CHAPTER 3: INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

Exercise I: Match these terms with their definitions. (10 questions)

Terms Definitions
a. The invisible barrier of attitudes and prejudices perceived to
1. Prejudice
block women from reaching important corporate positions
b. A natural attitude inherent in all cultures that causes us to
2. Culture judge others by our own values and can be fueled by political
conflict
c. An oversimplified behavioral pattern applied uncritically to
3. Low – context
groups of people
d. Mental representations based on general characteristics and
4. Glass ceiling
open to new definitions when describing cultures
e. the complex system of values, traits, morals, and customs
5. Context
shared by a society
6. Code of f. the stimuli, environment, or ambiance surrounding an event
conduct
g. a stereotype that has developed into a rigid attitude and that is based
7. Ethnocentrism on erroneous beliefs or preconceptions
h. A pattern in communication that places great value on the posture,
8. High – context voice inflection, gestures, and facial expressions
i. A pattern in communication that tend to be logical, analytical,
9. Prototype action-oriented
j. a set of rules which is commonly written for employees of a company,
10. Stereotype which protects the business and informs the employees of the
company's expectations

WRITE YOUR ANSWER:

1 ______ 2 ______ 3 ______ 4 ______ 5 ______

6 ______ 7 ______ 8 ______ 9 ______ 10 ______

Exercise II: Are the following statements true or false? Correct the false statements. (10 questions)
1. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) promotes open trade globally.
2. New amazing forms of transportation are among the important factors increasing globalization.
3. The term "global village" most closely refers to small communities in underdeveloped countries.
 4. The rules, values, and attitudes of culture are inherent; that is, we are born with them.
5. Jennifer's family always celebrates Christmas with decorated tree and stockings hung on the
fireplace. These holiday decorations are visible symbols of Jennifer's cultural background.
6. Business communicators in low-context cultures, such as the United States and Germany, assume
that messages must be explicit; communicators rely exclusively on the written or spoken word.
7. Yung is a high-context communicator. He is likely to use spiral logic when thinking and making
decisions.
8. Brooke, who works for a U.S. company, has just been assigned to manage the company's division
in Vietnam. She should emphasize team-based projects and group decision making with her new
employees.
9. Ethnocentrism, which involves the belief that one's own race is superior to others, is a natural
attitude inherent in all cultures.
10. Diversity positively impacts work teams, but consumers are not impacted by an organization's
diversity.  

WRITE YOUR ANSWER:

