This seminar aims at providing an introduction to the principal concepts of management in an international and intercultural perspective. In a context characterized by globalization, many questions can be discussed regarding the role played by this phenomenon on different spheres of life, including the economic and work environment. How do firms operate internationally? How does the context of increased cultural diversity in the countries where their headquarters are located influence the way they manage their workforce?
Not only will this seminar aim at answering these questions, it will also emphasize the importance of taking cultural aspects into account when studying managerial issues. This requires to understand not only the cultural environment in which business takes place and the cultural background of colleagues and partners, but also to understand how one’s own cultural traits can influence one’s vision of what is going on. Such an approach will broaden your understanding of cultural phenomena and increase the educational value of your time abroad.
Attendance policy:
Since IES courses are designed to take advantage of the unique contribution of the instructor and the lecture/discussion format is regarded as the primary mode of instruction, regular class attendance is mandatory. Each student may have no more than one absence in each course for whatever reasons. Your final grade in the course will be reduced by one fraction of a grade (i.e. A becomes A -) after that.
Learning outcomes:
After completion of the course, you will be able to:
Understand the key theories of management and organizational behavior;
Understand the theories of globalization as well as be able to identify its concrete manifestations;
Understand the many aspects of what is increasingly being called the “management of cultural diversity” and its application in business;
Learn to apply such theoretical tools to concrete situations;
Step outside your own cultural representations in order to be able to understand and react to other point of views.
Method of presentation:
Lectures, discussions on assigned readings, in-class workshops on empirical material, presentations.
Required work and form of assessment:
Seminar preparation and participation (10%);
seminar presentation (20%); essay (20%); mid-term exam (20%); final exam (30%).
Details of required work:
The seminar presentation is based mainly on required readings from the following: Moran, Robert, Philip
Harris, & Sarah Moran. Managing Cultural Differences: Global Leadership Strategies for the 21st Century.
7th ed. Burlington, MA: Elsevier, 2007.
The essay highlights students’ reflections and critical analysis based on the insights gained from the required readings. Students must submit a 4-6 page typed essay in Times New Roman 12 font with one inch margins. Seminar assignments are made during the first week of the course.
The mid-term and final exams are based on required readings, class lectures and in-class discussions.
content:
Class 1
General introduction – course introduction
Class 2
Introduction to the study of management in an interdisciplinary perspective I: Basic concepts of
Organizational Behaviour
Readings: PD, Chapters 1 and 2
MHM, Chapter 5, “Global Study of Management”, pp 145-150
Class 3
Introduction to the study of management in an interdisciplinary perspective II: Basic concepts of Human
Resource Management
Readings: MHM, Chapter 9
Section I: Intercultural management in a context of globalization
Class 4
Introduction to the study of globalization
Readings: GCI, Chapter 1 and 3
Class 5
The transformation of the structure of multinational firms in a globalized context
Readings: GCI, Chapter 2
Class 6
Intercultural management and globalization
Readings: MHM, Chapter 1
GCI, Chapter 5
Class 7
Intercultural negotiation and communication
Readings: MHM, Chapter 2 and 3
GCI, Chapter 7
Class 8
Doing business with Europeans
Readings: MHM, Chapter 14
Doing business with Latin Americans
Readings: MHM, Chapter 12
Class 10
Doing business with Asians
Readings: MHM, Chapter 13
Class 11
Doing business with Arabic countries and the Middle-East
Readings: MHM, Chapter 15, pp. 600-622.
26th-30th October: Mid-term exams
Class 12
Mid term Exam Review
Class 13 Mid-term exam
Section II: Intercultural management in a context of cultural diversity
Class 14
Introduction to the concept of cultural diversity: are we living in increasingly diverse societies?
Readings: MHM, Chapter 10
Class 15
Organizational cultures and diversity
Readings: PD, Chapter 3 and 6
MHM, Chapter 4
Class 16
In class speaker
Class 17
Correction of the exams
Class 18
Conflicts and negotiations in the culturally diverse organization
Readings: PD, Chapter 18
Managing diversity at work: constraints and practices
Readings: MHM, Chapter 7
Class 20
Thanksgiving special: celebrating diversity at work – which discourses and which practices? In-class workshop
Class 21
Changes in the legal environment: from anti-discrimination to equal opportunities? In-class workshop
Class 22
Managing cultural diversity in non-profit organizations
Readings: GCI, Chapter 6
PD, Chapter 4
Class 23
Global leadership, local diversity?
Readings: MHM, Chapter 3
Class 24
General conclusion to the course
Final exams and farewell
Required readings:
Moran, Robert, Philip Harris, & Sarah Moran. Managing Cultural Differences: Global Leadership Strategies for the 21st Century. 7th ed. Burlington, MA: Elsevier, 2007. (MHM)
On reserve you will find the second main book: Jan Aart Scholte’s Globalization: a Critical Introduction (2nd ed.), Palgrave Mc Millan 2005. (Hereafter referred to as GCI). We will also base our work on Peter Drucker’s The Essential Drucker (Hereafter referred to as PD).
