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HA HU34 - Managing across Cultures

Faculty
William Robert Holmes, Simon Fraser University

Course Coordinator
ISUP Secretariat

Prerequisite/progression of the course

None.

Course content, structure and teaching

Students are introduced to the area of international and comparative management. Exposure to the dilemmas and opportunities that arise within international and multi-cultural work environments will help to provide students with the skills required to function in an increasingly global business environment. The goal of this course is to convey to students a way of thinking and an awareness of the personal and organizational issues that arise as a result of conducting business across national and cultural boundaries. Strategies for adopting organizational practices that address these issues will be discussed. Emphasis will be placed on the management of people and groups in international organizations. The focus of the course is on the interaction between people in international work settings rather than interactions between specific countries and/or cultures. The course will be tentatively structured as follows;

Lesson 1 Introduction, management of international organisational behaviour

Lesson 2 Culture and organisational behaviour

Lesson 3 Ethics and corporate social responsibility across cultures

Lesson 4 Cross cultural communication

Lesson 5 Negotiation and conflict resolution

Lesson 6 Groups and teams, motivation

Lesson 7 International Human Resource Management

Lesson 8 Managing diversity

Lesson 9 Leadership

Lesson 10 Organisational structure, culture and managing change

The teaching methods used in this course will include lecture, class discussion, written assignments, case analysis, and experiential exercises. Students are expected to master material assigned in readings, presented in class lecture, and introduced in case discussions.

The course's development of personal competences

Students are expected to be active participants in the learning experience as opposed to passive receptacles for information. The importance of clear and concise written and verbal communication will be stressed throughout the course. In addition to the material covered in the text, students will develop hands-on skills in case analysis, group dynamics and formal business presentations.

Learning Objectives

At the end of the course the student should be able to:

  • Describe the growing importance of cross cultural issues in an increasingly global business context.
  • Have broad comprehension of concepts, theories, models and frameworks necessary to analyse the relations between different cultures when addressing ethical dilemmas
  • Discuss the evolution of organizational behaviour and human resource management in light of the increasing level of globalization of business
  • Recognize and describe the different approaches to business and business issues taken by different cultural groups
  • Critically analyse the roles of leadership, teamwork and motivation in a cross-cultural and/or multicultural environment
  • Describe the importance of cultural differences in communication, negotiation and conflict resolution
  • Discuss and propose alternative solutions to managing diversity and change in a multi-cultural business environment
Teaching methods

Lectures, seminars, case study discussions and presentations.

Examination

Mandatory mid-term feedback assignment: Please note that in order to be allowed to write the exam, each student must have successfully participated in one assigned group presentation.

Final exam: 4-hour written exam (closed book).

Exam aids: No exam aids permitted with the exception of an English language dictionary.

Re-take exam: 24-hour written exam.

Recommended literature

Francesco, A.M. and Gold, B.A., 2005, International Organizational Behavior, (2nd ed.), Pearson, Prentice Hall, 489 (inclusive of cases and supplemental activities).


Last updated by ISUP Secretariat 29/01/2010