BUSINESS FACULTY

Course Study Guide

201415
International Business and International MBA

Managing and Leading People across

Cultural Borders
INDU 1033
Level 7: 15 credits

Contents
1.

WELCOME ........................................................................................................................................... 3

2.

INTRODUCTION TO THE COURSE........................................................................................................... 4

3.

2.1

AIMS ................................................................................................................................................ 4

2.2

LEARNING OUTCOMES ........................................................................................................................... 5

2.3

LEARNING AND TEACHING ACTIVITIES .......................................................................................................... 5

2.4

EXPECTED STUDY TIME ........................................................................................................................... 6

CONTACT DETAILS ................................................................................................................................ 7

3.1

4.

EXTERNAL EXAMINING OF YOUR COURSE AND PROGRAMMES OF STUDY ............................................................... 7

COURSE CONTENT AND DESIGN............................................................................................................ 8

4.1

PLANNED TERM DATES: ......................................................................................................................... 8

4.2

SESSION PLAN ..................................................................................................................................... 9

4.3

SESSION REQUIRED READING ................................................................................................................. 10

MORE RELEVANT READING: .................................................................................................. 10

5.

ASSESSMENT DETAILS ........................................................................................................................ 13

5.1

SUMMARY OF ASSESSMENT ................................................................................................................... 13

5.2

RULES FOR ANONYMOUS SUBMISSION AND MARKING: ................................................................................... 13

5.3

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ASSESSMENT .................................................................................................... 13

- Team Presentation and Group (Written) Report .................................................................................. 13

- Individual report ............................................................................................................................... 15
6.

OTHER DETAILS .................................................................................................................................. 17

INDU 1033, Managing and Leading People across Cultural Borders 2014-15
2

1.

Welcome

Welcome to Managing and Leading People Across Cultural Borders (INDU 1033). This course brings
together knowledge which enables a critical analysis of the issues and contexts relating to
management and doing business across cultures. We will explore aspects of national cultures and of
cultural diversity, and we will critically evaluate relevant academic research in the area of crosscultural management to underpin the practical and applied work.
Although there is a need to acquire and adopt practical knowledge on various national cultures, the
course, as it is delivered at a postgraduate level, implies that students deliver work at a high academic
level. Substantial reading of journals and other academic sources is a key requirement for passing this
course successfully. Evidence from the course in the past, however, has also shown that students may
perform well and at the same time enjoy the course, because of its high relevance for current business
and generally internationally operating organisations, like multinationals, supranational bodies of
governance and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs). Furthermore, for many of our students the
course has a particular relevance because they have already a practical experience of living, studying
and, quite frequently, also working in another culture and therefore continuously being confronted
with other cultures.

The course is delivered to various postgraduate programmes, like the MA and MBA International
Business and MA International HRM. The course is part of these programmes as managing across
cultures is extremely relevant for both international business and the International HR-policy of
companies. The course looks at both general aspects of international business and HRM. HRM aspects
will be dealt with as HRM, and also International HRM, becomes ever more a strategic asset of
organisations and both general managers and HRM-professionals have a role to play with the
development and implementation of policies regarding cross-cultural management.
Students are also encouraged to search for the linkage with acquired knowledge from other fields of
international business, like business strategy. As the way people from diverse cultural backgrounds
may be crucial for the success or failure of mergers and generally doing business across borders, the
diversity of cultures is, or should be a key aspect of the strategy of companies in the current business
world.
This document outlines the courses main features and provides you with the key information you
need during the course. However, if you need any information about the course please do not hesitate
to contact me. I am very excited by this subject, as it enhances our understanding of the globalised
world we currently live in, and look forward to lecturing on this course. On behalf of the team of
lecturers and tutors I wish you an enjoyable and interesting time.

Dr. Ulke Veersma

E-mail: vu01@gre.ac.uk

INDU 1033, Managing and Leading People across Cultural Borders 2014-15
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2.

