Chapter 1

In high-context cultures, ________. A) people rely less on circumstances surrounding the message to convey meaning B) the primary role of communication is to build relationships C) people rely less on the explicit content of messages to convey meaning D) the conveyed meaning is encoded into the message itself E) people rely less on cues to convey meaning

B) the primary role of communication is to build relationships

________ marketing involves attempting to promote products and services to customers who don't know they are being marketed to. A) Stealth B) Ambush C) Affiliate D) Viral E) Loyalty

A) Stealth

In order to communicate effectively using technology, you should ________. A) guard against information overload B) always activate visual alerts for incoming messages C) use technology to completely do away with face-to-face communication D) use blog feeds and Twitter follows to the maximum extent possible E) expand your social networks online to the maximum extent possible

A) guard against information overload

In low-context cultures, ________. A) the primary role of communication is to exchange information B) people rely less on the explicit content of the message C) people rely more on the circumstances surrounding the message to convey meaning D) people rely more on situational cues to convey meaning E) the rules of everyday life are rarely stated explicitly

A) the primary role of communication is to exchange information

Advanced systems for videoconferencing can feature telepresence, a technology that allows you to ________. A) view video images that are life-sized and extremely realistic B) convert email and IM into voice messages C) automatically forward incoming calls D) contribute to and edit the same document from remote locations E) hold meetings in virtual worlds like Second Life

A) view video images that are life-sized and extremely realistic

Effective use of communication technologies require expertise in the use of tools, information overload to make better decisions, and self-serving messages to ensure communication.

Answer: FALSE

In high-context cultures the rules of everyday life are stated explicitly.

Answer: FALSE

Information overload develops the ability to think deeply about complex situations, reduces employee stress, and increases productivity.

Answer: FALSE

Legal systems and ethical standards are universal.

Answer: FALSE

Selective misquoting and stealth marketing are considered ethical.

Answer: FALSE

An ethical dilemma can involve choosing between two conflicting alternatives that are both ethical and valid.

Answer: TRUE

Companies use communication technologies such as social networking, microblogging, and user-generated content sites to foster a sense of community among customer, enthusiasts, and other groups.

Answer: TRUE

Cultural competency is an appreciation for cultural differences that affect communication and the ability to adjust one's communication style to ensure that efforts to send and receive messages across cultural boundaries are successful.

Answer: TRUE

Ensuring ethical business communication requires three elements: ethical individuals, ethical company leadership, and the appropriate policies and structures to support ethical decision making.

Answer: TRUE

Which of the following is true about communication challenges presented by cultural context? A) A person from a low-context culture is more likely to view a high-context person's work culture as being insensitive to group harmony. B) A person from a high-context culture is more likely to consider personal pledges more important than contracts. C) In a low-context culture, people are more likely to consider gestures and tone of voice when receiving a message. D) In a high-context culture, the rules of everyday life are stated explicitly. E) A person from a high-context culture is more likely to adhere strictly to the law.

B) A person from a high-context culture is more likely to consider personal pledges more important than contracts.

) Which of the following is an effective tip for speaking with multilingual audiences? A) Ask questions like "Is this too difficult for you?" to ensure understanding. B) Adapt your conversation style to the other person's. C) Make multiple points at a time. D) Don't repeat your points. E) Look for nods and smiles to ensure your audience is understanding your message.

B) Adapt your conversation style to the other person's.

Which of the following is a guideline for improving intercultural communication? A) Consider aspects like personal appearance when trying to judge a person. B) Be flexible and be prepared to change your habits and attitudes. C) Avoid using sources like travel guidebooks to learn about a culture. D) Always assume that others will think, believe, and behave as you do. E) Do not tolerate ambiguity of any kind.

B) Be flexible and be prepared to change your habits and attitudes.

________—which involves inviting input from groups of people inside or outside the organization—gives companies access to a much wider range of ideas, solutions to problems, and insights into market trends. A) Ethnocentrism B) Crowdsourcing C) Applicant Tracking systems D) Speech synthesis E) Scaffolding

B) Crowdsourcing

Jeremy is a manager at the telecommunication customer care branch of a leading router manufacturing company based in the U.S. He argues that hiring native speakers of English will ensure higher customer satisfaction and better customer care service. Which of the following, if true, weakens his argument? A) Workers are more productive when managers communicate in their native language. B) English fluency and accent modification are an integral part of training for customer care executives. C) Global firms promote talented executives who can work in a multicultural diverse environment. D) In the U.S., minorities are the fastest growing consumer group holding $3 trillion buying power. E) Non-native speakers of English bring diversity to the workplace.

