COMMGMT 3500 - Managing Across Cultures
North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2024
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General Course Information
Course Details
Course Code COMMGMT 3500 Course Managing Across Cultures Coordinating Unit Management Term Semester 2 Level Undergraduate Location/s North Terrace Campus Units 3 Contact Up to 3 hours per week Available for Study Abroad and Exchange Y Prerequisites (COMMGMT 1001 or COMMGMT 1001OUA) or COMMGMT 2500 Incompatible COMMGMT 3500OUA Assessment Exam/assignments/tests/tutorial work as prescribed at first lecture Course Staff
Course Coordinator: Dr Rajeev Kamineni
Location: Room 10.47, Nexus 10 building, 10 Pulteney Street
Telephone: +61 (08) 8313 5721
Email: rajeev.kamineni@adelaide.edu.au
Course website: www.myuni.adelaide.edu.au
Note: Lecture and Tutorial details will be posted on MyUni.
Tutors:
Note: To arrange face-to-face/zoom appointments, please contact your tutors directly via email.Course Timetable
The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from .
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Learning Outcomes
Course Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
1 Critically analyse the drivers and consequences (political, economic, socio-cultural, technological, legal and ecological) of globalization, its impact on specific regions and the emerging concerns about its influences on countries around the world. 2 Understand and appreciate the need for ethics and social responsibility in international management, and the growing pressures on firms to act in an ethically and socially responsible manner in their global business operations 3 Compare different theoretical approaches to the concept of culture (at national, regional and organisational levels) and implications of these differences for international and cross-cultural managers 4 Apply theories of culture and management to address the challenges of managing individuals, groups and organisations in an increasingly diverse global context 5 Integrate and apply the basic elements of international strategic management, including the pressures and cost/benefits of strategies that emphasize global integration versus local adaptation; evaluate the specialized strategies required for emerging economies and for international new ventures 6 Compare and evaluate practices related to the management, motivation and leading of employees in an international and cross-cultural context University Graduate Attributes
This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:
University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s) Attribute 1: Deep discipline knowledge and intellectual breadth
Graduates have comprehensive knowledge and understanding of their subject area, the ability to engage with different traditions of thought, and the ability to apply their knowledge in practice including in multi-disciplinary or multi-professional contexts.
1,2,3,4,5,6 Attribute 2: Creative and critical thinking, and problem solving
Graduates are effective problems-solvers, able to apply critical, creative and evidence-based thinking to conceive innovative responses to future challenges.
1,4 Attribute 3: Teamwork and communication skills
Graduates convey ideas and information effectively to a range of audiences for a variety of purposes and contribute in a positive and collaborative manner to achieving common goals.
4,6 Attribute 4: Professionalism and leadership readiness
Graduates engage in professional behaviour and have the potential to be entrepreneurial and take leadership roles in their chosen occupations or careers and communities.
6 Attribute 5: Intercultural and ethical competency
Graduates are responsible and effective global citizens whose personal values and practices are consistent with their roles as responsible members of society.
1,2,3,4,5,6 Attribute 8: Self-awareness and emotional intelligence
Graduates are self-aware and reflective; they are flexible and resilient and have the capacity to accept and give constructive feedback; they act with integrity and take responsibility for their actions.
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Learning Resources
Required Resources
Course Text:
Steer, RM., Osland JS., Szkudlarek B. (2024) Management Across Cultures: Challenges, Strategies and Skills, Fifth Edition, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
This text provides the basic framework for the lecture program and is required reading to prepare for each week’s tutorials.
Recommended Resources
Additional Reading:
Jackson, T. (2002) International HRM: A Cross-Cultural Approach, London: Sage.
This particular text provides a useful analysis of a variety of national and organisational approaches to management. Some individual chapters will be specifically recommended in the schedule provided below, but candidates are recommended to explore other chapters during the course.
