MG4D4      Half Unit
Cross Cultural Management

This information is for the 2020/21 session.

Teacher responsible

Dr Hyun-Jung Lee NAB 4.15

Availability

This course is available on the MBA Exchange, MPA in International Development, MPA in Public Policy and Management, MPA in Public and Economic Policy, MPA in Public and Social Policy, MPA in Social Impact, MRes/PhD in Management (Employment Relations and Human Resources), MSc in Human Resources and Organisations (Human Resource Management/CIPD), MSc in Human Resources and Organisations (International Employment Relations and Human Resource Management), MSc in Human Resources and Organisations (Organisational Behaviour), MSc in Management (1 Year Programme) and MSc in Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship. This course is available with permission as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit.

Pre-requisites

Some background in psychology and organisational behaviour, and/or international business is useful, but not required.

Course content

The ability to communicate cross-culturally and to understand the diverse perspectives of people from different cultures is a necessity in order to achieve a competitive advantage in the global economy. The aims of the course are to understand the impact of culture on management; to identify the areas in which cultural differences pose challenges as well as opportunities in managing people across cultures; and, to become more self-aware of our cultural conditioning, individual biases and assumptions.

Topics include i) understanding my own and others’ cultural conditioning, ii) analytical frameworks of cross-cultural comparisons, iii) multicultural teams, iv) managing global organisations, v) ethical dilemmas and global responsibility of multinational corporations, vi) cross-cultural communication and negotiation, vii) global leadership and cultural intelligence, viii) international assignments and global careers.

Teaching

15 hours of lectures and 15 hours of seminars in the LT.

Experiential learning is emphasised and team working is an integral part of the course. The teaching is highly participative. Students will be asked to make presentations and participate in various class exercises including role playing. The course is demanding of students and success depends partly upon student commitment and willingness to participate fully. Students on this course will have a reading week in Week 6, in line with departmental policy

Formative coursework

Students will be expected to produce 1 essay in the LT.

Indicative reading

The following reading list contains some easily accessible introductory discussions. Most of the course reading is taken from journals. A full reading list will be issued at the start of the course.

B. Gehrke and M-T. Claes (eds.)(2014), Global leadership practices: A cross cultural management perspective, Palgrave Macmillan 

R. Steers et al.(2016), Management across cultures, Cambridge University Press; R Nisbett (2003), The geography of thought, Nicholas Brealey Publishing

Assessment

Essay (50%), project (40%) and class participation (10%).

The essay is completed individually, and the project is completed as part of a group.

Key facts

Department: Management

Total students 2019/20: 60

Average class size 2019/20: 16

Controlled access 2019/20: Yes

Value: Half Unit

Guidelines for interpreting course guide information

Personal development skills

Important information in response to COVID-19

Please note that during 2020/21 academic year some variation to teaching and learning activities may be required to respond to changes in public health advice and/or to account for the situation of students in attendance on campus and those studying online during the early part of the academic year. For assessment, this may involve changes to mode of delivery and/or the format or weighting of assessments. Changes will only be made if required and students will be notified about any changes to teaching or assessment plans at the earliest opportunity.