B) English fluency and accent modification are an integral part of training for customer care executives

An activist group accuses a leading cell phone and netbook manufacturer of deceiving customers through its stealth marketing campaign. The group argues that stealth marketing is unethical. They claim that the company hired several actors and rewarded them for promoting products. The campaign involved visiting stores on weekends and during the peak season, using their products on commuter trains, bars, and coffee shops. Which of the following, if true, strengthens the argument? A) Last year, thirty-five percent of Fortune 500 adopted Word of Mouth Marketing campaigns. B) The company did not give their targets the opportunity to raise instinctive defenses against persuasive marketing messages. C) Around seventy-five percent of cell phone consumers state that they heard of the product from friends. D) The Advertising Standards Authority claims that leading companies are using stealth marketing to manipulate customer base. E) The company offered 350,000 people a source of income through its stealth marketing campaign.

B) The company did not give their targets the opportunity to raise instinctive defenses against persuasive marketing messages.

Which of the following decision making scenarios presents an ethical dilemma? A) A disgruntled employee of one of your competitors has offered to reveal details of his company's new strategy if you were to hire him. This competitor has in the past poached key executives from your company and engaged in industrial espionage in other ways. B) You are manager of a large facility in a country where paying bribes to public officials is a way of life. Your company has a zero-tolerance policy toward bribing, but the officials are threatening to close down the factory, rendering several thousand workers jobless, if you don't comply. C) It has been brought to your notice that the company competing with you for a major contract is trying to bribe and influence decision-makers in a bid to get the contract. Some of your executives feel that your company should also do the same because getting this contract will make a big difference to the company's future. D) The last inspection at your plant revealed structural problems with some of the buildings that, if not fixed immediately, could compromise worker safety. However, your company is low on funds and taking on repair work will push the company into the red. E) During a conversation with a friend, you come across information that will significantly impact the stock prices of a company's share in the near future. As Funds Manager at a bank, leveraging this information will allow you to improve the retirement savings of several senior citizens.

B) You are manager of a large facility in a country where paying bribes to public officials is a way of life. Your company has a zero-tolerance policy toward bribing, but the officials are threatening to close down the factory, rendering several thousand workers jobless, if you don't comply.

Which of the following constitutes ethical information? A) a restaurant using photos of dishes that it does not serve on its website B) a vendor including only essential information in promotional material mailed out to customers C) a company paying customers to recommend its products to their friends D) a manufacturer of cell phones asking its sales team to post favorable product reviews on social media E) a hospitality chain deleting all negative comments from the company's blog

B) a vendor including only essential information in promotional material mailed out to customers

In order to use communication technology effectively, you should NOT ________. A) use the powerful filtering and tagging capabilities of your system B) let technology overwhelm the communication process C) connect with people face-to-face frequently D) limit your presence on online social networks E) try to control the number and types of messages you receive

B) let technology overwhelm the communication process

When using communication technology, it is important to ________. A) use blog feeds and Twitter follows to the maximum extent possible B) reconnect with people on the phone or in person frequently C) use technology to completely do away with face-to-face communication D) pay equal attention to all the information—immediately useful or not—that you receive E) expand your social networks online to the maximum extent possible

B) reconnect with people on the phone or in person frequently

In order to communicate effectively using technology, you should ________. A) become an expert in most technologies B) try to isolate high-priority messages that need your attention C) use technology to completely do away with face-to-face communication D) use blog feeds and Twitter follows to the maximum extent possible E) expand your social networks online to the maximum extent possible

B) try to isolate high-priority messages that need your attention

When writing for multilingual audiences, you should ________. A) use slang and jargon B) use figures instead of spelling out numbers C) use transitions sparingly D) use abbreviations generously E) use long paragraphs and sentences

B) use figures instead of spelling out numbers

________ is the tendency to judge all other groups according to the standards, behaviors, and customs of one's own group. A) Cultural context B) Stereotyping C) Ethnocentrism D) Ethical lapse E) Ethical dilemma

C) Ethnocentrism

Which among the following is the most low-context culture? A) Chinese B) Indian C) German D) Japanese E) Arab

C) German

In order to boost sales for its tablets, Zip Communications paid several students to carry the gadgets to college and talk to their friends and classmates about the great features of the product. What is the best criticism of Zip's decision? A) It selectively misquoted information. B) It failed to protect customer information. C) It engaged in stealth marketing. D) It violated a copyright. E) It failed to respect others' privacy.

C) It engaged in stealth marketing.

Which of the following is a guideline for improving intercultural communication? A) Consider aspects like personal appearance when trying to judge a person. B) Avoid using sources like travel guidebooks to learn about a culture. C) Recognize your own cultural biases. D) Always assume that others will think, believe, and behave as you do. E) Do not tolerate ambiguity of any kind.

C) Recognize your own cultural biases.

Which of the following is true about making ethical communication choices? A) An ethical dilemma involves making a clearly unethical, and often illegal, choice. B) An ethical lapse involves choosing among alternatives that are not clearly right or wrong. C) When making communications decisions, you must always consider if a decision that seems ethical now may seem unethical in the future. D) Deliberately omitting essential information is an ethical way of influencing the audience. E) In business scenarios, you cannot afford the luxury of considering the impact of your messages on the audience.

