Course Description
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Course Name
Cross-Cultural Management
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Host University
Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona
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Location
Barcelona, Spain
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Area of Study
Management, Peace and Conflict Studies
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Language Level
Taught In English
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Contact Hours
45 -
Recommended U.S. Semester Credits3
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Recommended U.S. Quarter Units4
Hours & Credits
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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