Introduction to the Course

Managing and Leading People Across Cultural Borders examines the differences between cultures,
their relation with business and working in organisations and the way people from various cultures
communicate and interact. The topic is most relevant for the management of culturally diverse
organisations. Managing across cultures is a major theme for business as the workforce of
organisations becomes more varied in terms of culture, language and religion. Another major issue for
modern organisations is internal and external communication. The meaning of information is different
in the context of diverse cultural settings and problems may occur since the meaning of what is
communicated is different for different people with various backgrounds. Also, the underlying values
of various cultures may be different, which may lead to misunderstanding and may, hence, cause
conflicts between various actors. In sum, organisations underperform and may suffer from conflicts
when the variety of cultures is neglected. Therefore, various aspects of culture and their impact on
working in organisations will be explored.
The success of managers is usually dependent on their sensitivity and open-mindedness to accept and
value aspects of other cultures which may be unfamiliar to them. Instead of looking at it as a threat
cultural diversity may be looked at as an asset. What is even more crucial for our understanding is the
fact that cultural diversity, and the living and working in another culture, exposes us to new insights
and ideas from divergent perspectives.
You are encouraged to reflect on such issues from a theoretical perspective, but also from your
personal experience. Your attitudes and behaviour towards other cultures will be discussed in class
where feedback will be given on the various ways of looking at managing and leading people across
cultures.
Students are expected to take responsibility for their learning and to mix with other students from the
very start of the course. I also expect you to attend all timetabled teaching periods, to read and
prepare carefully and to take special note of assessment deadlines. A very important part of any
Masters programme, especially for this course, is the interaction and discussion between students and
staff and the sharing of life experience. Please ensure that you fully involve yourself in discussion. Not
involving yourself in discussion will waste a valuable opportunity for your learning and personal
development and deprives others in the class from a full learning experience.

2.1

Aims

The course intends to prepare students for responsibility for leading, managing and developing people
within an organisation at either operational, tactical or a more strategic level. It explores major
contemporary research evidence, with a focus on the links between effective people management and
development and positive organisational outcomes.

INDU 1033, Managing and Leading People across Cultural Borders 2014-15
4

This course examines the wider perspectives of people in organisations operating globally. This
includes the examining of differences between national cultures and the effects of national cultures
and cultural diversity on major organisational management processes.

2.2

Learning Outcomes

On completion of the course successfully, students will be able to:

-

2.3

Critically evaluate various perspectives on national and organisational cultures and their
contributions to understanding various layers of cultures;
Critique cultural biases within existing HRM and organisational practices;
Identify cultural influences on management practices regarding communication,
negotiating, motivating, leadership and ethics in organisations;
Critically assess policies of diversity and their impact on organisations and individuals;

Learning and teaching activities

The course is structured around a programme of regular content, self study and case analysis. The
course will follow a standard format of a one hour lecture followed by a tutorial. Material for the
tutorials will either be available on moodle or will be brought to class. Lecture slides and supporting
materials will be also available on moodle. The schedule below gives an indication of the subjects
covered in each session.
The course will attempt to take into account topical events and the current news agenda so new
subjects may be introduced as the course is delivered or the subjects below given a different context.
In particular, the course is designed to be receptive to what is happening in the world especially in
business - and the interests and needs of the students. At least one guest lecture will be delivered as a
way to explore cross-cultural issues that may be more practical and involve experience from crosscultural consultancy. At the same time, students will be expected to read widely. Students are also
expected to engage and participate fully in debates and discussion. They should come fully prepared to
tutorials ready to play an active part. Each tutorial will focus on the theme of the previous lecture so
that students have time to prepare. Students are therefore expected to read as widely as they can
from the key text(s) and journal articles. They are also expected to bring cases to class.
Active participation in the programme and willingness to undertake reading and research between
classes is essential. Students should aim to develop a portfolio of useful background information from
books and journals including also articles from newspapers, magazines and journals and useful
websites, as well as real-life situations, so that these can be shared with others in the tutorial.
At the start of the programme, students will be asked to form groups of up to five members. This
group will become the core focus of active learning and participation. Each team will be responsible for
presenting a case of a company operating across borders where cross-cultural issues are involved. One
of the core notions behind Managing and Leading People across Cultural Borders is that national
cultures impact on various aspects of companies, how they are structured, how they are managed and
INDU 1033, Managing and Leading People across Cultural Borders 2014-15
5

