General Business 320 – International Business 320
INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION IN BUSINESS
Fall 2013
Mark Lindquist Office Hours:
5182 Grainger TTh 11:00-12:00
263-2259 and by appointment.
Course Description
This course will develop awareness and knowledge of cultural influences on business. Its primary objective is to help students build the intercultural communication competence necessary in a 21st century global environment. We will focus on various attitudes toward work, time, material possession and business, and the relationship of these attitudes to different social, religious, philosophical, and educational backgrounds of businesspeople from cultures around the world.
We will use both affective as well as cognitive methodologies. Students will learn how to understand culture, assess written business documents, and address issues in oral communication, protocol, interactive behavior, and negotiation. Case analysis will be used to illustrate cultural influences on life and business in Japan, China, the Middle East, Europe, Mexico, South America, and Africa. The class will include lecture, discussion, simulations, student presentations, and role-play.
Texts
Richard Gesteland, Cross-Cultural Business Behavior5thed (Copenhagen Business School Press, 2012) (Used copies of the 4th ed are also acceptable).
Geert Hofstede, Gert Jan Hofstede, and Michael Minkov, Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind: Intercultural Cooperation and its Importance for Survival3rd ed (McGraw-Hill, 2010)
Fons Trompenaars and Charles Hampden-Turner, Riding the Waves of Culture: Understanding Diversity in Global Business 3rd ed (McGraw-Hill, 2012)
Course Objectives
Students who complete this course successfully should be able to:
- Define culture and describe its effects on communication in general, and in specific communication tasks;
- Understand the relationship between language and culture;
- Identify sources for learning about cultural priorities that affect business behavior;
- Appreciate models of intercultural communication;
- Understand the role and force of words in business communication with members of various cultures;
- Organize persuasive, routine, unwelcome and problem-solving messages with reference to cultural priorities;
- Understand the importance of channel choice for international business communication;
- Appreciate the role of nonverbal communication with people of other cultures, including paralanguage, eye contact, facial expression, gesture, timing, touch, space, appearance, and silence.
Evaluation
Attendance and Participation 50 pts
Quizzes (10 @5 pts each) 50
Cultural Metaphor Presentation& Report (individual) 50
Case / Article Guided Discussion& Report (group) 50
Midterm Exam 50
Group Role Play50
Collaborative Project Report 100
Collaborative Project Presentation 50
Final Exam 50
Total 500 Pts
Students shouldcomplete all work by the assigned due date. Grades will be assigned according to the following scale:
A / 94-100 %AB / 89-93 %
B / 82-88 %
BC / 75-81 %
C / 68-74 %
D / 61-67 %
F / 0-61 %
General Information
- Absences and late assignments will affect a student’s grade.
The course will be taught as a lecture-discussion with heavy emphasis on student participation. Students are expected to attend regularly and to prepare the assigned material. Students who miss more than two classes will automatically drop one letter grade (10%) from the final grade.
GB 320 – IB 320 Intercultural Business Communication
Class Schedule
Gesteland:Cross-Cultural Business Behavior, 5th ed.
Hofstede, Cultures and Organizations, Software of the Mind
RWC: Riding the Waves of Culture
Week 1
09/03 Introduction to the course, course requirements, assignments, grading policy, and self-introductions;
09/05 The Basics ofCulture;Gesteland,Chapters 1-3
Week 2 (Quiz 1)
09/10 Claude S. Fischer, “The Stories We Tell”; Gannon, “Understanding Cultural Metaphors”Cultural Metaphor Presentation assigned.
09/12 Edward Hall, “Context and Meaning;” “Monochronic and Polychronic Time”; Gesteland, Chapters 4 and 6
Week 3 (Quiz 2)
09/17 Susan Cain, “Soft Power: Asian Americans and the Extrovert Ideal”; Gesteland Chapters 7 and 8
09/19Hofstede, Chapter 1
Gannon, “The Canadian Backpack and Flag;”
Gannon, “American Football.”
Collaborative Project assigned. Groups assigned.
Week 4 (Quiz 3)
09/24 Hofstede, Chapter 3; Gesteland, Chapter 5; David Brooks, “The Inequality Map”
Gannon, “The Swedish Stuga;”
Gannon, “The Danish Christmas Luncheon.”
Group Case/Article Discussion Lead Assigned.
09/26 Hofstede, Chapter 4; Tim Doctoroff, “What the Chinese Want”
Gannon, “The Chinese Family Altar.”
