Intercultural Communication
Full course description
The ability to communicate effectively and appropriately across cultures is highly valued in today’s global labour market. Some refer to this ability as intercultural competence others prefer the term global competencies. Whatever the term we identify with, the ever-changing reality of the global market place dictates to us the necessity of acquiring of strong, effective and sensitive intercultural communication skills. Therefore, it is essential that global managers learn to use a range of processes, models and approaches (quantitative and qualitative) to make deductions, and to identify potential solutions, realistic goals and successful actions.
This course, ICC2002 Intercultural Communication, will provide a practical introduction to Intercultural Studies for International Business through a theoretical and interactive approach. Students will discuss key intercultural concepts; develop attitudes and skills that support successful interactions with new cultures; examine key intercultural models; and expand and apply their knowledge of culture. Furthermore, they will have the opportunity to develop a broad range of intercultural skills for international business. Assignments will be designed to develop strong international managerial skills and intercultural competences to succeed in business at home and abroad.
Using experimental, problem based learning students will move toward developing intercultural strategies applicable to the global market place. This course will challenge students to react to the ambiguity and uncertainty inherent in cross cultural situations and apply management concepts, models and practices. The general focus is on intercultural skills for international business.
Disclaimer: trips and visits related to the course are conditional. E.g. Dutch travel advice should be positive regarding the region that will be visited and institutions should be able to accept visitors. In case a proposed trip or visit cannot continue due to circumstances, alternatives may be organized.
Course objectives
By the end of the course students will demonstrate the ability to:
- Communicate effectively and professionally through writing, speaking and making presentations
- Think critically and be able to use a broad range of models to make judgments and draw conclusions
- Develop the ability to identify, select and implement appropriate courses of action to resolve cross cultural dilemmas and solve problems from case study analysis.
- Demonstrate the ability to reflect on own values, beliefs and cultural norms and how they may influence perception, interpretation and reaction
- Demonstrate the ability to calculate the cost/benefits trade-offs in dealing with ambiguous/uncertain elements • Demonstrate understanding of the various views of an issue by acknowledging diversity in worldviews and cultural orientations
Prerequisites
None. A minimum number of 10 students for this class.
Recommended reading
- Intercultural Skills for International Business and International Relations. A Practical Introduction with Exercises, Paul Verluyten (Leuven, ACCO, 2010)
- Steers, Richard M.Sanchez-Runde, Carlos J. & Nardon, Lucara (2010) Management across cultures challenges and strategies. Cambridge UK, Cambridge University Press
- Students will also receive additional resources in the form of Cases/Guided reading questions related to chapters in the text and supplementary reading provided by the instructor