This module offers an introduction to national cultural differences in business practices. The Dilemmas approach of Hampden-Turner and Trompenaars is used to examine the way in which different societies address the fundamental questions of life.

The dilemmas are: Universalism v Particularism, Individualism v Communitarianism, Neutrality v Emotionality, Specificity v Diffuseness, Achieved Status v Ascribed Status, Time-as-Sequence v Time as Synchronisation and Inner v Outer Direction.

Studies of the USA, India, China, Japan, European and African countries will be employed to illustrate the business cultural differences. Students from all cultures will be expected to bring their own perspectives to discussions. It will look critically at texts and encourage students to assess the cultural assumptions of the authors

It will examine whether the success of global integration depends upon the ability of managers from many different national cultural backgrounds to appreciate the richness of diversity and its potential to develop every human being. It will show how managers must learn to become ‘interactive translators’, that is, to appreciate the varying perspectives brought to business by people from different cultures and to facilitate their successful cooperation.

This module lays the conceptual foundations for these alternative perceptions of human cooperation and encourages students to reflect upon their own cultural values and assumptions in order to learn from one another.

60% Essay (4000 words) (LO 1,2)
20% Reflective Journal (LO 4)
20% Skills Report (LO 3)

The module will be delivered through a blended learning approach as defined in the Programme Specification. Theoretical learning will be embedded in workplace and community activity through the Reflective Journal and work undertaken for the Skills Report.

The key learning activity will be study of the Module Course book, which will contain the written equivalent of a full lecture programme. Course Books include a number of tasks to be carried out as formative assessment, with opportunities to obtain online, email and telephone support in the completion of these. Supported by Google VLE applications:

1. File store: Google Drive
2. Chat facility: Google Hangout
3. Blog Facility: Google Classroom
4. Audio-visual connection (groups and individual): Google Hangout
5. E-mail: Google mail via Classroom
6. List of links: Google Classroom

The residential session will include an introduction to the Course Book by the module tutor, together with a workshop session intended to help students contextualise the planned learning within their work. Opportunities will also be provided to work with tutors and the course leader on the reflective journal, the skills report and the assessment, in preparation for the independent study at a distance.

Half way through the module there will be a workshop delivered by VLE. This will involve the module tutor interacting with students in a prepared format. The course leader will also lead the students in a review of reflective journals and skills development.

30 credits

Student contact hours will include
Residential classroom based activity and workshops: 8
Module Tutor contact via webinar: 4
Course leader support for Reflective Diary through webinar: 4
Workplace Link manager support for workplace learning targets: 2
Workplace mentor meetings: 2
Optional tutorial support from Learning Counsellors and Course Leader: 5

Total 25 hours contact

In addition a typical student would be expected to spend time in the following activities (hours):

Course book reading and tasks: 90
Assessment preparation and execution: 90
Self-directed reading from core texts: 95

Total 275 hours directed and self-directed study

KYRA Course book (tutorial in print)

TROMPENAARS, F & HAMPDEN-TURNER, C (1997).
Riding the Waves of Culture. 2nd ed. London, Nicholas Brealey.

Supplementary texts:
WARNER, M (ed.) (2003). Culture and Management in Asia, London, RoutledgeCurzon
JACKSON, T (ed.) (2004). Management and Change in Africa, London, Routledge

Lap top/projector
Text books
Internet
Handouts
VLE
Online access to University Library
Physical and online access to Library of Birmingham