1 ______ 2 ______ 3 ______ 4 ______ 5 ______

6 ______ 7 ______ 8 ______ 9 ______ 10 ______

CORRECT THE FALSE STATEMENTS

___________________________________________________________________________
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Exercise III: Complete the following sentences with a suitable word or phrase (10 questions)
1. Low-context communicators tend to use ________ logic to reach conclusions. That is, they
proceed from Point A to Point B to Point C and finally arrive at a conclusion.
2. High-context communicators tend to use ________ logic to reach conclusions. That is, they circle
around a topic indirectly and look at it from many tangential or divergent viewpoints.
 3. Once known only for ________ labor, many countries with emerging economies are now seen as
promising markets.  
4. Today, most companies that are active in global markets have ________ codes of conduct.
5. Saving ________ is a primary motivator in business dealings in high-context cultures and
involves preserving social harmony.
6. One process for achieving intercultural competence is ________ , which refers to the use of
concrete and specific feedback.
7. Most important in achieving effective communication is ______________. This attitude requires
us to engage positively with head nods, eye contact, facial expressions, and physical proximity.
8. ________ in the workplace has many dimensions, including race, ethnicity, age, religion, gender,
national origin, physical ability, and sexual orientation.
9. Diversity makes an organization innovative and creative. Conversely, sameness fosters an
absence of critical thinking, which is called ____________.
10. The term "____________" to describe a country refers to perceptions of corruption as seen by
businesspeople, risk analysts, and the general public
Exercise IV: Circle the best answer. (15 questions)
1. U.S. businesses and those of other countries are seeking to expand around the world for many
reasons, including the passage of favorable trade agreements, growing numbers of middle-class
consumers in emerging nations, and ________. 
A. increasing sales growth in their home countries
B. advances in transportation
C. limited communication technologies
D. growing domestic markets
2. Which of the following statements about the middle class in emerging economies is accurate?
A. By 2030, two-thirds of the world’s middle class will reside in the United States.
B. Estimates suggest that 20 percent of world growth over the next few years will come from
emerging markets.
C. Many countries such as China and India have become more suspicious of foreign investment
and free trade.  
D. Once known only for cheap labor, many countries with emerging economies are now seen as
promising markets.
3. Select the least accurate statement about culture.
A. Culture is the basis for how we tell the world who we are and what we believe.
B. Culture can be both visible and invisible.
C. The rules in any culture are inherently logical.
D. Because cultural norms are so deep-seated, they almost never change.
4. Dale recently completed diversity training. Which of the following was he most likely taught
during the training?
A. If you work hard enough at it, you can talk about cultures without using mental categories,
representations, and generalizations to describe groups.
B. Today the word stereotype has a positive meaning.
C. Unfounded generalizations about people and cultures can lead to bias and prejudice.
D. Because they are fixed and rigid, stereotypes are always entirely false.
5. Which of the following statements about tolerance is most accurate?
A. To improve tolerance, one must practice empathy.
 B. If a nonnative speaker is struggling to express an idea in English, Americans should help by
finishing the sentence for the speaker.
C. In Asian cultures, people deliberately avoid silence because it can show disrespect.
D. To show empathy, one must work to become fluent in other languages.
6. Which of the following statements about saving face is most accurate?
A. Members of low-context cultures are indirect and go to great lengths to avoid giving offense
by saying no.
B. People in low-context cultures are extremely concerned with saving face.
C. Face refers to the image a person holds in his or her social network.
D. In business transactions around the world, economic factors are the primary motivators of
people.
7. Examples of intercultural competence include using objective terms to describe cultural attire,
following their lead when interacting with businesspeople in other cultures, and ________.
A. using head nods, eye contact, facial expressions, and physical proximity supportively
B. frequently telling coworkers from other cultures that you are working hard to understand
them
C. minimizing face-to-face conversations with people from other cultures to avoid saying the
wrong thing
D. informing people when you do and do not approve of their customs
8. Which of the following is the most accurate statement about social networking among cultures?
A. Social networking tends to make introverts more extroverted.
B. In real life and online, we instinctively tend to gravitate toward people who seem similar to
us.
C. The majority of networking experts agree that social media offer limited intercultural
engagement.
D. Online environments make social presence and interpersonal contact easier for all people.
9. In conversation with a Korean businessperson who speaks English fairly well, Meaghan discovers
that much of what she has just said was not understood by the Korean. In continuing the
conversation, Meaghan should __________
A. speak more slowly and loudly.
B. discontinue the conversation until an interpreter can be found.
C. keep a stern, unsmiling face to show she's serious about the conversation.
D. accept blame for the misunderstanding and use simpler language.
10. What is the best advice for an American businessperson who is traveling to Sweden on business?
A. Wait until you finish a complete explanation, no matter how long it is, before requesting
feedback.
B. Be wary of smiling because it can be misinterpreted in some cultures.
C. Follow up oral negotiations and agreements in writing.
D. If your Swedish colleague is having trouble finishing a sentence, show consideration by
finishing it for him or her.
11. Which of the following is advised for citing numbers when writing to businesspeople in other
cultures?
A. Write all numbers in word form.
B. Use figures to express the month of the year.
C. Convert dollar figures into local currency.
D. Minimize references to numbers to avoid confusion.
 12. Jake is working for a global consulting firm and will be writing letters to intercultural audiences
around the world. What is the best advice you can give him?
A. Always use a direct approach to make your letters as clear as possible.
B. Use your own format and style so that all your letters are consistent.
C. Send letters to lower-ranking employees to avoid offending higher-ranking employees.
D. Replace two-word verbs such as put off with clear single words such as delay.
13. Which of the following would be the best sentence to include in an e-mail message going to
someone from another culture?
A. We look forward to meeting with you next month.
B. Are you available for a videoconference on 3/5?
C. Please get back to me ASAP to set up our meeting.
D. This agreement between our two companies should be a slam dunk.

