LESSON 5 - Interpersonal Skills in Organizations 7e

Individualistic cultures: Collectivistic cultures:

Individualistic cultures: Decision making is open to everyone involved Collectivistic cultures: Everyone's total involvement is required in decision making

The creation or reinforcement of a perception that an individual is different from another based on any attribute relevant to that individual is known as _____.

diversity

The sum total of individual uniqueness is referred to as _____.

diversity

A tendency to regard one's own group, culture, or nation as superior to others is known as _____.

ethnocentrism

True or false: Affirmative action programs aim only at preventing current or future discrimination, not remedying past discrimination.

false

True or false: When one blames the victim, one usually does so because he or she assumes that the person was treated unfairly.

false

Men communicate differently from women in that men _____.

focus on denoting status and being more direct

Ken is a manager in an organization that deals with cross-cultural teams and global markets. Ken aims to increase his team's understanding about cross-cultural work teams and global markets. Identify a consequence of this.

It decreases employee complaints and litigation.

Baby Boomers: Generation X: Generation Y: Generation Z:

Baby Boomers: Face-to-face Generation X: Text message or email Generation Y: Text or social media Generation Z: Handheld communication device

Countries with a long-term orientation matches: Countries with a short-term orientation:

Countries with a long-term orientation matches: They generally have higher savings rates than other countries. Countries with a short-term orientation: They typically show the tendency to spend even if it means borrowing money.

Countries with high uncertainty avoidance: Countries with low uncertainty avoidance:

Countries with high uncertainty avoidance: - there is limited show of emotion, and procedures and rules are followed. Countries with low uncertainty avoidance: - there is encouragement for entrepreneurship, and jobs are changed frequently by citizens.

In the context of cross-cultural communication, identify a true statement about social conventions.

Cultures differ in their views about what's acceptable and what's not.

Mark is working for a multinational company. As the company expands, he finds it increasingly important to embrace new and different cultures. Which of the following should Mark do help him increase his ability to work with others from different cultures?

He should find an opportunity to take an overseas assignment.

A strategy for managing organizational diversity effectively is to _____.

make sure that diversity is a top-down effort

Equal employment opportunity policies ensure that _____.

legally protected attributes are not considered when making employment decisions

Mark is concerned about recent reports of bullying by some students at the high school his son attends. School authorities have attributed these incidents to prejudice. To prevent his son from being negatively influenced, Mark should teach him to _____.

value and respect fundamental differences that lie within every individual

valuing diversity: managing diversity:

valuing diversity: Passive and does not initiate a reorienting action managing diversity: Active and involves proactive involvement in directing differences

Identify ways to improve oneself and one's ability to understand and relate to others.

- Be more accepting and open to others and their perspective - Reduce miscommunication - Aim at building relationships with diverse others

Identify goals that are achieved by encouraging workplace diversity and using this diversity to manage various organizational groups. (Check all that apply.)

- Build stronger ties with stakeholders - Pursue total quality - Increase access to the changing marketplace - Create global outsourcing partnerships - Build superior customer service - Implement mega business transformations

How can organizations improve their employees' ability to work with people from different cultures? (Check all that apply.)

- By giving transition counseling to employees and their families before and after overseas assignments - By prohibiting employment practices that discriminate against anyone based on religion or ethnicity - By offering training to employees to make them sensitive to cross-cultural differences

Identify the strategies for managing organizational diversity effectively. (Check all that apply.)

- Clearly communicating diversity goals to employees - Practicing inclusion in company communications

Identify ways for an individual to improve his or her ability to work with people of different cultures. (Check all that apply.)

- Educate and adapt oneself to the cultures of the new country when traveling. - Learn different languages. - Be open to the idea of taking assignments outside one's home country. - Develop friendships with people from nationalities other than your own.

Identify ways to minimize miscommunication with diverse others. (Check all that apply.)

- Educate oneself about the current connotations of words. - Practice communicating effectively. - Avoid disrespectful comments and use inclusive words.

Identify outcomes of increasing understanding of cross-cultural work teams and global markets. (Check all that apply.)

- Employee morale, performance, and retention increases - Employee dissatisfaction and complaints decreases - Cross-cultural expertise in the organization expands

Identify benefits of promoting diversity in workplaces. (Check all that apply.)

- It helps enhance relationship with clients. - It provides recruitment opportunities to those looking to advance through work. - It unleashes creativity and performance.

What are the ways in which diversity management programs and initiatives can be effectively designed and delivered? (Check all that apply.)

- Specific and realistic goals must be developed based on honest assessment of the organization. - Employees must be encouraged to develop team-building skills. - Situational factors must be assessed prior to introducing a new program.

To overcome prejudice, an individual must _____. (Check all that apply.)

