Cross-Cultural Management

Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona

Course Description

  • Course Name

    Cross-Cultural Management

  • Host University

    Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona

  • Location

    Barcelona, Spain

  • Area of Study

    Management, Peace and Conflict Studies

  • Language Level

    Taught In English

    Hours & Credits

  • Contact Hours

    45
  • Recommended U.S. Semester Credits
    3
  • Recommended U.S. Quarter Units
    4
  • Overview

    INTRODUCTION TO THE COURSE:

    In an increasingly global world, managers must be able to handle diversity effectively. The aim of this module is therefore:

    •  To increase the awareness of the impact of national cultures on business.
    •  To provide the students with theoretical and practical tools in order to improve their productivity when working and doing business with people from other cultures.
    •  To make the students more aware of their personal orientations.

     

    REQUIREMENTS:

    •  Fluent in English

     

    CONTENTS:

    Cultural Dimensions analysed in the course:

    • Identity: individual o collective
      • - Communication: sincere or diplomatic (meaning of “yes”)
      • - Attitude towards conflicts
      • - Decision making process
    • Norms: rigid or flexible
      • - The business contract
      • - The price
    • Task orientation (“specific”) o people orientation (“diffuse”)
      • - Communication: “low context” o “high context”
      • - Divide between work and private life
      • - A “good” business presentation
      • - Starting a negotiation
    •   Initial trust
      • - High or low
      • - Credibility
    • Expression of emotions and its impact on credibility:
      • - Communication: expressive or controlled
      • - Interruptions: tolerated or avoided
      • - Verbal and non verbal communication
      • - Silence and humor
    • Vision of time:
      • - Priority to the schedule or to the personal relationships
      • - One task or many tasks at the same time
      • - Orientation towards the past, the present or the future
      • - Orientation towards short, middle or long term.
    • Attitude towards the unknown:
      • - Enthusiasm for innovation or preference for stability.
      • - Thinking pattern: deductive / dogmatic or inductive / pragmatic
    • Power Distribution:
      • - Communication: formal or informal
      • - Level of centralization
    • Preferred attitude: "masculine" or "feminine"
      • - Communication: assertive / strong o modest / tender

Course Disclaimer

Credits earned vary according to the policies of the students' home institutions. According to ISA policy and possible visa requirements, students must maintain full-time enrollment status, as determined by their home institutions, for the duration of the program.

ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System) credits are converted to semester credits/quarter units differently among U.S. universities. Students should confirm the conversion scale used at their home university when determining credit transfer.

Please reference fall and spring course lists as not all courses are taught during both semesters.

Availability of courses is based on enrollment numbers. All students should seek pre-approval for alternate courses in the event of last minute class cancellations

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