Culture Clues

Read each story again and look for "culture clues"--pieces of information that may suggest differences between members of two cultural groups. Then, answer these questions about the "cross-cultural meaning" of the experience. Choose the letter of the most logical answer, A, B, or C.

Paragraph A

1		Why did the American businessman think the Chinese executives were going to accept his proposal?
			A)	In some cultures people don't say "no" directly. Instead they will say something more ambiguous such as "perhaps," "maybe," or "we'll see."
			B)	He thought he made a good presentation and followed all the rules of negotiating as he would in the United States.
			C)	A and B
2		Why did the Chinese executives ask to negotiate with the businessman's supervisor?
			A)	In their culture, it is important to do business with the most senior members of the organization, and to build a relationship over several meetings with that person.
			B)	They thought the businessman was unclear about his goals, and they wanted to have a better idea about the project.
			C)	A and B
3		What is the cultural point of the story?
			A)	All over the world, if you are young, you shouldn't try to succeed in business. Only older business people will be respected for their work.
			B)	Business practices are different all over the world. In some cultures businesspeople prefer to be indirect, not aggressive. They like to build relationships with their potential partners and to do business with the more experienced members of a company.
			C)	All over the world it is a bad idea to be aggressive when doing business. In general it is a better idea to be indirect and polite.

Paragraph B

4		Why did Soo-Yung feel uncomfortable with her Brazilian hosts?
			A)	In her culture it is considered impolite and inappropriate to physically touch and kiss someone you don't know, especially a member of the opposite sex.
			B)	It was her first trip to Brazil and she was nervous about being in a new country.
			C)	She was tired and she felt unprepared for the meeting the next day.
5		Why did Soo-Yung smile if she felt uncomfortable?
			A)	She wanted to show her guests that she was having a good time so that they wouldn't feel bad.
			B)	Smiling doesn't always mean that someone is happy or amused. In this case, Soo-Yung was smiling in order to hide her sense of embarrassment and discomfort.
			C)	In her culture, people smile when they are unhappy, and they frown when they are happy.
6		What is the cultural point of the story?
			A)	Different cultures have different ideas of personal space and public behavior. It is important to take these ideas into consideration when meeting someone from a different culture for the first time.
			B)	When going on a business trip, it is important to refrain from physical contact, smiling, and laughing. If you are too happy or friendly, you will appear unprofessional.
			C)	Business meetings are different all over the world. In some cultures it is traditional to socialize first, while in other cultures it is more acceptable to get right to business.