how people interact and communicate. The interaction between individuals from various cultures,
with different, possibly conflicting norms and values and approaches to management and
organization, may cause problems for the effectiveness of the performance of the organisation and the
operating of the workforce.
Students are expected to explore these issues and present the case to the class, while the questions
and comments may lead to further discussion and hopefully helps to fully utilise experiences from the
class to deepen knowledge and understanding. The suggested length of the presentation is 20
minutes. The presentation is the basis for the group assignment, which is the first piece of coursework
to be submitted during the term see assessment details.
More guidance on the assignment will be provided in class mainly the tutorials where more attention
will be given to the requirements and expectations with regard to the approach with the analysis of
cultures and their impact on organisations and the behaviour of individuals working in organisations.

2.4

Expected study time

Activity

Hours

Overall percentage of total

Scheduled teaching

24

18 %

Guided Independent Study

126

84 %

Total

150

100 %

INDU 1033, Managing and Leading People across Cultural Borders 2014-15
6

3.

Contact Details
Room

Email address

Phone number

QA 1.59

Vu01@gre.ac.uk

0208 3319132

Dr. Crystal Tsay

QA 1.59

th23@gre.ac.uk

0208 3319885

Dr. Antoinette St. Hilaire

QA 2.40

sa50@gre.ac.uk

0208 3318415

Programme Coordinator:

QA155

Da72@gre.ac.uk

0208 3318356

Course Leader:
Dr. Ulke Veersma
Tutors

Alison Draper

Please see your programme handbook for more detail

3.1

External Examining of Your Course and Programmes of Study

External examining at the University of Greenwich provides one of the principal means whereby the
University verifies, maintains, and enhances the academic standards of the courses and the
programme on which you are studying. They also help the University to ensure that your assessment
processes are sound, fairly operated and in line with the policies and regulations of the University of
Greenwich.
External examiners - academic staff from other Higher Education Institutions or from the professions are appointed as reviewers of your courses and your programme of study for a period of 4 years. They
provide the University with a number of important services. For example external examiners will

Review and comment on the standard of key elements of assessment that you have been set.
Review samples of student work and confirm whether the standard is at the level expected for
the award you are studying and whether it is comparable with other Institutions that they know.
Provide the University with an independent view of how well we conduct our processes for
marking and internal moderation of assessments.
Attend Progress and Awards Boards (PABs) and contribute to deliberations for conferring your
degree classifications and awards, assisting the University in treating all students fairly and
consistently with regard to our regulations. External examiners will endorse the outcomes of

INDU 1033, Managing and Leading People across Cultural Borders 2014-15
7

PABs based on their scrutiny of the assessments and the deliberations of the PAB. No degree
award can be made without the assent of an external examiner.
Report formally their findings to the University at the end of each year and identify our good
practice as well as making recommendations for improvements in the future.

External examiner reports for your programme of study can be obtained electronically by request to
the Academic Quality Unit. Your local Academic Quality Unit Manager is: John Melton,
J.G.Melton@greenwich.ac.uk

If you want to request a report for the last year, please state the programme on which you are
registered in your request. Undergraduate reports are usually available from 1st September,
Postgraduate reports later, usually November/December.

The external examiner for this course is:

Name: Mrs. Jill Collinson
University/College (formerly): University of Lincoln

4.