- respect fundamental differences in people - admit to their own biases - dismiss myths about diverse others

Baby Boomers: Generation X: Generation Y:

Baby Boomers: - Team player Generation X: - Entrepreneur Generation Y: - Participative

Cultures with long-term orientation: Cultures with short-term orientation:

Cultures with long-term orientation: They focus on the future, tend to delay gratification, and emphasize savings habit and persistence. Cultures with short-term orientation: They focus on the past and the present, show respect for traditions, and fulfill social obligations.

With reference to the guidelines for an effective diversity management, what contributes to the success of diversity programs?

Development of a rich understanding of their teams and organization by employees

Mark, a management student, is studying for a test. He is having difficulty understanding the concept of managing workplace diversity. In the context of benefits of promoting diversity in workplace, which of the following is true of Mark's understanding?

It helps build and improve relationships with clients.

Identify a true statement about stereotyping.

It is never a good idea because seldom does one statement hold true for all members of a group.

Why is it that in certain countries some people prefer to fold hands, join palms, and bow in greeting rather than shake hands?

It is part of diversity in how people communicate nonverbally.

Masculine countries: Feminine countries:

Masculine countries: Individuals value competitiveness, and money and status are valued highly Feminine countries: Individuals work collaboratively and are less assertive about their own personal needs

Who among the following most likely see their group-related customs or beliefs as "right" and evaluate others' beliefs or practices against this yardstick?

People who are ethnocentric

TechWiz Inc. is a multinational company. In the past two years, the company has grown substantially and has clients from all over the world. This means that the employees need to improve their ability to work with people from different cultures. Identify a step the company should take to help the employees adapt to a cross-cultural environment.

The company should encourage its employees to accept overseas assignments.

Identify a statement that supports the perception that women are "unleaderlike."

They are perceived to be unclear when giving instructions.

Implementation of proactive steps based on race or gender to prevent current or future discrimination are known as ________________________ ________________________ programs. Their aim is to rectify past discrimination.

affirmative action

In the context of common barriers to accepting diversity, blaming the victim means _____.

ascribing the victim's misfortune to incorrect causal attributions

"Masculine" countries differ from "feminine" countries in that in "masculine" countries _____.

assertiveness is a trait that is encouraged

When members of a previously underrepresented group gain power and influence and it results in a negative reaction by people outside that group, it is known as a

backlash

_____ is the negative reaction to previously underrepresented groups gaining power and influence.

backlash

Christopher, an African-American, was denied entry into a pub as it served only whites. Christopher was a victim of _____.

discrimination

When a person is barred from being a member in an organization due to his or her association with a particular group, it is known as _____.

discrimination

Steve, a high school student, was repeatedly called a sissy by his peers for being shy and reserved at school. Steve experienced a case of _____.

harassment

When an individual is purposely physically or verbally abused or shunned because of his or her membership in a particular group it is known as _____.

harassment

Individualism differs from collectivism in that countries with an individualistic approach _____.

have a decision making process that is open to everyone

Managing diversity differs from valuing diversity in that managing diversity _____.

is active and involves directing differences that individuals bring to the organization

Mike is an introvert and has always made friends with people who are very similar to him. However, Mike has now been promoted to a manager's role at a multinational company and he needs to work toward understanding and relating to diverse others, in order to manage his team well. To do so he must _____.

minimize miscommunication

Countries with high power distance are characterized by a _____ management, while countries with low power distance are characterized by participative management.

paternalistic

Stanley, a restaurant manager, won't employ young people for his fine dining restaurant since he believes that people below the age of 25 are generally lethargic, undisciplined, and even rude. What kind of attitude is Stanley displaying?

prejudice

_____ is defined as an unjustified wrong attitude toward a person because of his or her membership in a particular group.

prejudice

In the USA, a boot is a type of footwear, whereas the Australia and the UK, the word refers to a trunk of a car. This example implies that _____.

semantics and connotations are important considerations while communicating cross-culturally

In countries where power distance is high, citizens _____.

show respect for seniority

A person must carefully articulate the way he or she communicates nonverbally because _____.

signs and gestures can be interpreted differently in different cultures

Slurping at a meal is considered a good habit in Japan, while in several other countries it is considered bad manners. This is an example of how _____ can vary from one culture to another.

social conventions

Set of beliefs about a group that is applied universally to all members of that group are referred to as

stereotype

set of beliefs about a group that is applied universally to all members of that group are referred to as

stereotypes

Semantics and connotations are important factors of consideration when managing cross-cultural diversity because _____.

translating something perfectly from one culture to another is difficult

True or false: The goals of empowering a company's workforce and motivating employees toward continuous learning can be achieved through designing, using, and supporting an organizational culture that maximizes the benefits of diversity.

true

True or false: Valuing and managing diversity is one of the most important imperatives companies and organizations face today.

true

In the context of the dimensions of cross-cultural differences, the extent of threat felt by an individual when facing risk and ambiguity is most likely reflected by _____.

uncertainty avoidance

In the context of minimizing miscommunication with diverse others, it is important to be aware of current connotations and words because _____.

what was acceptable yesterday might be offensive to certain people today