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Intercultural Communication in Business Contexts

Overview

  • Credit value: 15 credits at Level 5
  • Convenor: Professor Zhu Hua
  • Assessment: a 2000-word essay (80%) and a group presentation of approximately 10 minutes (20%)

Module description

The module will provide an overview of key theories in cross-cultural management and intercultural communication and will look at how these theories manifest themselves in the 'real world' of international business.

After presenting several frameworks describing cultural factors in business and considering how cultural differences can shape our behaviour and influence interaction between members of different cultures, practical ways of managing diversity will be identified and practised.

Indicative module content

  • The impact of culture on business
  • Communication in the multicultural workplace
  • Organisational culture
  • Taxonomies of cultural values
  • Critical evaluation of the values approach to culture
  • Meetings, negotiation and conflict across cultures
  • Working in international (and virtual) teams
  • Intercultural competence in the workplace

Learning objectives

By the end of this module, you should be able to demonstrate:

  • substantial knowledge and understanding of how theories and models in intercultural communication and cross-cultural management are applicable to real-life professional and business situations
  • sensitivity to intercultural differences and approaches for turning diversity into advantage
  • the ability to reflect on your own personal and professional experience
  • self-confidence through the appreciation of individual and cultural styles of learning and communication
  • the ability to work effectively as a member of a multicultural team.

Recommended reading

  • Franklin, P., 'Differences and Difficulties in Intercultural Management Interaction' in H. Kotthoff and H. Spencer-Oatey (eds.), Handbook of Intercultural Communication (Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter, 2007), pp. 263-84.
  • French, R., Cross-Cultural Management in Work Organisations (third edition) (CIPD, 2015).
  • Hall, E. T., Beyond Culture (New York: Doubleday, 1976).
  • Hampden-Turner, C. and Trompenaars, F. 'A World Turned Upside Down: Doing Business in Asia' in P. Joynt and M. Warner (eds.), Managing across Cultures: Issues and Perspectives (London: Thomson, 1996) ch. 17, pp. 275-305.
  • Hofstede, G., Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind (London: Harper Collins, 1991), pp. 3-19.
  • Holliday, A., 'Small Cultures' Applied Linguistics (1999), 20 (2), pp. 237-64.
  • Soderberg, A. M. and Holden, N., 'Rethinking Cross Cultural Management in a Globalizing Business World' (2002), International Journal of Cross Cultural Management, vol. 2, issue 1, pp. 103-21.
  • Spencer-Oatey, H. and Xing, J. Y. 'Issues of Face in a Chinese Business Visit to Britain' in H. Spencer-Oatey (ed.), Culturally Speaking: Culture, Communication and Politeness Theory (second edition) (London: Continuum, 2008).
  • Taras, V. and Steel, P., 'Beyond Hofstede: Challenging the Ten Commandments of Cross-Cultural Research' in C. Nakata (ed.), Beyond Hofstede: Culture Frameworks for Global Marketing and Management (Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan, 2009), pp. 40-60.