Culture is one of the most challenging elements of the international marketplace

Culture is one of the most challengingelements of the international marketplace. This system of learned behaviorpatterns characteristic of the members of a given society is constantly shapedby a set of dynamic variables(变量): language, religion, values and attitudes, manners and customs,aesthetics, technology, education, and social institutions. To deal with thissystem, an international manager needs both factual and interpretive knowledgeof culture. To some extent, the factual knowledge can be learned; itsinterpretation comes only through experience.   

    The most complicatedproblems in dealing with the cultural environment lie in the fact that onecannot learn culture—one has to live it. Two schools of thought exist in thebusiness world on how to deal with cultural differences. One is that businessis business the world around, following the model of Pepsi and McDonald’s. Insome cases, globalization is a fact of life; however, cultural differences arestill far from disappearing.   

    The other school suggeststhat companies must adjust business approaches to individual cultures. Settingup policies and procedures in each country has been compared to an organtransplant; the critical question centers around acceptance or rejection. Themajor challenge to the international manager is to make sure that rejection isnot a result of cultural myopia(近视) or even blindness.   

    Fortune examinedthe international performance of a dozen large companies that earn 20 percentor more of their revenue overseas. The internationally successful companies allshare an important quality: patience. They have not rushed into situations butrather built their operations carefully by following the most basic businessprinciples. These principles are to know your rivals, know your audience, andknow your customer.   

1.According to thepassage, which of the following is true?   

A. Business diversityis not necessary.

B. Allinternational managers can learn culture.  

C. Most peopledo not know foreign culture well.  

D. Views differon how to treat culture in business world.   

2.According to theauthor, the model of Pepsi                .   

    A. is different from the model of McDonald’s .

    B. reflect the idea thatbusiness is business.  

    C. has convergedcultural differences .

    D. shows the reverse ofglobalization .

3.The two schoolsof thought              .   

    A. both think dealingwith cultural environment is the most complicated problem in business   

    B. both admit theexistence of cultural diversity in business world.  

    C. both advocate thatdifferent policies be set up in different countries.   

D.both proposethat companies should tailor business approaches to individual cultures.

4.This article issupposed to be most useful for those                .   

    A. who have connectionsto more than one type of culture

    B. who are interested inresearching the topic of cultural diversity  

    C. who want to runbusiness in other countries   

    D. who want to travelabroad 

试题答案

【答案】

1.C

2.A

3.C

4.D

【解析】略