Recommended readings:
Hosftede Geert and Jan Geert Hofstede, Cultures and Organizations – Intercultural Cooperation and Its Importance For Survival, McGraw-Hill 2004.
Weaver Gary R., Culture, Communication and Conflict: Readings in Intercultural Relations (revised 2nd ed.) Boston, MA, Pearson Publishing 2000.
Mintzberg Henry, Structure and Dynamics of Organizations, London, Prentice-Hall 1979. (easily available in French: Structure et Dynamique des Organisations, Les Editions d’Organisation)
De Bono Silvio, Stephanie Jones and Beatrice Van der Heijden (eds.), Managing Cultural Diversity, Meyer and Meyer 2008.
International And Intercultural Management
This seminar aims at providing an introduction to the principal concepts of management in an international and intercultural perspective. In a context characterized by globalization, many questions can be discussed regarding the role played by this phenomenon on different spheres of life, including the economic and work environment. How do firms operate internationally? How does the context of increased cultural diversity in the countries where their headquarters are located influence the way they manage their workforce?
Not only will this seminar aim at answering these questions, it will also emphasize the importance of taking cultural aspects into account when studying managerial issues. This requires to understand not only the cultural environment in which business takes place and the cultural background of colleagues and partners, but also to understand how one’s own cultural traits can influence one’s vision of what is going on. Such an approach will broaden your understanding of cultural phenomena and increase the educational value of your time abroad.
Since IES courses are designed to take advantage of the unique contribution of the instructor and the lecture/discussion format is regarded as the primary mode of instruction, regular class attendance is mandatory. Each student may have no more than one absence in each course for whatever reasons. Your final grade in the course will be reduced by one fraction of a grade (i.e. A becomes A -) after that.
After completion of the course, you will be able to:
Lectures, discussions on assigned readings, in-class workshops on empirical material, presentations.
Seminar preparation and participation (10%);
seminar presentation (20%); essay (20%); mid-term exam (20%); final exam (30%).
Details of required work:
The seminar presentation is based mainly on required readings from the following: Moran, Robert, Philip
Harris, & Sarah Moran. Managing Cultural Differences: Global Leadership Strategies for the 21st Century.
7th ed. Burlington, MA: Elsevier, 2007.
The essay highlights students’ reflections and critical analysis based on the insights gained from the required readings. Students must submit a 4-6 page typed essay in Times New Roman 12 font with one inch margins. Seminar assignments are made during the first week of the course.
The mid-term and final exams are based on required readings, class lectures and in-class discussions.
Class 1
General introduction – course introduction
Class 2
Introduction to the study of management in an interdisciplinary perspective I: Basic concepts of
Organizational Behaviour
Class 3
Introduction to the study of management in an interdisciplinary perspective II: Basic concepts of Human
Resource Management
Section I: Intercultural management in a context of globalization
Class 4
Introduction to the study of globalization
Class 5
The transformation of the structure of multinational firms in a globalized context
Class 6
Intercultural management and globalization
Class 7
Intercultural negotiation and communication
Class 8
Doing business with Europeans
Doing business with Latin Americans
Class 10
Doing business with Asians
Class 11
Doing business with Arabic countries and the Middle-East
26th-30th October: Mid-term exams
Class 12
Mid term Exam Review
Class 13
Mid-term exam
Section II: Intercultural management in a context of cultural diversity
Class 14
Introduction to the concept of cultural diversity: are we living in increasingly diverse societies?
Class 15
Organizational cultures and diversity
Class 16
In class speaker
Class 17
Correction of the exams
Class 18
Conflicts and negotiations in the culturally diverse organization
Managing diversity at work: constraints and practices
Class 20
Thanksgiving special: celebrating diversity at work – which discourses and which practices? In-class workshop
Class 21
Changes in the legal environment: from anti-discrimination to equal opportunities? In-class workshop
Class 22
Managing cultural diversity in non-profit organizations
Class 23
Global leadership, local diversity?
Class 24
General conclusion to the course
Final exams and farewell
Moran, Robert, Philip Harris, & Sarah Moran. Managing Cultural Differences: Global Leadership Strategies for the 21st Century. 7th ed. Burlington, MA: Elsevier, 2007. (MHM)
On reserve you will find the second main book: Jan Aart Scholte’s Globalization: a Critical Introduction (2nd ed.), Palgrave Mc Millan 2005. (Hereafter referred to as GCI). We will also base our work on Peter Drucker’s The Essential Drucker (Hereafter referred to as PD).
Hosftede Geert and Jan Geert Hofstede, Cultures and Organizations – Intercultural Cooperation and Its Importance For Survival, McGraw-Hill 2004.
Weaver Gary R., Culture, Communication and Conflict: Readings in Intercultural Relations (revised 2nd ed.) Boston, MA, Pearson Publishing 2000.
Mintzberg Henry, Structure and Dynamics of Organizations, London, Prentice-Hall 1979. (easily available in French: Structure et Dynamique des Organisations, Les Editions d’Organisation)
De Bono Silvio, Stephanie Jones and Beatrice Van der Heijden (eds.), Managing Cultural Diversity, Meyer and Meyer 2008.