Course Content and Design

4.1

Planned Term Dates:

First Week (induction)

Term One Teaching block (university weeks 2 13)
Bank Holidays:
University closed:
Term Two Teaching block (university weeks 18-29)
Bank Holidays:
University closed:

15.09.14 21.09.14
22.09.14 08.12.14
25.12.14, 26.12.14, 01.01.15
from 12.30 pm 24.12.14,
reopens 02.01.15
12.01.15 02.04.15
03.04.15, 06.04.15, 04.05.15
from 9:00 pm(?) 02.04.15, reopens 07.04.15

Please note these dates are correct at time of publication please check for updates at:
http://www2.gre.ac.uk/current-students/term_dates?result_899512_result_page=1

INDU 1033, Managing and Leading People across Cultural Borders 2014-15
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4.2

Session Plan
Term One

Wk
2

Lecture

Lecture

Seminars

Seminars

Lecture
Seminars

6
7

Lecture

Exercise with various cultures

Various approaches to culture
Come to class with a case: selection for the presentation in
class
Cross-cultural comparison: East and West

Seminars

Assumptions on national cultures and organisations:

discussion

Lecture

Research: preparation for assignment 1

Seminars

Tutor available for advice

The structure of organisations and multinationals

Lecture

Seminars

Session Title and Description

Course introduction
Group allocation
Theories of cultures and the meaning of culture

Lecture

Recruitment exercise: Who to Hire?

International HRM and issues of management and motivation

Reading to complete

Schneider and Barsoux: Ch. 1

& 2. Thomas: Ch. 3; Branine:
Ch. 3

Schneider and Barsoux: Ch. 3

& 4. Thomas: Ch. 4 (pp. 71-86

Schneider & Barsoux: Ch. 3

(p. 58-61) & Ch. 10. Thomas:
Ch. 5
Preparation by searching
website Geert Hofstede:
www.geert-hofstede.com
Progress on coursework

Schneider & Barsoux: Ch. 4

Thomas: Ch. 9

Schneider & Barsoux: Ch. 6

Thomas: Ch. 4 (pp. 87-89)
and Ch. 7 and Ch. 6 (pp. 117136)

Seminars

Who to Hire: continued

Material in class

Lecture

MNCs and national cultures: the case of Sony Electronics

guest lecture

Schneider & Barsoux: Ch. 2

(p. 43-48) & 5
Thomas: Ch. 6

10

Seminars

Case study multinationals home country and host

countries

Material in class

Lecture

Communication and cross-cultural negotiations

Schneider & Barsoux: C h. 8;

Thomas: Ch. 8

11

Seminars

Activity: Developing cross-cultural effectiveness

Material in class

Lecture

International teams and developing cross-cultural

relationships

Schneider & Barsoux: Ch. 7

Case expatriates and cultural intelligence

Data to be collected by
students on diversity policies

Seminars

Thomas: Ch. 10 & 11

INDU 1033, Managing and Leading People across Cultural Borders 2014-15
9

12

Lecture

Cultural diversity and HRM

Schneider & Barsoux: Ch. 9

Thomas: Ch. 11

13

Seminars

Exercise: the diverse organization

Lecture

The future of cross-cultural management and (female) expats

Seminars

Data collected by students *

* week 11: students will collect data on diversity policies of companies. The outcomes to be
discussed in class
Elements to consider and compare between companies: explicit/implicit policies, type of sector and
size of the company. Types of diversity - ethnicity, gender, age etc. addressed and approaches
(fighting discrimination, inclusive policy and formal/informal policies), and HRM policy and
implementation issues.

