Cross-cultural management, 5 ECTS cr

Learning outcomes:

• Understanding cultural diversity
• Awareness of a cross-cultural environment
• Management practices in diverse cultures
• Dealing with cross-cultural complications
• Recognize, evaluate and analyze the global management complexity
• Cultural consideration on team building, training, and staffing policies
• Managing employees across national cultures

Contents and methods:

•    What is culture?
•    Different types of cultural theories and models
•    The cross-cultural conceptualization
•    The social relationship in the cross-cultures
•    The way of intercultural communication
•    Leadership in the cross-cultural environment?
•    How  to motivate team members across cultures
•    How to manage employees within the cultures

You can complete this course independently at your own pace.

This course doesn't contain live lessons.

Study material:

Topic 1: The meaning of culture
Topic 2: Various cultural theories and models
Topic 3: Corporate/organizational culture and structure
Topic 4: Intercultural communication
Topic 5: Cross-cultural leadership
Topic 6: Motivation and exchange
Topic 7: Intercultural competencies, training, and ethics
Topic 8: Culture and human resource management

Textbooks:
If you are not able to find these books, you can still participate the course and do the tasks based on material provided by the lecturer.

Ray French (2007), Cross-Cultural Management in work organizations. London: Chartered institute of personnel and development.

Schneider, S. C., & Barsoux, J. L. (2003). Managing across cultures. (2nd ed.) Harlow, England: Financial Times Prentice Hall.

Additional Reading:

Thomas, D. C. (2008). Cross-cultural management: Essential concepts. Los Angeles: Sage Publications.

Knein, E., Greven, A., Bendig, D., & Brettel, M. (2020). Culture and cross-functional coopetition: The interplay of organizational and national culture. Journal of International Management, Vol. 26 (2).

Venkateswaran, R. T., & Ojha, A. K. (2019). Abandon Hofstede-based research? Not yet! A perspective from the philosophy of the social sciences. Asia Pacific Business Review, Vol 25 (3), pp 413-434.

Assessment:

This course belongs to two parts such as part-1 and- 2. Participation in both parts is not mandatory since it depends on students' own willingness for in-depth knowledge and good grades. You will pass if you get at least 40 points.

Part 1 (70 points):

Self-paced learning
Individual participation
Quizzes on the topics
Each topic has 10 points
Recorded lectures
PowerPoint slides, animations, videos, and web links
Few online meetings with the teacher
Attendance is not mandatory

Part 2 (30 points):

Individual video reporting (i.e., 10 minutes video)

Culture is a software of the mind (i.e., collective programming) that characterizes and differentiates human groups. Consequently, if a leader's culture is different from team members in an international environment, profound misunderstanding, confusion, and misinterpretation affect organizational effectiveness, efficiency, corporate image, reputation, and branding.

Now you think that you are a manager or managing director of a company. You are working in a branch office in another country where national culture is different from your own country. However, you have to manage the employees properly considering their national culture. Now the question is how you can manage the employees considering Hofstede's cultural dimensions? In video production, you can choose two countries where national cultures are different. You can compare the national cultures of that two countries from this link https://www.hofstede-insights.com/product/compare-countries/.

Instructions:

Record your PowerPoint slide presentation (See the instructions for slide preparation in the learning platform). If you want, you can use soft professional music too. Otherwise, record your speech in front of the camera. For video production, you can use various video or screen recording software. The video recording might be around 10 minutes. If you have professional experience, share that experience during video production. If not, imagine you are a manager or director in a company.

When you complete the video production, upload it on YouTube; choose the unlisted option in YouTube's visibility feature. Please copy and paste the YouTube link in Microsoft word. Make a pdf file and submit it to the learning platform's submission folder.

Grading scale:
0-5

Assessment:
Automatic assessment
Individual video production
Professional doings
Progressive idea
Ethical principles
Critical thinking and writing
Proper referencing (XAMK)

XAMK grading scale:
89 – 100 points = 5
77 – 88 points = 4
65 – 76 points = 3
53 – 64 points = 2
40 – 52 points = 1
0 – 39 points = Failed

This course is based on the curricula of Xamk's degree programmes and the Finnish credits are fully compatible with the ECTS.

Additional information on enrolment:
Open University of Applied Sciences office, email openstudies@xamk.fi.

Terms of cancellation: 
Cancellation has to be made 14 days before the course starts. Cancellation by email to openstudies@xamk.fi.

You'll receive an invitation by email to this course approx. one week before the course starts.