public space and private space (in the left column) with their descriptions (in the right column). specific culture diffuse culture

A culture in which individuals have a large public space they readily let others enter and share and a small private space they guard closely and share with only close friends and associates A culture in which public space and private space are similar in size and individuals guard their public space carefully because entry into public space affords entry into private space as well

Match the types of cultures based on accorded status (in the left column) with their descriptions (in the right column). Achievement culture Ascription culture

A culture in which people are accorded status based on how well they perform their functions A culture in which status is attributed based on who or what a person is

Identify the guidelines for doing business in a future-oriented culture. (Check all that apply.) Find out whether internal relationships will sanction the types of changes that need to be made. Place importance on the history and tradition of the culture. Agree to specific deadlines for completing things. Place importance on the opportunities and limitless scope that any agreement can have.

Agree to specific deadlines for completing things. Place importance on the opportunities and limitless scope that any agreement can have.

In the context of the importance given to time periods, match the situations (in the left column) with the guidelines that effective international managers should follow according to Dutch researcher Fons Trompenaars (in the right column). Future oriented businesses Past/present oriented businesses

Managers should place emphasis on the opportunities and limitless scope that any agreement can have. Managers should place emphasis on the history and tradition of the culture.

In the context of the cultural dimension of indulgence versus restraint identified by Dutch researcher Geert Hofstede, match the types of societies (in the left column) with their features (in the right column). Indulgent societies Restrained societies

People are more likely to remember positive emotions and give higher importance to leisure. People are less likely to remember positive emotions and give lower importance to leisure.

Match the types of organizations in terms of power distance high power distance firms low power distance firms

They are likely to be centralized and have tall organization structures. They tend to be decentralized and have flatter organization structures.

Match the cultural dimensions listed by the Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness (GLOBE) research program Assertiveness Future orientation performance orientation humane orientation

The degree to which individuals in organizations or societies are confrontational and aggressive in social relationships The degree to which individuals in organizations or societies engage in behaviors such as planning, investing, and delaying gratification The extent to which an organization or society encourages and rewards group members for execution improvement and excellence The degree to which individuals in firms or societies encourage and reward people for being fair, altruistic, friendly, generous, caring, and kind to others

Match the cultural dimensions identified by the Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness (GLOBE) research program (in the left column) with their definitions (in the right column). uncertainty avoidance power distance Collectivism I: societal collectivism Collectivism II: in-group collectivism

The extent to which members of an organization or society strive to keep away from unsureness by reliance on social norms, rituals, and bureaucratic practices to alleviate the unpredictability of events The degree to which members of an organization or society expect and agree that authority should be unequally shared The degree to which organizational and social institutional practices encourage and reward collaborative distribution of resources and collaborative action The degree to which individuals show pride, loyalty, and cohesiveness in their organizations or families

Match the cultures (in the left column) with the descriptions of the degree to which they are past-, present-, or future-oriented (in the right column). US, Italy, Germany Venezuela, Indonesia, Spain

The future is more significant than the past or the present. The present is more important than the past or future.

In the context of a research study on managerial values, which of the following show the effects of the U.S. environment on the cultural values of Japanese managers working for Japanese firms in the United States? (Check all that apply.) The stateside Japanese managers did not support the concept of formal authority in an organization. The stateside Japanese managers did not think that unconditional tenure in a firm was very important. The stateside Japanese managers did not perceive conformity and obedience to be very important. The stateside Japanese managers did not believe that job security was very significant.

The stateside Japanese managers did not think that unconditional tenure in a firm was very important. The stateside Japanese managers did not perceive conformity and obedience to be very important.

Match the types of cultures in terms of time orientation (in the left column) with their features (in the right column). short term culture long term culture

There is personal steadiness and stability, and service to others is an important objective. Family life is led by shared tasks, and what are good and evil depend on the circumstances.

Match the types of uncertainty-avoidance societies (in the left column) with their features (in the right column). High-uncertainty-avoidance societies Low-uncertainty-avoidance societies

They have a great deal of structuring of organizational activities, more written rules, less risk taking by managers, lower labor turnover, and less ambitious employees. They have organizational settings with less structuring of activities, fewer written rules, more risk taking by managers, higher labor turnover, and more ambitious employees.

Match the types of organizations in terms of power distance Firms in high-power-distance countries Firms in low-power-distance countries

They will have a large proportion of supervisory personnel, and the people at the lower strata of the workforce often will have low job qualifications. They will have a large proportion of supervisory personnel, and the people at the lower strata of the workforce often will have low job qualifications.

What was the meta-goal of the Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness (GLOBE) research program? To popularize the idea of communitarianism and convince people to regard themselves as individuals To popularize the idea of particularism that states that practices can be applied everywhere without modification To create an empirically based theory to prove that people in ascription cultures are more proactive in running business than those in achievement cultures To create an empirically based theory to explain and foresee the effects of cultural variables on leadership and organizational processes and the effectiveness of these processes

To create an empirically based theory to explain and foresee the effects of cultural variables on leadership and organizational processes and the effectiveness of these processes