4.3

Session Required Reading

Weeks required Reference

for completion:
See the overview Schneider, Susan C, and Jean-Louis Barsoux (2003), Managing across Cultures. 2nd
of lectures above Ed. FT Prentice Hall, London (Essential)
Thomas, David C., and Mark F. Peterson (2015), Cross-Cultural Management:
Essential Concepts. Third Edition. Sage, London. (Essential)
Branine, Mohamed (2011), Managing across Cultures. Concepts, policies and
practices. Sage, London
Browaeys, Marie-Joelle (2011), Understanding Cross-Cultural Management. 2nd Ed.
FT Prentice Hall,
More relevant reading:
Albrecht, Maryann H. (2000), International HRM: Managing Diversity in the Workplace.
London: Blackwell.
Adler, Nancy J. (2007), International Dimensions of Organizational Behaviour, 5th ed. London:
Cengage Learning.
Beamer, Iris & Varner, Linda (2004), Inter-cultural Communication in the Global Workplace, 3rd
ed. London: McGraw Hill.
Browaeys, Marie-Jolle & Price, Roger, Understanding Cross-Cultural Management. London: FT
Prentice Hall.
Caligiuri, Paula, David Lepak and Jaime Bonache (2010), Manaaing the Global Workforce.
Chicester: John Wiley & sons.
INDU 1033, Managing and Leading People across Cultural Borders 2014-15
10

Deresky, Helen (2008), International Management: Managing Across Borders and Cultures, 6th
ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Dowling, Peter J. (2008), International Human Resource Management: Managing People in a
Multinational, 5th ed. London: Cengage Learning.
Earley, P. Christopher & Singh Harbir (eds.) (2000), Innovations in International and Crosscultural Management, London: Sage.
Edfeldt, Ralph B. (2010), Global Comparative Management. A Functional Approach. London:
Sage.
Elashmawi, Farid (2001), Competing Globally: Mastering Multicultural Management and
Negotiations. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann.
Francesco, Anne Marie & Gold, Barry A. (2005), International Organizational Behavior: Text,
Readings, Cases and Skills, 2nd ed. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall.
French, Ray (2010), Cross-Cultural Management. London: CIPD. 2nd Edition.
Gannon, Martin J. & Newman, Karen L. (2001), The Blackwell Handbook of Cross-Cultural
Management, London: Blackwell.
Gannon, Martin J. and Rajnandini Pillai (2013), Understanding Global Cultures. Metaphorical
Journeys Through 31 Nations, Clusters of Nations, Continents, and Diversity. London: Sage.
Fifth Edition.
Gooderham, Paul & Nordhaug, Odd (2003), International Management: Cross- Boundary
Challenges. London: Blackwell.
Granrose, Cherlyn S. & Oskamp, Stuart (1997), Cross-cultural Work Groups, London: Sage.
Guirdham, Maureen (2005), Communicating Across Cultures at Work, 2nd ed. London, Palgrave
Macmillan.
Hall, Edward T., & Hall, Mildred R. (1990), Understanding Cultural Differences: Germans,
French and Americans. Yarmouth, ME: Intercultural Press.
Harris, Philip R., Moran, Robert T., & Moran, Sarah V. (2004), Managing Cultural Differences:
Global Leadership Strategies for the 21st Century, 6th ed. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann.
Hofstede, Geert (2003), Cultures Consequences: Comparing Values, Behaviors, Institutionsand
Organisations Across Nations, 2nd ed. London: Sage.
Hofstede, Geert (2004), Cultures and Organizations: Software for the Mind, 2nd ed. London:
Palgrave McGraw Hill.
Inglehart, Ronald (1997), Modernization and Postmodernization: Cultural, Economic, and
Political Change in 43 Societies, Princeton, NJ, Princeton University Press.
Jackson, Terrence (2002), International HRM: A Cross-Cultural Approach, London: Sage.
Jandt, Fred E. (2010), An Introduction to Intercultural Communication: Identities in a Global
Community, 6th ed. London: Sage.
Kramar, Robin, and Jawad Syed (2012), Human Resource Management in a Global Context. A
Critical Approach. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Lane, Henry W., Di Stefano, Joseph J., & Maxnevski, Martha L. (2000), International
Management Behaviour: Text, Readings and Cases, 4th ed., London, Blackwell.
Lane, Henry W., Maznevski, Martha L, Mendenhall, Mark E., & McNett, Jeanne (2006), The
Blackwell Handbook of Global Management, 2nd ed. London: Blackwell.
Lewis, R.D. (2005), When Cultures Collide: Leading across Cultures, Nicholas Brealey Publishing.
3rd Ed.
Luthans, Fred & Doh, Jonathan P. (2009) International Management, 7th ed.
Mead, Richard (2005), International Management: Cross-Cultural Dimensions, 3rd ed. Oxford:
Blackwell. London: Palgrave McGraw Hill.
Mole, John (2003), Mind your manners. Managing business cultures in Europe, 3rd ed. London:
Nicholas Brealey Publishing.
Peng, Mike W. (2009), Global Business. London: Cengage Learning.

