Intercultural Management

Syllabus

Thematic definition of lectures: Week 1: Beyond AI: Human Skills and Intercultural Management – The importance of human skills in the era of artificial intelligence; adaptability, critical thinking, empathy, and cultural intelligence; impact of digitalization on communication and collaboration; managing multicultural teams in a digital environment; linking technology and intercultural competencies; future managerial skills in a global context; practical examples from global companies. Week 2: Introduction to Intercultural Management – Definition and significance; historical development and globalization; cultural differences and their impact on managerial processes; cultural dimensions and classification of national cultures; organizational cultures and their interaction; challenges and opportunities in multicultural environments; cultural adaptation and managerial strategies; practical examples from global companies. Week 3: Intercultural Models I – Overview of fundamental cultural models in management; Hofstede’s dimensions and their application; Hall’s high- and low-context communication; impact of cultural differences on organizational behavior; interpretation of cultural profiles; practical implications for global enterprises; critique and limitations of traditional approaches; practical examples. Week 4: Intercultural Models II – Trompenaars’ cultural dimensions (universalism vs. particularism, individualism vs. collectivism, neutral vs. emotional relationships, specificity vs. diffuseness, achievement vs. ascription); time perspectives and environmental attitudes; Schwartz’s value model; GLOBE study: cultural clusters and leadership attributes; practical examples from global companies. Week 5: Intercultural Communication – Verbal, paraverbal, nonverbal, and extraverbal elements; language barriers, denotation and connotation; communication styles (direct vs. indirect, high-context vs. low-context cultures); lingua franca and its risks; nonverbal signals (proxemics, haptics, kinesics, oculesics, chronemics); communication in teams, business, and digital environments; intercultural competence as a foundation for success; practical examples. Week 6: Cultural Intelligence (CQ) – Definition and significance; four dimensions (metacognitive, cognitive, motivational, behavioral); measurement (self-assessment, 360° feedback, simulations); development (training, mentoring, VR/AR technologies); CQ in HRM (recruitment, onboarding, performance evaluation); links to leadership, innovation, and change management; barriers and future trends; practical examples. Week 7: Multicultural Teams – Definition and importance; typology (homogeneous, token, bicultural, multicultural teams); diversity as a source of creativity and a performance challenge; groupthink and its mitigation; conflicts and decision-making; language barriers and feedback; virtual teams – coordination and trust challenges; success factors (team selection, facilitation, shared goals); practical examples. Week 8: Motivation and HRM in Intercultural Management – Motivation theories across cultures (Maslow, McClelland, Herzberg, expectancy theory); HRM practices (recruitment, compensation, career development, feedback); global HRM (standardization vs. adaptation); cultural synergy and complementarity; practical examples. Week 9: Negotiation Across Cultures – Cultural noise and barriers to understanding; negotiation styles (individualism vs. collectivism, power distance, time orientation); relational vs. transactional focus; offer structures and multi-round negotiations; decision-making and risk acceptance; ethical dilemmas, face-saving, rituals, and symbolism; virtual negotiations and political pressures; practical examples. Week 10: Intercultural Decision-Making and Cognitive Biases – Cultural values and decision logic; decision-making models (bounded rationality, cultural contingency, hybrid approaches); cognitive biases (anchoring, confirmation, availability, groupthink, overconfidence); mitigation strategies (audits, scenario planning, data analytics, AI, behavioral nudges); ethical decision-making and crisis protocols; practical examples. Week 11: Intercultural Conflicts – Conflict typology (task, value, communication, structural); cultural factors in escalation (power distance, time orientation, emotional expressiveness); Thomas-Kilmann model and its global adaptation; risks of misusing conflict styles; value conflicts (CSR, ethical dilemmas, religious norms); mitigation mechanisms (mediation, cultural audits, flexible frameworks, leadership training). Week 12: Ethics, CSR, and Diversity – Ethical frameworks and cultural relativism; dilemmas in global business (gifts vs. bribery, labor standards, environmental compliance); CSR evolution from philanthropy to strategic sustainability; stakeholder approach and reporting (GRI, UN Global Compact); greenwashing risks and prevention; cultural perceptions of authenticity; diversity and inclusion policies; unconscious bias management; links to ESG, AI ethics, and global regulations. Week 13: Managerial Functions in an Intercultural Context – Planning, organizing, leading, and controlling: historical development and cultural adaptations; impact of cultural dimensions on planning styles, organizational structures, and leadership; global challenges (balancing standardization and flexibility, virtual teams, sustainability); future trends (AI, predictive analytics, agile models, inclusive leadership); integration of functions as a strategic necessity. Thematic definition of exercises: 1 week: Introduction to the course and the future of work after AI – Setting conditions for course completion, allocation of seminar paper topics. Discussion of student expectations. Worksheet “Post-AI” – reflection, resilient skills, linking five pillars to intercultural management. Flash presentation: “What humans do vs. what artificial intelligence does” – team creativity, critical thinking, adaptability. Week 2: Intercultural Management: Values, Dilemmas, and Stereotypes – Discussion on universalism and relativism in global management. Analysis of ethical dilemmas – conflict between global standards and local norms. Cultural stereotypes and their impact on managerial decision-making. Worksheet: practice scenarios, group reflection. Creation of a cultural profile of a country based on Hofstede’s dimensions, comparison of differences and their impact on collaboration. Week 3: Cultural Models and Team Dynamics – Understanding cultural differences through Hall, Kluckhohn–Strodtbeck, and Hofstede models. Discussion on context, value orientations, and