Bachelor in Digital Business Design and Innovation

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Cross-cultural development

Description
The aim of this course is to explore how diversity and cultural factors influence management across national borders. Firstly, the concept of culture as an important component of the business environment will be explored. Emphasis will be placed on the changing role of national culture amidst accelerated globalizing processes. The focus will then shift to the influence of national culture on the internal structure and behavior of organizations from different countries without falling prey to reductionism and stereotypes. The course will problematize the post-colonial or ?Eurocentric? model frequently used in management models proffered as universally applicable. The analysis of model case studies will consider central themes in managing across cultures, including: communication, motivation, negotiation, diversity management, dispute resolution, managing joint ventures and subsidiaries. One of the key components of effective cross-cultural management is awareness of the impact of culture on how people experience and perceive the world, including the manager. To that end, although knowledge of other cultural ways of doing and being is important, cultural self-awareness remains the most important and most complex aspect of cultural intelligence. Through activities, readings, and discussions, students will be provided with opportunities to explore how their particular cultural background influences the ways in which they experience, express, and explain their worlds.
Type Subject
Optativa
Semester
First
Credits
5.00
Previous Knowledge
Objectives

Learning Outcomes of this subject are:
- Developing an understanding and awareness how cultural variables impact management
- Understand the basic concepts of culture, race, and diversity
- Understanding and applying the cultural dimensions to different intercultural management contexts and situations
- Understanding the students? own cultural dimensions
Understanding how the cultural dimensions impact key management issues such as conflict, leadership, ethics, marketing, and managing global virtual teams
- Understanding the bases of motivation and leaderships as they are impacted by culture and diversity
- Developing the capacity to deconstruct cross-cultural management from a critical perspective
Developing an awareness of the functioning of prejudice
Understanding how power impacts management (ex: race, class, gender)
Understanding the post-colonial perspective
- Developing the basics of cultural intelligence.
Show an understanding and capacity to apply the basic knowledge, skills, and attitudes required to effectively work across cultures
Implementing programs of inclusion when managing organizations

Contents

Topic 1: Introduction to Cross Cultural Management
Students will be introduced to cross-cultural vocabulary from sociology studies and how these terms affect management in a globalized world. Topics include defining culture and cross-cultural management, emic and etic perspectives, and implicit bias.
Topic 2: Hofstede and Cultural Dimensions
Geert Hofstede?s cultural dimensions will be introduced and discussed in terms of application to management.
Topic 3: Cultural Intelligence (CQ)
The framework of CQ will be examined in it?s various dimensions.
Topic 4: Motivation and Leadership
Students will look at motivational theories, and theories of leadership and how to apply them in a cross-cultural context. Case studies from management in various types of organizations will be examined.
Student Presentations
Students will present results of an academic article within the field of cross-cultural management.
Topic 5: Postcolonialism & Language
Postcolonialism and its effect on language, national culture and identity and management.
Topic 6: Minority Cultures in Cross Cultural Management : Gender, Race
Following the previous unit, case studies of minority cultures and discrimination in CCM will be discussed.
Topic 7: Doing Business Across Cultures
Cases and time to work on final group projects.
Final Group Project & Presentation: A group project (paper and presentation) on a topic in cross-cultural management. Details to be provided by the professors.

Methodology

The learning approach is based on a range of teaching methodsthat seek to foster your understanding of communication and the development of practical cultural competence skills. A hands-on approach is taken throughout the course with out-of-class readings, assignments, teamwork activities; individual and group presentations; exercises and discussions. To understand these concepts, it is essential that required readings be completed on time. Classes are designed to maximize student participation and debate. Participative attendance is a major component of this course.
This course follows the required NCA Methodology, delivering a maximum of 25% lecture time, with 75% or more time dedicated to group learning and interactive activities.

Evaluation

20% Continuous Evaluation: Quizzes, in-class assignments/ presentations, forums, and various other activities will be assessed
20% Individual or paired presentation: Students will provide a 7-8 minute a brief review of an academic research study on cross cultural management (to be agreed with the professor) *highly important activity
25% Midterm exam: short answer, multiple-choice, essay questions on concepts studied to date *highly important activity
25% Final Group Project: (paper and presentation) an application and illustration of a cultural dimension to a real life management situation). *highly important activity
10% Participation: Students will be assessed for behaviour, preparedness, respect, and the quality and quantity of their participation in class. *moderately important activity
Assignment policy: In order to pass this course, all students must do assignments, midterm exams, and finals. Presentations may not be delayed and will receive a mark of 0 if you do not present on the day you were assigned.
Re-take policy: Class Mark 50%, Re-taken Final Project 50%. This class does not have a retake policy. If you have not passed the course by the end of the semester, you will need to retake the course next year.
ChatGPT/ AI Policy: This class does not tolerate the use of ChatGPT/ AI tools, unless otherwise indicated in the activity. If there is use of AI, it must be indicated at the end of the document / assignment what was used and how it was used.

