Aims and objectives
The aim of the module is to introduce students to culture as a major force in international business within the context of a global economy. In this module we define culture, review its various classifications in business (and to a lesser extent in areas such as anthropology, psychology and political science), assess the role of culture in business theories, and discuss a variety of conceptual, methodological and practical issues relating to the measurement of culture at various levels (national, industry, corporate, individual).
We focus on the complex task of capturing and assessing the cultural encounter, present empirical evidence, provide illustrations, and sample cultural combinations.
We discuss applications of culture and cultural differences in a variety of business contexts in management (e.g., strategy, organization theory and behavior, human resource management) but also in other business areas (e.g., finance, marketing). We use real life application grounds such as cross-cultural negotiations, international alliances, and cross-border mergers/acquisitions, among others, and provide examples such as strategy formulation and expatriate selection.
By the end of the module students should be able to:
Show an advanced understanding of the impact of cultural differences in management.
Critically appraise how managers operate and business is conducted in different societies
Demonstrate understanding of how cultural misunderstanding can affect negotiations and the management of foreign operations.
Critically assess and advise on how cultural differences should be recognised in policies on international management and the international transfer of management practices.