Study Guide

Objectives (course unit)

Culture is an integral part of everyday organizational life. Understanding culture facilitates organizational success in national- as well as international market. The course is designed to deal with culture and its impact in managing/leading organization made up of people from diverse cultural background.


After completing of the course, students will be able to:

Know culture from different points of view prioritizing the field of management and organization.

Lead multicultural workforce

Build work team/group with people from different cultural background

Deal with cultural differences effectively

Identify culture lenient motivational strategy

Manage cultural tension by engaging empathetic approach

Negotiate globally

Content (course unit)

What is culture?

What is family-, national-, organizational- and business culture?

What are the roots of culture?

How culture influences management and the functioning of an organization?

How to deal with cultural challenges in forming group/team and leading people with diverse cultural background?

What are the crucial issues to remember while negotiating internationally?

Prerequisites (course unit)

First year BBA studies or equivalent studies for the exchange students

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1-2) (course unit)

The student can define culture and recognises cultural differences. He/she is aware of the course load and able to do routine tasks. The student can give and receive feedback and can do project work in a group. He/she considers and assesses things from his/her viewpoints. The student can work in a group. He/she judges things mainly from his/her own perspective.

Assessment criteria, good (3-4) (course unit)

The student compares culture and explains its impact on different social entities. He/she helps to apply cultural approach in leading a multicultural workforce. The student as a resource person assists in solving problems in leading a multicultural workforce or building a multicultural team. He/she helps making a plan for dealing with cultural differences effectively. He/she considers and assesses issues from multicultural perspectives and can engage in negotiation with counterparts from another culture. The student becomes a responsible member of a diverse group.

Assessment criteria, excellent (5) (course unit)

The student understands culture from multiple perspectives and analyses its impact on different social entities including business organisations. The student as a resource person acts independently or as part of a group in leading a multicultural workforce or building a multicultural team. He/she assists in finding solutions to team in dealing with cultural differences effectively. He/she actively engages himself/herself in the work group in finding solutions to problems at hand or adopting policy regarding a culture lenient motivational plan. Moreover, the student can play a flexible role in multicultural negotiation context.

Location and time

Three online lessons in January 2025 and four face-to-face lessons in February 2025.

Exam schedules

No test but project, individual task & presentation

Assessment methods and criteria

Group project: 30%
Group project presentation: 10%
Presentation participation diary (Individual task): 10%
5 short individual task: 50%

Assessment scale

0-5

Teaching methods

Online & face to face teaching|study conversation|individual task|project|presentation

Learning materials

Cultures and organizations : software of the mind : intercultural cooperation and its importance for survival, Hofstede, Geert, 2010 (suggested chapters)

When Cultures Collide, Richard D. Lewis, 2018 (suggested chapters)

The Culture Map: Decoding how people think, lead, and get things done across cultures. Erin Meyer (suggested chapters)
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Lecture handouts & suggested reading

Student workload

Total time: 27x5 = 135 hours
Contact & online lesson 7 x 3: 21 hours
Project: 25 hours
Reading: 29 hours
5-6 short individual task: 30 hours
Pre-assignment & online activity: 30 hours

Completion alternatives

Talk to the course teacher

Practical training and working life cooperation

Possible & welcome

International connections

Open

Further information

Return course tasks on time. Late submission will have negative impact to the course final grade.