C) When making communications decisions, you must always consider if a decision that seems ethical now may seem unethical in the future.

In low-context cultures, ________. A) people rely more on the circumstances surrounding the message to convey meaning B) the primary role of communication is to build relationships C) people rely more on the explicit content of the message to convey meaning D) people rely more on cues to convey meaning E) the rules of everyday life are rarely stated explicitly

C) people rely more on the explicit content of the message to convey meaning

When writing for multilingual audiences, you should ________. A) use slang and jargon B) spell numbers out instead of using figures C) use transitions generously D) use abbreviations extensively E) use long paragraphs and sentences

C) use transitions generously

Which among the following is the most high-context culture? A) American B) English C) German D) Chinese E) Irish

D) Chinese

Which of the following is a tip for speaking with multilingual audiences? A) Ask questions like "Is this too difficult for you?" to ensure understanding. B) Don't repeat your points. C) Make multiple points at a time. D) Do not assume the audience's smiles and nods to be a sign that they understood your point. E) Avoid checking frequently for comprehension.

D) Do not assume the audience's smiles and nods to be a sign that they understood your point.

In order to generate interest about the company's publications, the Media Manager of Gordon Books started a personal blog where she posed as an avid reader and amateur literary critic and reviewed the company's books favorably. She also invited readers to buy the books, discuss them online, and send in their reviews. Which of the following is the best criticism of the manager's action? A) She engaged in plagiarism. B) She selectively misquoted information. C) She failed to protect information entrusted to her. D) She failed to ensure transparency. E) She failed to respect the privacy of others.

D) She failed to ensure transparency.

In order to communicate effectively using technology, you should ________. A) subscribe to as many blog feeds and Twitter follows as you can B) become an expert in most technologies C) use technology to completely do away with face-to-face communication D) become familiar with the basic features and functions of the tools you use E) expand your social networks online to the maximum extent possible

D) become familiar with the basic features and functions of the tools you use

A ________ is a form of legal protection for the expression of creative ideas. A) patent B) trademark C) service mark D) copyright E) ghost mark

D) copyright

One aspect that is common across cultures is that ________. A) the percentage of management roles held by men and women are roughly equal B) age earns respect and increasing power and freedom C) nonverbal signs like gestures or facial expressions are interpreted the same way D) men and women tend to have slightly different communication styles E) age is often associated with declining powers and a loss of respect and authority

D) men and women tend to have slightly different communication styles

In order to use communication technology effectively, you should NOT ________. A) use the powerful filtering and tagging capabilities of your system B) limit your presence on online social networks C) connect with people face-to-face frequently D) routinely activate visual alerts for incoming messages E) try to control the number and types of messages you receive

D) routinely activate visual alerts for incoming messages

When writing for multilingual audiences, you should ________. A) use slang and jargon B) spell numbers out instead of using figures C) use transitions sparingly D) use abbreviations carefully E) use long paragraphs and sentences

D) use abbreviations carefully

Which of the following is a guideline for improving intercultural communication? A) Consider aspects like personal appearance when trying to judge a person. B) Do not tolerate ambiguity of any kind. C) Avoid using sources like travel guidebooks to learn about a culture. D) Always assume that others will think, believe, and behave as you do. E) Avoid ethnocentricity and stereotyping

E) Avoid ethnocentricity and stereotyping

Which of the following is true about making ethical communication choices? A) An ethical dilemma involves making a clearly unethical, and often illegal, choice. B) An ethical lapse involves choosing among alternatives that are not clearly right or wrong. C) In business scenarios, you cannot afford the luxury of considering the impact of your messages on the audience. D) Deliberately omitting essential information is an ethical way of influencing the audience. E) Decisions should achieve the greatest possible good while doing the least possible harm.

E) Decisions should achieve the greatest possible good while doing the least possible harm.

Which of the following is an effective tip for speaking with multilingual audiences? A) Ask questions like "Is this too difficult for you?" to ensure understanding. B) Look for nods and smiles to know if your audience is understanding your message. C) Make multiple points at a time. D) Don't repeat your points. E) Learn important phrases in your audiences language.

E) Learn important phrases in your audiences language.

In high-context cultures, ________. A) rules and expectations are spelt out through explicit statements B) the primary role of communication is to exchange information C) people rely less on cues to convey meaning D) the conveyed meaning is encoded into the message itself E) people rely more on circumstances surrounding the message to convey meaning

E) people rely more on circumstances surrounding the message to convey meaning

When writing for multilingual audiences, you should ________. A) use slang and jargon B) spell numbers out instead of using figures C) use transitions sparingly D) use abbreviations generously E) rely on specific terms and concrete examples to explain your points

E) rely on specific terms and concrete examples to explain your points

Assigning a wide range of generalized—and often inaccurate—attributes to an individual on the basis of membership in a particular group, without considering the individual's unique characteristics is referred to as ________. A) ethical lapse B) cultural competency C) profiling D) cognitive dissonance E) stereotyping

E) stereotyping