Intercultural Business Skills

In order to operate successfully in today's increasingly complex global marketplace, international managers are required to possess greater awareness, sensitivity and flexibility in dealing with intercultural issues.

This course begins with an overview of the various approaches to addressing culture. It evokes the different levels at which culture manifests itself: national, corporate, individual value systems etc. The sessions expose the different theoretical paradigms addressing culture found in current literature and how they manifest themselves in a corporate environment. Students will also address how culture impacts various aspects of business such as international business relations, trust building, performance of multicultural teams, conflicts and conflict resolution and, most importantly, communication.

The module will also deal with the acquisition and mastery of the skills required for successful management of a multi-national enterprise. Specifically, we shall explore competencies such as adaptability, empathy, effective communication, analytical ability and emotional intelligence as they relate to the execution of managerial functions such as global staffing, expatriate training, change management, decision making, and more.

Among the transversal topics to be covered
- Decision making in culturally-diverse environments
- HRM/OB and Intercultural Management issues
- Aspects of leadership in intercultural management
- Conflict Management across cultures
- Cross-cultural ethics