Understanding Culture

This course aims to develop your understanding of culture and its importance in business strategy, leadership, and innovation. The course will examine how cultural differences shape business activities, organizational and corporate cultures and identities, intercultural communication, and culture and leadership.

Topics may include:

• Navigating international workplaces and cultural differences
• Strategy and culture
• Organizational cultures and identities
• Culture, leadership and innovation
• Intercultural communication
• Globalization and financialization
• Technology and culture
• Sustainability
• Ethics
• Prejudice and stereotyping

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

• Define key concepts, such as culture, cultural difference, cultural diversity, and organizational culture
• Evaluate different approaches to understanding and studying cultures (national, organizational, etc.)
• Explain key concepts, models, and theories in the literature on culture and strategy; culture and leadership, culture and innovation.
• Analyze one’s own and others’ attitudes and reactions to different cultures
• Explain the role of ethics in the context of culture
• Propose solutions to challenges of working in multicultural settings and international companies (i.e. companies with subsidiaries and/or offices in different countries)
• Use English as a lingua franca to discuss cultural issues orally and in writing
• Critically engage with sources (including original research)
• Select key information to support one’s ideas
• Apply what you have learned to problem-centered course assignments
• Produce work as part of a team

• Lectures with a focus on student interaction
• Visiting guest lectures
• Small group work, including discussions and research
• Presentations
• E-learning in a virtual classroom