Gannon, “China’s Great Wall and Cross-Cultural Paradox.”
Week 5(Quiz 4)
10/01 Hofstede, Chapter 5;Yum, “The Impact of Confucianism on Interpersonal Relationships andCommunication Patterns in East Asia”.
Case/Article: “Same Bed, Different Dreams: Morgan Stanley’s Joint Venture in
China” (Courses@bus);
10/03 Hofstede, Chapter 6; Jia,“The Chinese Conceptualizations of Face: Emotions, Communication and Personhood”
Case/Article: “Disagreement in Authentic Chinese-British Business Meetings: Unpackaging the Role of Culture” (Courses@bus);
Gannon, “The Thai Kingdom;”
Gannon, “The Singapore Hawker Centers.”
Week 6(Quiz 5)
10/8 Hofstede, Chapter 7;“The Japanese Style of Decision-Making in Business Organizations,” Kazuo Nishiyama;“Enculturation of Values in the Educational Setting: Japanese Group Orientation,” Edwin R. McDaniel and Eriko Katsumata;
Case/Article: “Litigation Isn’t the Japanese Way: Nippon Inc and Raleigh Ltd”
Gannon, “The Japanese Garden.”
10/10 Hofstede, Chapters 8 and 9
Case/Article “An English Teacher in South Korea”
Gannon,“Kimchi and Korea;”
Gannon, “The Malaysian Balik Kampung.” . .
Week 7 (Quiz 6)
10/15Suresh Gopalan and Angie Stahl, “Application of American Management Theories and Practices to the Indian Business Environment”
Elena Gorokhova. “From Russia with Lies.”
Gannon, “The Dance of Shiva”
Gannon, Israeli Kibbutzim and Moshavin”
Gannon, “The Russian Ballet.” Collaborative Project Proposal Due.
10/17Midterm Exam
Week 8 (Quiz 7)
10/22 “Dismantling Misconceptions about Islam in Egypt,” Polly A. Begley.
Thomas Friedman, “Tribes with Flags” and “Pray. Hope. Prepare”
Case/Article: “Inshallah”
Gannon, “Bedouin Jewelry and Saudi Arabia;”
Gannon, “The Turkish Coffeehouse.”
Group Role Play Topic Idea due.
10/24 RWCChapter 9
“A Brief Comparison and Analysis of German and American Business Cultures,” Mildred B. Hinner; Michael Lewis, “It’s the Economy Dummkopf!”
Case/Article: “Americans and Germans Working on a Project in a Team”
Gannon, “The German Symphony;”
Gannon, “Belgian Lace.”
Week 9 (Quiz 8)
10/29 RWC Chapters 5 and 6; Elaine Sciolino, “A Guide to the French: Handle with Care”
Gannon, “French Wine.”
Gannon “The Italian Opera.”
10/31 RWCChapter 7
Gannon, “Australian Outdoor Recreational Activities”
Gannon, “The Traditional British House;”
Gannon, “Irish Conversations.”
Week 10
11/05 Group Role Play
11/07 Group Role Play
Week 11
11/12 Group Role Play
11/14 RWC Chapter 8
Gannon, “The Spanish Bullfight;”
Gannon, “The Portuguese Bullfight.”
Gannon, “The Polish Village Church”
Week 12 (Quiz 9)
11/19 RWC Chapter 9: Lindsey , “U.S. Americans and Mexicans Working Together: Five
Core Mexican Concepts for Enhancing Effectiveness;”
Case/Article: “Tambrands: Overcoming Cultural Resistance”
Gannon, “The Mexican Fiesta.”
11/21 RWC Chapter 10
Case/Article: ‘Making Socially Responsible and Ethical Marketing Decisions:
Selling Tobacco to Third World Countries”
Gannon, “The Brazilian Samba.”
Week 13
11/26 Consultations on Collaborative Project Reports
T H A N K S G I V I N G B R E A K
Week 14 (Quiz 10)
12/03 Gesteland, Chapter 9
Miller, “Public Speaking Patterns in Kenya” (Courses@bus).
Gannon, “The Nigerian Marketplace;”
Gannon, “The Sub-Saharan African Bush Taxi.”
Collaborative Project Report due.
12/05 Collaborative ProjectGroup Presentations.
Week 15
12/10 Collaborative Project Group Presentations.
12/12 Collaborative Project Group Presentations.
The Final Exam is scheduled for December 19, 2013 at 7:45 AM
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