cultural dimensions. Critical evaluation of strengths and weaknesses of models. Managerial implications: communication, leadership, HR strategies. Practical activities: analysis of communication styles, creation of team cultural profile, Hofstede radar chart, recommendations for global teams. Presentation of seminar paper. Week 4: Cultural Models II: Trompenaars, Schwartz, GLOBE – Discussion on practical frameworks for cultural analysis and their application in intercultural management. Value orientations and cultural dilemmas: universalism vs. particularism, egalitarianism vs. hierarchy, autonomy vs. embeddedness. Interpretation of differences between values and practices according to the GLOBE study. Managerial implications: adapting leadership, communication, and motivation styles in multicultural teams. Practical activities: solving cultural dilemmas in negotiations, creating a value map based on Schwartz’s model, comparing GLOBE dimensions for selected countries, recommendations for global teams. Presentation of seminar paper. Week 5: Cultural Clusters and Intercultural Communication – Understanding cultural clusters and their significance for global collaboration. Discussion on similarities and differences between clusters and their impact on communication, negotiation, and trust-building. Analysis of real situations where cultural norms cause misunderstandings. Managerial implications: effective communication, adaptation of interaction style. Discussion: How to adapt verbal and nonverbal communication in a multicultural team? Mini-workshop: design recommendations for improving intercultural communication in specific situations. Presentation of seminar paper. Week 6: Cultural Intelligence (CQ) in Practice – Understanding the concept of cultural intelligence and its four dimensions. Discussion on how CQ influences success in international projects, team leadership, and negotiation. Analysis of real scenarios from global organizations, identification of strengths and weaknesses of CQ, and proposal of improvement recommendations. Group work with scenarios including 2–3 recommendations for improvement. Mini-workshop: design of training measures to increase CQ in international projects. Reflection: How to develop personal cultural intelligence in everyday managerial practice? Presentation of seminar paper. Week 7: Multicultural Teams in Global Management – First mid-term test. Analysis of multicultural team scenarios, including 2–3 recommendations for improving team effectiveness. Mini-workshop: design of facilitation and training measures to increase cultural intelligence (CQ) and inclusive leadership in multicultural teams. Reflection: How to use diversity as a source of creativity and innovation? What steps can a manager take to balance power and support team identity? Presentation of seminar paper. Week 8: Motivation and HRM in Intercultural Context – Discussion on adapting Western motivation theories (Maslow, McClelland, Herzberg, expectancy theory) to the global environment. Mini-debate: Maslow across cultures. Quick solutions: recruitment dilemmas. Analysis of cultural dilemmas in HRM (AI support). Mini-workshop: design of inclusive HRM measures for global teams (compensation, career paths). Reflection: What are the risks of excessive standardization in global HRM? Presentation of seminar paper. Week 9: Negotiation Across Cultures – Discussion on how cultural values, communication styles, hierarchy, time orientation, and ethical dilemmas shape negotiation strategies. Analysis of real cases. Identification of cultural noise. Assigning negotiation styles to cultures. Mini-workshop: design of strategy for virtual negotiation across cultures (how to address limited nonverbal signals, building trust online). Discussion: How to resolve conflicts and maintain “face” in high-context cultures? What are the risks of misinterpreting the first offer? Reflection: How can cultural mistakes become learning opportunities? Presentation of seminar paper. Week 10: Intercultural Decision-Making and Cognitive Biases – Uncovering biases – scenario analysis and identification of cognitive biases present. Mapping cultural decision-making – comparing decision-making styles in three cultures, discussion on how these differences affect global teamwork. Debate on case study (Unilever) on global brand standardization, local adaptation, and proposal of a hybrid solution. Mini-workshop: design of a structured framework to reduce biases (checklists, team diversity, data analysis). Discussion: How do cultural norms amplify cognitive biases and why is groupthink more likely in collectivist cultures? Presentation of seminar paper. Week 11: Intercultural Conflicts – Identification of conflict triggers – scenario analysis, determination of key factors, and proposal of preventive measures. Mapping conflict styles – application of the TKI model to a selected scenario, justification of chosen conflict resolution style. Debate on CSR-related conflict – discussion on global standards vs. local norms, proposal of a compromise solution. Discussion: impact of communication styles, hierarchy, and cultural values on conflict escalation; linking value conflicts to reputational risk. Reflection: importance of cultural intelligence and mediation in resolving intercultural disputes. Presentation of seminar paper. Week 12: Intercultural Ethics, CSR, and Diversity – Second mid-term test. Ethical dilemmas in global business – scenario analysis (gifts vs. bribery, labor standards, confidentiality, environmental norms, harassment) and proposal of solutions. CSR strategies – assessment of authenticity vs. greenwashing, analysis of real cases. Diversity and inclusion in global teams – discussion on barriers, proposal of measures to improve collaboration and inclusive environment. Reflection: importance of cultural sensitivity, responsible leadership, and transparency for organizational trust and reputation. Presentation of seminar paper. Week 13: Managerial Functions in Intercultural Context – Global planning – design of an adaptive plan for a multinational initiative using cultural dimensions, definition of objectives, time horizon, risk approach, and KPIs. Organization and leadership – creation of organizational structure and leadership style reflecting cultural context, communication plan, and inclusive measures. Control and staffing – design of a culturally sensitive performance evaluation and talent management system, bias mitigation measures, legal and ethical considerations. Presentation of seminar paper. Evaluation of student work during the semester and awarding of continuous assessment points.