Intercultural Communication

I. Multiple Choice Questions

1. Culture
a. is dynamic and changing over time
b. is learned social behaviours that develop over time
c. is so pervasive that we rarely notice how it affects us
d. all of the above

2. An understanding of theories of intercultural communication and a willingness and ability to apply

them in business
a. enable us to avoid cultural change
b. increase the gap between different cultures
c. enable organisations and people to transcend cultural differences
d. decrease the need for communication between cultures

3. A definition of culture is problematic because it is

a. abstract and means different things to different people
b. the result of biological inheritance
c. an accumulation of knowledge
d. multi-dimensional and multi-layered

4. Intercultural communication competence is highly desirable because

a. there is increasing cultural diversity in all nations and greater levels of
interaction across cultures
b. it leads to more effective networking at the local level
c. it is important to have strategies for managing differences in communication
d. it might greatly benefit businesses exclusively

5. Intercultural communication can best be described as

a. a sharing of culture-specific communication codes and styles
b. the circumstance in which people from different cultural backgrounds are
engaged in communication
c. the process of communication between people of different nations
d. the codes and styles which have the potential to impact on communication

6. In intercultural communication
a. the sharing of meanings will bring about agreement
b. body language will reveal what the other party thinks and feels
c. the sharing of meanings may or may not bring about agreement
d. making the effort to understand the other is the critical issue

7. What is the key difference between intercultural communication and intracultural communication?
a. Who the strangers in the community are
b. Context of the communication
c. Mother tongue of the stranger
d. Which is the society at large

8. What helps to facilitate communication among the members of a culture?

a. Speaking the mainstream language
b. Community property
c. Perception of time and pace of life
d. Understanding the values and customs of the culture

1
9. Where does culture derive from?
a. Knowledge
b. Assumptions, beliefs, values and behaviours
c. Communication between different people
d. Art and literature

10. We internalise the rules of interaction within our culture as part of

a. acculturation
b. enculturation
c. ethnocentrism
d. cultural relativism

11. All interactions in intercultural communication occur in

a. context
b. business environments
c. communities
d. families

12. The intercultural contexts for internalised rules include:

a. Sense and use of time
b. Politeness
c. Nonverbal behaviours and their meaning
d. Business, social and interpersonal contexts

13. Acculturation involves the adaptation of language, cultural beliefs and values of the majority
group, as
a. an instantaneous process
b. a formal process
c. a multi-dimensional process
d. a process of conflict

14. The process of adapting to a new culture can be difficult because of

a. focusing on similarities in social norms between the two cultures
b. focusing on differences as strengths rather than adopting an unbalanced view
c. acculturation
d. conflicting social norms and attempts to retain previous culture

15. What is a major barrier to intercultural communication and understanding?

a. Interaction with another culture
b. Awareness of differences between cultures
c. Interacting and communicating with members within a culture
d. Using one’s own culture to interpret all other cultures

16. Effective intercultural communication is underpinned by

a. the customs and behaviour of other people
b. interaction with another culture
c. awareness, knowledge and skills to communicate across cultures
d. benchmarks, organisations and individuals

17. The first step to effective intercultural communication is regarded as

a. acceptance and understanding of cultural differences
b. acceptance of the beliefs of another culture
c. understanding and enjoying another culture
d. recognising another culture

2
18. Cultural relativists believe that
a. each co-culture needs to be clear about what is right and wrong
b. different cultures might have different values, beliefs and views of what is right
and wrong but this is understandable and acceptable
c. each culture will enforce what is right and wrong on another society
d. deep down we are all related culturally as recent DNA discoveries indicate that
all humans have a common biological ancestry

19. The main idea behind the concepts of high context and low context is to
a. define different cultures
b. classify difference in communication
c. help improve mass communication
d. know and value one another

20. In a high-context culture,

a. a large part of the message is implied in the message’s context
b. the words in the message are explicit
c. members in a negotiation tend to move quickly to a decision
d. all of the above

21. Individuals who work across boundaries are defined as

a. public relationship officers
b. boundary spanners
c. ice breakers
d. cultural promoters

22. The purpose of meetings and banquets with potential business partners in China is to
a. understand high-context and low-context cultures
b. negotiate the tension between cultures
c. build up good business relationships and trust
d. examine the business and collect business cards

23. The stages of individual adaptation to another culture are:

a. Correct attitudes, beliefs, trust
b. Misunderstanding, understanding, adaptation
c. Perceptual element, pattern of cognition, verbal and nonverbal behaviour
d. Surprise at incorrect assumptions, making sense of new experiences, new
understandings

24. Language and the meaning of words learnt within a culture reflect
a. the tone and pitch of voice and gestures
b. the culture’s values
c. that which is left unsaid and only inferred
d. knowledge of self

25. Awareness of language use and the meaning of words can prevent communication barriers
because
a. in some cultures justification is put before the main point
b. in some cultures ‘yes’ may not mean ‘yes’
c. language is dynamic and changes over time
d. all of the above

3
26. Rules applying to the nonverbal parts of the message are learnt from
a. members of the same culture
b. members of a different culture
c. common sense
d. individuals who know the rules from different cultures