14. Which of the following U.S. laws prohibits payments to foreign officials for the purpose of
obtaining or retaining business?
A. Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
B. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977
C. USA Patriot Act of 2001
D. Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act of 1996
15. Many of the world's industrialized countries have formally agreed to a new global treaty that bans
the practice of bribery of foreign government officials. What organization promoted this treaty?
A. Central Intelligence Agency
B. World Trade Organization
C. Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
D. Ministry of Industry and Trade

EXERCISE V: CLASSIFY THE FOLLOWING ITEMS INTO FOUR GROUPS A/B/C/D (4-5
groups; 15-20 items)
Groups
A. Trends Fueling Globalization
B. Dimensions of Culture
C. Techniques for Achieving Intercultural Competence
D. Ethical issues
List of items
1. Growing middle classes in emerging economies
2. High Context
3. Individualism
4. Advancements in transportation and logistics
5. Discrimination
6. Supportiveness
7. Collectivism
8. Favorable trade agreements and removal of trade barriers
9. Corruption
10. Information and communication technology breakthroughs
11. Nonjudmentalism
12. Stagnating or declining domestic markets
 13. Low Context
14. Descriptiveness
15. Bribery

EXERCISE VI: Analyze this situation and answer the questions that follow. (Analyze a CASE
STUDY to find out what went wrong)
Based on what you have learned in this chapter, describe several broad principles that could be applied in
helping the individuals involved understand what went wrong in the following event:

British transportation minister Susan Kramer faced embarrassment after presenting the mayor
of Taipei, Taiwan, Ko Wen-je, with a watch—a taboo in Chinese culture. Ko remarked to
reporters that he would “sell it to a scrap dealer” because a watch would be useless to him.
Giving a clock and attending an old person’s funeral sound very similar in Chinese.

Discuss: What suggestions could you make for remedying the problems?

EXERCISE VII. Identify errors & revise messages (single sentences)

1. When my mother was child, she lived in a small town. Now the town is big city with tall building
and many highway
2. English has borrowed quite a few of word from another languages
3. There is many student from different countries in my class.
4. Thousands of athelete take part in the Olympics.
5. Education is one of the most important aspect of life. Knowledges about many different things
help us live fuller lives.
6. I live in a two rooms apartment.
7. Today women work as doctor, pilot, achaelogist, and many other thing. Both my mother and
father are teacher’s.
8. Every employees in our company respect Mr. Ward.
9. Several of jackets were made of 100 percent wool.
10. Some North American food is very good, but I don’t like most of them.
EXERCISE VIII. Identify errors & revise the below memo (whole messages)
EXERCISE IX. Compose a message (reply to a given situation)
Your Task: Mr. Abhilash Bachchan, an Indian parent, is going to send his eldest son, Drhuvesh, to study
at a university in the UK. As the University Accommodation Officer, you have received a letter from Mr.
Bachchan requesting information. Write a reply, including details of the available housing facilities, the
amenities provided, location, transportation, facilities, and rent costs.

EXERCISE X. Compose a message (based on a given situation)

Your Task:
You are moving to China for a year and have arranged with an agency to exchange house with a Chinese
family who are moving to your country for the same period of time. Write a letter to the Wong family to
welcome them to your home. Include information about the house and neighborhood which they may find
useful and make a few suggestions that might make their stay more pleasant and interesting.