Cross-Cultural Management IBU 5011

Transcription

1 Raimund Hudak Office hours: upon request Cross-Cultural Management IBU 5011 Syllabus Summer Term 2015 Time: 13:45-17:00 Room: W Begin: March 18, 2015 ECTS-Credits: 2 Level: Advanced Level II Prerequisites: - Accessibility: Course is elective for 2 nd semester MBA-IM students and open to international guest students on MBA-level Learning Focus: This course focuses on the variety of issues and opportunities that arise when we take action (i.e., leading, managing, being a member, following) outside our own culture. Our credibility and effectiveness are always to some extent "culture-bound." Outside our native culture, our attitudes and actions do not necessarily mean the same thing that they do inside our native culture. Emphasis in this course will be on personal experiences and interpretations. However, we shall also discuss the culture of organizations and academic disciplines. Extensive use will be made of student experiences and research. Objectives: 1. To consider the nature of intercultural communication 2. To learn to think across cultural differences 3. To experiment with different ways of acting in cross-cultural situations 4. To reflect on the cultural foundations of economic systems and of organizational practices 1

2 Course contributions to the MBA program goals / learning outcomes Program Goal /Learning Outcome 1. Knowledge of business functions and processes as well as methods and models Through their master thesis, students demonstrate their well-founded knowledge of business functions and processes as well as of the relevant tools. 2. Analytical competence, critical thinking and creative problem solving Students demonstrate analytical competence and problem solving skills. 3. Leadership and team competence Students demonstrate social competence of being able to co-operate effectively in a team in order to achieve their aims. 4. Mastery of the challenges of global sustainability Students have basic knowledge of sustainability and are able to examine issues of global sustainability and their causes as well as develop strategies for sustainability. 5. Innovation management Students are able to identify innovation potential for a given case and develop complex technological strategies. Communication skills Course Contributions to Learning Outcome Fundamentals and theoretical concepts of increasing business value based on the supply chain management. Identification of potential value in processoriented organizations. Solutions for the transformation of functional units into crossfunctional organizations. Strategic measures to optimize the supply chain. Learned management methods and instruments should support controlling. Various organization forms will be identified according to corresponding strategic goals, and a strategy rollout plan will be developed. Students should be able to recognize which management competences are needed for particular organization forms Students will recognize the increasing importance of intercultural management in network organizations Future potential for change inherent in the value chain management will be presented in the form of case studies. Assessment Discussion within class Discussion within class, Executive Summary, Team Work Discussion within class Discussion within class Students demonstrate that they are able to express complex matters on scientific basis. Students demonstrate their oral communication skills. Presentation of the results and discussions both in form of group work and individual presentations. Team Work 7. Ethical awareness Students are able to develop strategies for solutions and communication based on company ethics and are able to apply them to typical decision making problems Advantages and disadvantages of change towards a process organization (value chain organization) should be identified (for example, establishment of an organization with the global supply chain) Discussion within class, Executive Summary, 2

3 Main course learning outcomes: Understand the importance of cross-cultural management, and of the major theoretical and empirical studies which examine the impact of different national cultures on work and employment Understand a range of international management practices and how organizational and national culture impacts upon them: work, motivation, performance appraisal, leadership, cross-cultural communication and decision-making, negotiation and trust, conflict and dispute resolution and corporate social responsibility Knowledge of comparative management and employment models and their implications for management and employment in different national contexts and the international context in which MNCs operate Apply their understanding of cultural and institutional differences to evaluate the challenges and opportunities of doing business in different countries. Display an understanding of cultural difference in interactions with different nationalities Basic outline and organization: At the beginning of the course the students will get an introduction into historical and theoretical foundations of cross-cultural management (for details see preliminary schedule below). The introductory sessions follow a primarily lecture-style approach, combined with short example readings and continuing active discussions in the class. The script and additional materials for each session will be given to the students during the course. For the examination the students will have to work in teams of three up to four students, on a current topic of cross-culture management and business implication, based on Harvard Business Case Studies. Thereby, the students have to prepare, to present and to discuss the topics of the case in an executive summary of 2-3 pages. The presentation of the cases and topics will take place in April The assignment to a case has to be completed by March 25 th Date of delivery of the executive summary is April 29 th Each presentation will last 40 minutes for a team of max. three to four students with an additional discussion of 15 minutes. Grading: The grading is based upon the quality of the presentation (70%), the executive summary (20%) and your active participation within the classes and the discussions after the presentations (10%). Recommendations for the presentation and criteria used for grading it are: Welcome your audience in comfortable manner Introduce the topic of your case study Give your presentation a clear and logical structure Focus on the main topics and always keep and refer to the central theme of your topic Thereby, less might even be more in a presentation! Be aware that the discussions of topics have to be well-balanced 3

4 Be precise with respect to your argumentation Give examples whenever helpful, use other resources than in the case Summarize main points in your conclusion Keep to the designated time Clearly arrange your slides and check that your font is large enough Maintain eye contact with your audience Use good posture, natural gesturing, controlled movement Do not read only, try to speak freely Pay attention to your speed of speech and to an adequate modulation of your voice Allow time for the audience to absorb the information Keep the audience focused. Pay attention if they can understand what you are explaining Try to activate the audience within the discussion Show within the discussions that you are really an expert in your topic Be open for remarks and questions of your audience Course Materials: 1. Adler, Nancy. International Dimensions of Organizational Behavior. Southwestern, Branine, M. Managing Across Cultures : Concepts, Policies and Practices London : Sage, Dumetz Jerome, Cross-cultural Management textbook, Student Edition, Hall, Edward T., Mildred Reed Hall. Hidden Differences. Studies in International Communication: How to communicate with the Germans. Hamburg, Hampden-Turner, Charles M., Fons Trompenaars: Building Cross-cultural competence. Chichester (Wiley), Trompenaars, Fonz and C. H. Turner. Riding the Waves of Culture. McGraw- Hill, Second Edition, Availability of the lecturer and teaching philosophy: Raimund Hudak Office hours: After the lesson, or after prior appointment [email protected] I am open to all your questions about your learning. Therefore, do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions/problems with your learning or with the course. 4

5 Preliminary schedule for IBU 5011 Cross-cultural Management March 18, 2015 Chapter 1: Introduction and course overview Syllabus and course requirements What is culture and why is it important? How do people react to cultural differences? What disciplines study culture? Can we measure or graph cultural differences? Is it possible to change a culture? If so, how? What does culture have to do with business? Presentation of HBR Case Studies for the executive summary March 25, 2015 Chapter 2: Comparing cultures Cross-culture research as of today Ways of describing cultural differences The historical origins of beliefs and values Assignment of HBR Case Studies for the executive summary April 1, 2015 April 15, 2015 Chapter 3: Culture dimensions Dimensions relating to people Dimensions relating to time Dimensions relating to the world Chapter 4: Culture and communication What is communication? How native language is influencing our way of communication Non-linguistic communication April 22, 2015 April 27, 2015 Chapter 5: Organizational culture What is corporate culture? Models of corporate cultures The role of corporate culture Chapter 6: Culture and Marketing Cultural aspects of product and services decisions Cultural aspects of prices decisions Cultural aspects of place decisions Cultural aspects of promotion decisions April 29, 2015 Examination: Case Study Presentation Case studies 5

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