INDU 1033, Managing and Leading People across Cultural Borders 2014-15
11

Ricks, David (2006), Blunders in International Business, 4th ed., London: Blackwell.
Samovar, Larry A., & Porter, Richard E. (1999), Intercultural Communication: A Reader, 9th ed.
Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Scollon, Ron & Scollon, Suzanne Wong (2000), Intercultural Communication: A Discourse
Approach. London: Blackwell. 2nd ed.
Smith, Peter B., Bond, Michael H., & Kgitibasi, igdem (2006), Understanding Social
Psychology Across Cultures: Living and Working in a Changing World. London: Sage.
Tayeb, Monir H. (1996), The Management of a Multicultural Workforce. Chichester: Wiley.
Terpstra, Vern, & David, Kenneth (1985), The cultural environment of international business.
Cincinnati, OH: South-Western.
Trompenaars, Fons & Hampden-Turner, Charles (2000), Riding the Waves of Culture:
Understanding Cultural Diversity in Business. London: Nicholas Brealey. 2nd ed.
Ward, Colleen, Bochner, Stephen, & Furnham, Adrian (2001), The Psychology of Culture Shock.
London: Routledge.
Wood, G., C. Brewster and M. Brookes (eds.) (2014), Human Resource Management and the
Institutional Perspective. New York: Taylor and Francis.

Journals - Leading current thinking on cross-cultural management can be found in recent issues of:

Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources

British Journal of Management
Communication Research
Cross-Cultural Management
European Journal of Management
Global Business Review
Harvard Business Review
International Business Review
International Journal of Human Resource Management
International Journal of Cross-Cultural Management
International Journal of Intercultural Relations
International Journal of Public Sector Management
International Small Business Journal
Journal of Business Ethics
Journal of International Business Studies
Journal of International Management

INDU 1033, Managing and Leading People across Cultural Borders 2014-15
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5.

Assessment Details

5.1

Summary of assessment

Assessment Title

Length

Due Date

Written report

Weight
towards
final grade
30 %

2,800

Individual report

70 %

2,100

5.11.14
at 3 PM
10.12.14
at 3-PM

5.2

Anonymous
Submission
Required?
Yes

Anticipated Header
Return
Sheet
Date
number
26.11.14

Yes

12.01.15

Rules for anonymous submission and marking:

From 2014/15 the University will move as far as practicable to anonymous marking as research shows
that this is the fairest and most equitable approach.
Therefore, unless instructed by the course leader to use a non-anonymous approach for a particular
reason, you are required to ensure you do not include your name anywhere on your work, i.e. it must
not appear on the front of the document, in the text, in headers and footers etc. In addition, you must
ensure that the file that you upload is only identified by ID number and does not have a name that can
identify you.
When you upload in TurnItIn you will be asked to give your submission a title again DO NOT use your
own name in this title.
The Business Faculty has made allowances that some assignment topics will not be submitted
anonymously; this includes some portfolios and all final year dissertations/projects. If you are in
doubt, please talk to your course leader.
There is more guidance in your Programme Handbook.

