735336 Intercultural communication

Type
Lecture and exercise
Semester hours
2
Lecturer (assistant)
Organisation
Offered in
Sommersemester 2023
Languages of instruction
Englisch
Content

What is culture? Which factors form cultures? The dynamic of global culture versus national/regional cultures. Culture is not a national phenomenon. Differences to age, gender, company, rural/urban cultures .... Personality and culture. How and when are humans primed with cultural values. What is cultural awareness and bi-culturality, the role of language, ethnocentrism, stereotyping. What do we learn from rituals, values, norms, symbols. Culture Shock und how to deal with it. Typical aspects of communication and business styles of selected cultures. High or low context cultures, multi-active versus linear-active cultures, relationship- versus task-oriented cultures. Selected cultural theories from Hofstede, Trompenaars, Lewis will be discussed for a deeper understanding. Fundamental "dos and don'ts" for cross-cultural business interactions will be presented.
Negotiations and Meetings: Knowing your counterparts: when to talk business, when to stay patient. Differences between relationship- versus task-orientation, perception of time and space, individual and group relationships. Cultural differences in presentation styles compared. How do we make decisions? What is triggering our behavior? The Moral Circle and its influence on in-group and out-group behavior. Have we lost our tribe? What does it mean to be a social being in the 21st century?
Objective (expected results of study and acquired competences)

Prepare students to compete successfully in the global (agri-)business sector. Help students understand the influence of different cultural backgrounds on the way how we do business, for e.g. how we organize meetings, how we negotiate, how we perceive time and space, how we develop trust, how we communicate, how we discuss and listen, how we make presentations coming from different cultures. Students should develop a global perspective on the richness and diversity of cultures and develop skill for a respectful and tolerant way of working in a multi-national, multi-cultural organizational life. Give students the opportunity to enhance their emotional intelligence and communication skills to achieve excellence for future international business meetings, negotiations, presentations and teamwork situations.
You can find more details like the schedule or information about exams on the course-page in BOKUonline.