Cross-Cultural Management (2225.YR.001932.1)

General information

Type:	OPT	Curs:	1	Period:	S semester
ECTS Credits:	3 ECTS

Teaching Staff:

Group	Teacher	Department	Language
Year 1	Daniela Noethen	Dirección de Personas y Organización	ENG

none

none necessary

10 hours of lecture
20 hours of participatory classes
45 hours of independent study, teamwork, and preparation of assignments

During your studies (at ESADE and otherwise) you come across many management theories, models, and "best practices" - but we often forget that most of these theories were developed in Western countries (and here mostly in the United States) - and do not necessarily hold true in other cultural contexts. Indeed, many of the management approaches that are extremely successful in the US or in (Northern) Europe can have detrimental effects when put into practice in other regions of the world. As global leaders, it is of utmost importance to not only know about these cross-cultural differences, but to also demonstrate behavioral flexibility to effectively manage and lead people in different cultural contexts as well as culturally diverse teams. The goal of the present course is to give you a more nuanced understanding of many of the contents taught in other classes, and, more importantly, to reflect on your own cultural programming and help you become a versatile and truly global leader.

In "Cross Cultural Management", we will explore how different aspects of culture affect a range of management practices. The goal is to not only raise your awareness regarding the variety of cross-cultural differences and their effect on people in organizations, but to also become more aware of your own socialization, the values, norms, and beliefs that guide and sometimes limit your thoughts and behaviors. With this awareness, we aim to find ways to increase your cross-cultural competence and ability to adapt, thereby strengthening your skills as a global leader. By engaging in and with variety of methodologies, i.e., cases, simulations, guest speakers, role plays, and problem solving activities as well as gaining insight from your own cultural diversity as a student group, you will:
- become aware of the typical aspects in which attitudes, values, communication and behaviors differ across cultures.
- gain deep knowledge about the management practices and models that are affected by these cross-cultural differences, as well as about effective practices in different contexts.
- realize how your own socialization limits your view of the world and how you can break these limitations.
- improve your skills as global managers in practicing behavioral flexibility to lead in different cultural contexts as well as culturally diverse teams.

1. Leading and Managing Others In the first block of topics, we will discuss theory and best practices on how to manage others (as typically taught in Western Business Schools)! The following topics will be discussed, although not necessarily in this order:

1.1. Delegation An absolutely basic skill in management - in order to organize your team, to develop your employees, and to make sure you can dedicate time to the important things is delegation. But especially for new managers, this is easier said than done. We will discuss what and how to delegate, how to organize the process, and how to follow up.

1.2. Performance Management and Motivation Managing the performance of your employees is crucial for every manager. Unfortunately, not all tasks that need to be done are pleasant, and not everyone has the same goals. Therefore, it is paramount to understand what makes employees tick and how best to motivate them, and what tools you have at your disposal.

1.3. Performance Management and Feedback Feedback is an essential skill for managers, especially in the context of performance management. We will discuss how to give feedback to be most effective.

1.4. Leading a Team Drawing on some aspects you already disussed in your Effective Teamwork Module, we will discuss how to best lead a team of employees as a manager.

1.5. Negotiations, Hiring, Firing Leaders and managers have to be able to have tough conversations - be it in the context of negotiations, hiring or firing people. Thus, you have to be prepared how to communicate in these contexts.

2. Cross-Cultural Differences In this second block of topics, we will discuss cross-cultural differences on different dimensions and how they may influence the management practices discussed in the first block and beyond.

2.1. Culture? We will discuss the sense and nonsense of discussing cultural differences, especially at the national level. We will discuss topics such as different levels of culture, ethnocentrism, stereotyping, and global cultural conversion.

2.2. Differences in Behaviors Based on the work of Edward Hall, we will consider some important behavioral differences between different cultures that have a strong influence on how people behave, for example how they organize their work (or not) and how they deal with time. We will discuss ideas such as "time is money" as well as the challenges these differences imply for working in diverse (project) teams.

2.3. Differences in Communication Based on the concept of high- versus low-context cultures as well as other frameworks we will discuss differences in communication and the the use of language between different cultures as well as the advantages and difficulties of using a Lingua Franca in a multinational organization.

2.3.1. Solving Cross-Cultural Conflicts Seeing all the differences between cultures, it is almost inevitable that cross-cultural interactions will lead to one conflict or another. We will discuss and practice different approaches how to deal with such conflicts and will discover that certain cultures prefer some of these approaches over others.

2.4. Differences in Values Based on a number of frameworks (GLOBE, Hofstede...) we will discuss differences in values between different cultures and how these affect concepts such as motivation, leadership styles, or change management.

2.4.1. The importance of Relationships Based on Hofstede's individualism vs. collectivism and Hall's writings we will discuss the varying importance of relationships in different cultures, how this influences the way business is done, positions are staffed, and contracts are won.

2.4.2. Change Management and Decision Processes across cultures Focusing on Hofstede and the GLOBE, we will further explore how differences in underlying cultural values translate into different organizational structures, how they facility or hinder change management and influence decision processes.

3. Global Leadership In this last section of the course, we will put everything into context. Considering what we have learned about management and cultural differences, what type of skills do we need as global leaders and managers of global teams? What kind of best practices can guide us in culturally diverse contexts? What does this mean for your own career?

This is a highly interactive course with a mix of exposition of content, case analysis, simulations, guest speakers, role plays, student presentations and projects, and group as well as class discussions. Students are expected to prepare for the sessions with readings, case analysis, and occasional short assignments. In-class active participation is vital, where students are asked to critically reflect the content and frameworks presented, and relate to their own personal and work experience. In culturally heterogeneous teams, students will get first-hand experience of potential cross-cultural challenges and their solution, working on different tasks, cases, a presentation and a project, while at the same time reflecting on their own personal cultural lenses and how these play out in their interactions with team mates from different cultures.
At the end of the course, students will be asked to demonstrate their learning in a final individual paper.

The program is subject to modification in light of the group composition or other factors, and the order of presentation of content may be changed. We may not be able to cover all the material described.

ASSESSMENT BREAKDOWN

A few background book references:
Browaeys, M.J., & Price, R. (2011). Understanding Cross-Cultural Management (2nd ed.). Harlow, England: Pearson Education.
Primecz H, Romani L & Sackmann S (2012). Cross-cultural management in practice: culture and negotiated meanings. Edward Elgar Publishing.
Spencer-Oatey H & Franklin P (2009) Intercultural Interaction: a multidisciplinary approach to intercultural communication, London, Palgrave Macmillan.
Farrero, G: (2012) The Cultural Dimension of Business 7th ed., London, Pearson.
Hofstede, G: (2001): Culture's Consequences 2nd ed Thousand Oaks CA, Sage.
Linda A. Hall (2003). Becoming a Manager: How New Managers Master the Challenges of Leadership (2nd ed.).Boston: Harvard Business School Press.



Further materials are provided at the beginning of the seminar and through the web page during the seminar.

Group	Teacher	Department
Year 1	Daniela Noethen	Dirección de Personas y Organización