Evaluation Criteria
Basic Bibliography

Ang, S., Van Dyne, L., & Tan, M.L. (2011). Cultural intelligence. In R.J. Sternberg & S.B. Kaufman (Eds.), Cambridge Handbook on Intelligence, New York: Cambridge University Press (pp. 582-602).
Ashe, S. D. & Nazroo, J. (2016). Equality, Diversity and Racism in the Workplace: A Qualitative Analysis of the 2015 Race at Work Survey. ESRC Centre on Dynamics of Ethnicity University of Manchester
Bennett, M. J. (2004). Becoming interculturally competent. In J.S. Wurzel (Ed.) Toward multiculturalism: A reader in multicultural education. Newton, MA: Intercultural Resource Corporation.
Brendan McSweeney, ?Hofstede?s Model of National Cultural Differences and Their Consequences: A Triumph of Faith ? A Failure of Analysis,? Human Relations, Volume 55, No. 1, 2002, pp. 89-118.
Brett, J., Behfar, K, & Kern, M.C. (2006) Managing multicultural teams. Harvard Business Review
Di Cesare, J. & Sadri, G. (2003). Do all carrots look the same? Examining the impact of culture on employee motivation, Management Research News, 26(1) pp. 29 - 40
Dovidio, J.F. & Gaertner, S.L. (2002). Color blind or just plain blind. The pernicious nature of contemporary racism. NonProfit Quarterly 12(4)
Early, P.C. & Mosakowski, E. (2004). Cultural Intelligence. Harvard Business Review. Available online at https://hbr.org/2004/10/cultural-intelligence
Goode, Erica (2000). How cultures mold habits of thought. New York Times, August 8, 2000 Hackman, J.R. "Why Some Teams Don?t Work." Interview by Diane Coutu. May 2009. Harvard Business Review. Pp. 98-105.
Hanges, P. J., Aiken, J. R., Park, J., & Su, J. (2016). Cross-cultural leadership: Leading around the world. Current Opinion in Psychology, 8(3), 64-69. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2015.10.013
Hequet, M. (1993). The fine art of multicultural meetings. Training, 29
Hofstede, G. (2011). Dimensionalizing Cultures: The Hofstede Model in Context. Online Readings in Psychology and Culture, 2(1).
Lee, Yih-Teen; Liao, Yuan, "Cultural Competence: Why It Matters and How You Can Acquire It: Multicultural Managers", IESE Insight, No. 26, Third Quarter 2015, pp 23 - 30
Mendez, Deirdre (2013). Cultural Analysis Toolkit: Navigating International Business Culture, The University of Texas at Austin CIBER
Peus, C. ?Giving Wings to Your Leadership Style.? IESE Insight. 2012.
Primecz H, Mahadevan J, Romani L: Why is cross-cultural management scholarship blind to power relations? Investigating ethnicity, language, gender and religion in power-laden contexts, INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CROSS-CULTURAL MANAGEMENT: CCM 16: (2) pp. 127-136.
Wernsing, T. & Clapp-Smith, R. Developing global leaders through building cultural self-awareness. European Journal of International Management (2013).
Wong, L. (2010). Postcolonial interventions and disruptions: Contesting cultural practices. International Journal of Cross-Cultural Management, 10(3), 345-362.
Zhu, Y. (2012). West Meets East: Incorporating the Emic Perspective for Cross-cultural Business Communication. ABC Outstanding Researcher Plenary Address, Honolulu, Hawaii. Available online at http://businesscommunication.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/ABC-Keynote-...
Banerjee, S. B., & Linstead, S. (2001). Globalization, multiculturalism and other fictions: Colonialism for the New Millenium? Organization, 8(683). doi:10.1177/135050840184006
Hofstede, G. (2011). Dimensionalizing Cultures: The Hofstede Model in Context. Online Readings in Psychology and Culture, 2(1), 1?26.
Schramm-Nielsen, J. (2001). Cultural dimensions of decision-making: Denmark and France compared. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 16(6), 404-423. Retrieved from http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/pdf/10.1108/02683940110402389

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