5.3

Detailed description of assessment

- Team Presentation and Group (Written) Report

During the start of the course small student teams will be formed. Each team will be responsible for
presenting a case of a company operating across borders where cross-cultural issues are involved. One
of the core notions behind Managing and Leading People across Cultural Borders is that national
cultures impact on various aspects of organisations, how they are structured, how they are managed
and how people interact and communicate. Explore issues that could be caused by different, possibly
conflicting norms and values and approaches to management and organisation. The suggested length
of the presentation is 20 minutes.
The purpose of the presentation is to convey the key message of your presentation and you should not
read large amounts of text to the audience. You should research the case by using various sources. You
are expected to target possible problems you could expect when looking at the various cultures where
the company operates. Your experience or indirect experiences from others may be the start of an
analysis or reported problems, like when companies face problems with mergers and acquisitions
INDU 1033, Managing and Leading People across Cultural Borders 2014-15
13

across borders. Most relevant is furthermore to take into account the countries and cultures where
the company operates. As there is evidence that the effectiveness of mergers and the performance of
multinationals operating in various countries is higher when there is a match between cultures
involved and there is not a huge gap between these cultures, it is most crucial to make assumptions
about the type of problems that could come up in the case at hand and the best way to solve such
problems.
After every presentation, the group will receive informal feedback, both on the contents of the case
and the presentation itself the way in which the message is conveyed and the way the audience is
involved and liveliness of the appearance. The discussion in class should help to identify the main
problems and critically discuss possible recommendations to the management and other actors. After
the presentation and the feedback received a report will be written and submitted as group work,
which is the group report. The mark for the work will reflect both the written assignment and the
quality of the presentation. The combined mark will therefore only be provided AFTER the written
work is marked.
The written report prepared by your team needs to:

briefly (!) describe the case and the various cultures involved and analyse two national cultures
involved. Do not extensively elaborate the business case but rather focus on different cultures
involved and how problems caused by these differences could be dealt with;
Theories on national and organisational culture: critically compare different perspectives on
culture possibly both on the perspective on national and organisational culture and the
application in terms of HRM and leading employees across cultural borders;
Analyse the case presented in terms of various approaches to teamwork and the way
employees communicate dependent on their cultural background;
Looking at specific cultures: how could a specific MNC manage those differences taking into
account the above?
Conclude by giving a short reflection on how you worked as a team also addressing
differences in preferences of team members which may be linked to various national cultural
backgrounds. Different experiences should be taken into account when writing this section for
the team.

The report should demonstrate wide research on cultural issues and differences between national
cultures. It should demonstrate academic writing skills, including appropriate referencing, and the
report should contain a correct list of references with relevant academic articles especially from
academic journals.
Most important is, however, developing a critical argument by comparing various approaches and
looking at the different angles of the argument. This refers, especially, the relevance for specific
businesses like the case presented and discussed. It should be underlined that the focus will not be on
the particular case in terms of international business, but rather the way which cultures may impact
the case. As it is an exercise on cultures, where the student is expected to demonstrate understanding
in the potential impact of cultures on organisations, it is not needed to analyse extensively the
business results in terms of strategy, sector and financial performance. At this stage you are not
expected to analyse such data. Instead we expect you to inform the reader on the type of problems
you could expect to be related with the diversity of cultures and the way the organisation could
INDU 1033, Managing and Leading People across Cultural Borders 2014-15
14

address such problems. You should especially address the cultures involved, and problems involved
with their interaction, and show understanding of how this could impact the organisation.

