Cross Cultural Management

Course Objectives

This course aims to help students develop cross-cultural intelligence, which is an essential quality of any global leader. The course provides cross-cultural settings and topics that are commonly observed in today’s global business environments, and helps students recognize layers of gaps that cause cultural conflicts, and learn to value deep understanding of cultural contexts surrounding individuals and organizations with which they interact. At the end of the course, students are expected to have built mind-sets and skill-sets of a competent leader who appreciates and leverages diversity in talents and organizations s/he works with.

Specifically, the coursework includes role-plays and self-evaluation as well as case studies. The objective is to foster the kind of leadership students will need to practice when faced with the following types of situations:

— Dealing with stereotypes arising from differences in gender, race, ethnicity (nationality) or other social attributes
— Conflicts between headquarters and subsidiaries, as well as among different divisions and functional organizations
— Conflicts between corporate cultures, work styles and national cultures
— Dilemmas in the practice of diversity and inclusion

This course is intended for students who wish to achieve their own goals in the context of global business (in a cross-cultural environment or with people from different cultural backgrounds), and for those who have a strong sense of purpose and keen awareness of the need to improve their cross-cultural intelligence.

 

Course Details

Programs: Full-time MBA, Part-time MBA
Discipline: Global/Asia/Japan
Course Level: Specialization
Required/Elective Course: Elective Course
Number of Credits: 1.5
Report: Day 4
Hours Per Class: 3 hours
Class Capacity: 35 (Part-time MBA)

 

Preliminary Recommended Courses

-Critical Thinking
-Organizational Behavior and Leadership
-Human Resource Management

 

Theme/Reading Materials

Day 1
Session A
THEME Overview of Cross Cultural Management
CASE LEADERSHIP CRISIS AT STEELWORKS' XIAMEN PLANT
Session B
THEME Overview of Cross Cultural Management (Continued)
CASE LEADERSHIP CRISIS AT STEELWORKS' XIAMEN PLANT
 
Day 2
Session A
THEME Developing Sensitivity to Differences in Cross-cultural Environments
CASE Silvio Napoli at Schindler India (A)(B)
Session B
THEME Developing Sensitivity to Differences in Cross-cultural Environments (Continued)
CASE ELLEN MOORE (A): LIVING AND WORKING IN KOREA
ELLEN MOORE (B): LIVING AND WORKING IN KOREA
 
Day 3
Session A
THEME Stereotypes and Cross-Cultural Management
CASE (Re)Building a Global Team: Tariq Khan at Tek
Session B
THEME Prejudice and Self-image a Cross-Cultures
CASE Managing a Public Image: Sophie Chen
Managing a Public Image: Kevin Knight
 
Day 4
Session A
THEME Strategic Challenges and Cross-cultural Management
CASE Hailing a New Era: Haier in Japan (A)(B)
Session B
THEME Strategic Challenges and Cross-cultural Management
CASE Hailing a New Era: Haier in Japan (A)(B)
 
Day 5
Session A
THEME Corporate Culture and Cross-cultural Management
CASE IKEA in Saudi Arabia (A)
Session B
THEME Corporate Culture and Cross-cultural Management (Continued)
CASE IKEA in Saudi Arabia (A)
IKEA in Saudi Arabia (B) (to be distributed in class)
IKEA in Saudi Arabia (C) (to be distributed in class)
 
Day 6
Session A
THEME Business Sustainability and Cross-cultural Leadership
CASE Global Diversity and Inclusion at Royal Dutch Shell (A)
Session B
THEME Management Sustainability and Cross-cultural Leadership
CASE Global Diversity and Inclusion at Royal Dutch Shell (A)
Global Diversity and Inclusion at Royal Dutch Shell (B): The Impact of Restructuring

Reference:

For those who want to develop a deeper understanding, the reference listed below is recommended.

The Culture Map: Breaking Through the Invisible Boundaries of Global Business
Erin Meyer, 2014 (PublicAffairs)

Faculty

Megumi Taoka
Accounting and Finance, Organizational Behavior and HRM, Specialization
"Mastering accounting as a common language of business has never been so relevant and exciting for us all. Accounting can serve as the global language, allowing us to travel anywhere and reach whomever we make business with. On the other hand, emotional intelligence, as the basis for effective organizational behavior, allows us to connect and collaborate on a deeper level. Interestingly, if you understand that accounting is merely a tool to translate basic human behaviors into numbers, you will see how nicely financial literacy and emotional intelligence complement each other in actual management practice. I get great joy out of conducting training in these two different but equally important MBA skills. Be prepared to be good at both, as that’s what it takes to be a leader."
Cristian Vlad
Creation, Global/Asia/Japan, Marketing and Strategy
"Creativity, Critical Thinking and Marketing work hand-in-hand and new strategy planning and research methodologies are developed each day. Let’s explore together the fundamentals of marketing and strategy and see which approach fits you and your project best! See you in class!"

Faculty

Megumi Taoka
Megumi Taoka
Accounting and Finance, Organizational Behavior and HRM, Specialization
"Mastering accounting as a common language of business has never been so relevant and exciting for us all. Accounting can serve as the global language, allowing us to travel anywhere and reach whomever we make business with. On the other hand, emotional intelligence, as the basis for effective organizational behavior, allows us to connect and collaborate on a deeper level. Interestingly, if you understand that accounting is merely a tool to translate basic human behaviors into numbers, you will see how nicely financial literacy and emotional intelligence complement each other in actual management practice. I get great joy out of conducting training in these two different but equally important MBA skills. Be prepared to be good at both, as that’s what it takes to be a leader."
Learn more
Cristian Vlad
Cristian Vlad
Creation, Global/Asia/Japan, Marketing and Strategy
"Creativity, Critical Thinking and Marketing work hand-in-hand and new strategy planning and research methodologies are developed each day. Let’s explore together the fundamentals of marketing and strategy and see which approach fits you and your project best! See you in class!"
Learn more

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