27. The changeable dimension of the power differential within a culture includes
a. race
b. gender
c. socio-economic status
d. all of the above

28. Intercultural confusion, tension and misunderstanding are caused when

a. we fail to recognise and then understand cultural differences
b. we are aware of the specific cultural ‘rules’ of the other party
c. the behaviour of the other party differs from our own behaviour
d. there is insufficient time to overcome differences

29. The ‘perceptual barrier’ in intercultural communication refers to

a. a lack of similar life experiences
b. a tendency to view other cultures prejudicially
c. personal feelings of uncertainty and culture shock
d. differences in approach to time, space and environment

30. Intercultural misunderstanding, tension and conflict is often generated by

a. acculturative thinking
b. enculturative behaviour
c. cultural relativism
d. ethnocentric behaviour

31. The natural linguistic tendency to organise phenomena into meaningful

categories can generate
a. perceptions
b. pride
c. stereotypes
d. experience

32. Discrimination involves overt actions by nations, institutions, groups or individuals to

a. create stereotypes about another cultural group
b. exclude, avoid or distance another cultural group
c. generate prejudice
d. promote negative attitudes towards a custom

33. How people relate to each other, how they manage themselves and what they view
as acceptable behaviour are determined by
a. social institutions and their norms
b. both parties in an interaction
c. the foundation of the cultural process
d. different roles and status within the social institutions

34. The impact religion has on business customs and practices in a country
a. is generally minimal
b. depends on other factors in the environment that modify its impact of religion
c. identifies status within the society
d. all of the above

4
35. The value systems of a society affect
a. religions
b. legal, social, political and economic practices
c. relationship to the physical environment
d. mass communication

36. Intercultural discord can be complicated when

a. issues are resolved
b. conflict is inevitable
c. different conflict-management styles occur
d. ambiguity is absent

37. Intercultural communication competence is gained by

a. understanding other cultures
b. understanding one’s own culture as well as other cultures
c. maintaining behavioural flexibility
d. maintaining transparency in financial transactions

38. The ‘culture-specific’ approach to learning about other cultures traditionally refers to acquiring
a. cultural awareness and sensitivity about other cultures
b. communication sensitivity and being alert to differences
c. knowledge specific to the other culture
d. ‘mental software’ to be used in exchanges with other specific cultures

39. The ‘culture-general’ approach to learning about other cultures refers to a development of
a. cultural awareness and sensitivity
b. awareness of differences in styles, intentions and verbal and non-verbal
communication
c. taking personal responsibility for communicating
d. all of the above

40. Who should be able to handle diversity successfully to create environments that
value and utilise the contributions of people with different backgrounds,
experiences and perspectives?
a. Family-owned enterprises
b. Managers of multinational companies
c. Groups of teenagers
d. Individuals living in their country of origin

II. True/False Questions (25)

( ) 1. Culture can be defined as the collective view of people who believe their own values and
beliefs are the right ones to hold in every society.

( ) 2. Culture influences the way we think, feel and behave as a group of people.

( ) 3. Intracultural communication describes the process of communication between people of

different nationalities.

( ) 4. Culture is transmitted, maintained and sustained through learning, enculturation and the
group.

( ) 5. The world of communication can be divided into three parts: language, spirit, and
behaviour.

5
( ) 6. Enculturation is part of our socialisation as members of a society.

( ) 7. Culture derives from the assumptions, beliefs, values, attitudes, norms and rules shared
by a society or another group.

( ) 8. Communication rules apply only to nonverbal and informal behaviour.

( ) 9. Perception is determined entirely by intercultural contexts.

( ) 10. Acculturation is an active ongoing process of language involvement.

( ) 11. The concept of ethnocentrism is the opposite of the acculturation process.

( ) 12. The higher the context of culture is, the more quickly people get involved in their
business.

( ) 13. Nonverbal behaviour arises from one’s cultural common sense.

( ) 14. The cultural components of particular importance in intercultural communication are the
perceptual elements, patterns of cognition, verbal behaviours, nonverbal behaviours and
the influence of context.

( ) 15. What is left unsaid and only inferred is always less significant than what is said.

( ) 16. Formality and the appropriate use of titles are unimportant in a high-context culture.

( ) 17. Nonverbal cues can be personal, cultural or universal.

( ) 18. Some of the aspects of nonverbal communication influenced by culture are tone of voice,
inflection, rate of speech, facial expression, touching, use of space and body movement.

( ) 19. Perception of power is stable in intercultural communication.

( ) 20. Intercultural interaction generally heightens levels of uncertainty and anxiety.

( ) 21. Discriminatory behaviours result from stereotyping or prejudice.

( ) 22. Social institutions and their norms determine how people relate to each other, how they
manage themselves and what they view as acceptable behaviour.

( ) 23. Intercultural communication barriers arise when either party demonstrates cultural
relativism.

( ) 24. Failure to appreciate a religion’s significance in a specific culture can increase one’s
perceived power.

( ) 25. Ambiguity in intercultural communication tends to make people respond with a ‘default
conflict style’ that is often productive.