Individual report

For this assignment you need to demonstrate understanding of theories and research on cultures and
the operating of multinational companies given the differences in cultures involved with the
operations of the company. Drawing from academic theories you will also demonstrate understanding
of the literature on multinationals, their policies regarding managing and leading people across
cultural borders and the way individuals could be recruited and make progress by adding various
cultural experiences. Take into account the way in which cultural intelligence could be beneficial for
both business (companies) and their employees.
Critical analysis of theory and research
At the start you should take an academic perspective, analyse and critique the models of cultural
approaches as developed by the most influential researchers on national cultures, like Hofstede and
Trompenaars as tools for increased understanding of doing business in and between various cultures.
You are expected to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the various approaches selected.
Critically discuss and compare the different models and research, where you have a wide choice from
authors like Hofstede, Trompenaars, but also others like Hall, Inglehart, Adler, the European values
study and the GLOBE project etc. Issues to consider are the way national cultures are addressed in
their own right or also in a universalist way comparing values and norms involved and the way
perceptions are looked at as individual characteristics or the outcomes of socialisation processes. With
the critical analysis you also have to consider the implications for business and the way individuals
operate or could operate across cultural borders.
Multinationals and the role of expats
Your next task is to assess the policies multinationals could adopt to select the employees they need,
looking at various policies of multinationals with regard to the home-country and host-countries
where they operate. Possible options for HRM should be discussed in terms of recruitment, training
and other activities to prepare employees for expatriate assignments. Explain, based upon articles
from academic journals, how companies (could) prepare and support expatriates and their relatives
with training, the reward and other aspects of working in another country or culture.
The following should be considered:

Explain how expatriates could be prepared on the basis of one or more relevant concepts from
the course;
How could expatriates adapt to other cultures and improve the management of organisations
(e.g., cultural awareness, resolving ethical dilemmas) make managerial decisions and
communicate across and between various cultures?
What is most crucial for individuals with the ambition for an international career and what is
the relevance of cultural intelligence for an expat operating across cultural borders?

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Critically evaluate this concept in terms of systematical and adequate evaluation of cultural
skills of employees;
Last, but not least: how can multi-cultural awareness be raised and the impact of stereotyping
be decreased?

Support your reasoning with evidence from readings and relevant academic journal articles. While
many relevant textbooks could be consulted, students should be most cautious about using references
from the internet.

Requirements
1. Write your answers in proper academic style - particularly ensuring you use third person
narrative -, Harvard-style in-text citation and referencing with a correct list of references.
2. If you paraphrase (i.e. rewrite any materials in your own words), you must identify the original
source. You must demonstrate evidence of extensive research into the topic.
3. Some useful information may be retrieved from the internet. However, work at postgraduate level
of academic study should not contain material from the internet as this is unreliable in most cases
and often concerns obscure information. Only in cases where websites contain reliable information
students are allowed to include websites as their source of information.
4. For the individual project, utilise a sufficient number of academic-style resources (e.g. textbooks,
books and journals) to support your points and try to ensure that you use no or only a small number
of internet sources. Please note how many marks are allocated for academic and theoretical
content.
5. For the team presentation and report, you are more likely to find also relevant information from
other sources, such as sites for business and management. Consult also the general business papers
like The Financial Times or The Economist. Be sure to use information from legitimate news media
sites rather than from blogs, social networking sites, and other personal accounts.
6. Note that the required word limit for your assignments excludes the cover page, reference list and
any footnotes or appendices.

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Marking criteria
Marks
allocated
to criteria:
Contents
Does the report or essay set up a clear main question to address? Is there evidence of
understanding the topic?
Argument
Is there a clear and sound argument? Is there evidence of critical and independent thinking?
Synthesis
Does the report bring together the literature in a significant and coherent manner? Is there
evidence of substantial research?
Clarity of structure
Is the paper well organised and logically constructed to achieve a comprehensive piece of
writing while being mindful of the needs of the reader?
Presentation, referencing and spelling
Is the paper clearly written, spell checked and grammatically sound and referenced
appropriately?

6.

20
30
20
10
20

Other Details

The majority of information relevant to you while you study at the University has been brought
together into your programme handbook. Please refer to your programme handbook for any further
information you might require including:

How to submit assignments,

Deadlines and extenuating circumstances,

Plagiarism and referencing,

Who to go to for advice or if you are concerned,

How to provide us with feedback,

Key administrative procedures.

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