Culture and Diversity in Business (5cr)

Objectives (course unit)

Upon completion of the course, the student will have an understanding of workplace diversity and multicultural teamwork. S/he will have developed his/her presentation and demonstration skills. S/he will know how to apply critical thinking, discussion and interpersonal skills to challenging and sensitive cultural issues.

Content (course unit)

- Cultural theories, models and frameworks - Communication styles in multicultural teams - Managing across cultures - Leveraging workplace diversity as an organisational strength - Presentation and interaction skills

Prerequisites (course unit)

Work Society of the Future or equivalent competences

Location and time

Mondays from August 25th through October 13th, 2025 ONLINE

Exam schedules

There is no comprehensive exam in this course.

Assessment methods and criteria

Learning tasks 100%. To be confirmed in August 2025.

Assessment scale

0-5

Teaching methods

Collaborative learning. Activating lectures. In-class exercises. Writing assignments. Group tasks. Independent study.

Learning materials

Recommended literature and other course material will be announced during the course kickoff session on Monday, August 25th, 2025. Lecturer's material will be made available via OMA. Current material will be shared during the course.

Student workload

The scope of the course is 5 ECTS (130 h). Student workload during contact sessions = approx. 16 hours. Student workload outside contact sessions = approx. 114 hours.

Content scheduling

The course will be held in autumn 2025. See the Time and Location section for course schedule info.

Completion alternatives

This course cannot be completed by taking an exam. There is no alternative way of completing this course.

Further information

The lecturer will lecture in English. Both Finnish and English will be used as working languages. Students are free to take part in the course in Finnish and / or English. All learning tasks may be done in Finnish or English. Attendance at online sessions is not compulsory, and your grade will not depend on how many sessions you attend. However, you are strongly encouraged to join the live sessions whenever possible, as they are designed to support your learning and give you direct access to guidance. One very important exception is the kickoff session on Monday, August 25. You should absolutely plan to attend this session, as we will go through the course structure, assignments, and practical details you’ll need for a smooth start. Please note: session materials will be shared afterwards, but recordings will not be provided. Live participation is the only way to hear explanations first-hand and ask questions in real time.