As with any course of Higher Education, candidates will inevitably have varying levels of interest in the different subjects/topics covered. To allow for this, the weekly readings will include essential preparatory reading, but some lecture topics will include recommended additional reading (mainly from Jackson,2002). These are seen as offering some useful extra sources that apply some of the relevant theories and models in a more fully developed analysis of ‘real-life’ organisations; please note that this edition is relatively old, but still provides one of the best sources, combining an excellent scholarly analysis of international management issues in a historical context (and many of the featured organisations are still operating today and offer a further opportunity for candidates to ‘up-date’ the analysis in the present day).
Students will also be expected to prepare for tutorials and this will normally include some reading, focusing on
refereed academic sources. Full details will be provided weekly in advance on MyUni.
Recommended Resources:
There are a number of other general textbooks available in the library. These can be useful to ‘get started’ with a topic
area. There are also a number of more focused/specialised texts:
Chanlat, JF., Davel, E. & Dupuis, JP (2013) Cross-Cultural Management: Culture and Management Across the World, Abingdon, UK: Routledge. (online version in the library)
This is a particularly interesting text, taking a largely French view of culture and management – highly recommended, especially as an alternative to the many books on the subject that seem rather too obsessed with Hofstede and quantitative approaches to understanding culture.
Gannon, MJ and Pillai, R. (2010) Understanding Global Cultures: Metaphorical Journeys Through 29 Nations, 4th
Edition, London: Sage. (online version in the library)
This is a very useful addition to the ‘dimension based’ theoretical approaches to understanding culture. Metaphors are an important way of communicating about a variety of issues (not only culture) and can also be a powerful way of thinking about phenomena in a creative way that encourages insight and innovation.
Hofstede, G. (2001) Culture's Consequences: Comparing Values, Behaviors, Institutions and Organizations
Across Nations, 2nd Ed., London: Sage.
This is the latest edition of Hofstede’s classic work on cultural dimensions. Although often controversial, his theoretical approach has long been influential in the study of culture at a national level; it is important that any serious scholar or culture should be familiar with his model, and it is a good idea to explore his own publications rather than relying on the often simplified versions presented in many textbooks.
Porter, ME. (1990) The Competitive Advantage of Nations, London: Macmillan Press.
This text is another influential one. Although it is quite old (in academic terms), it still provides an interesting perspective and draws from his other, better-known work that introduces his model of generic strategies.
Stiglitz. JE. (2007). Making Globalisation Work. New York: WW Norton.
Possibly one of the best-known critics of globalisation (and a Nobel Laureate); still a topical, emotive and controversial issue. If interested you could try his other writing in the field
Trompenaars, F. (1993) Riding the Waves of Culture: Understanding Cultural Diversity in Business, London: Nicholas.
Not so much an alternative to Hofstede's work, as a variation on this approach to identifying and applying dimensions to cultural analysis.
There are also a number of relevant academic journals including (but not limited to):
Journal of International Business Studies
Cross-Cultural Management: An International JournalInternational Journal of HRMJournal of International Management.International Journal of Commerce and Management.International Journal of Hospitality ManagementManagement International Review.International Business Review.Online Learning
General course information, lecture slides, assessment details and tutorial preparation exercises will be uploaded to MyUni.
Some recommended www-pages with regards to International Business/Management are:
AustradeCIA World FactbookGlobal EdgeNew InternationalistOECDUNCTADWTO -
Learning & Teaching Activities
Learning & Teaching Modes
This course will be taught over the period of 12 weeks, by 1½ hour weekly lectures supported by 1½ hour weekly tutorials, lectures commence in the weekj starting 24th July 2023 and tutorials commence in the week starting 31st July 2023
Tutorials are an important component of your learning in this course and are integral to the course assessment. The communication skills developed in tutorials by regularly and actively participating in discussions are considered important by the School and are highly regarded by employers and professional bodies.
Preparing weekly (available in advance) tutorial activities would enable you to understand the concepts better. We shall work together in the tutorials to go deeper into the concepts, frameworks, models and theories.
Lecture slides and recordings, general course information, assessment details and tutorial preparation exercises will be uploaded to MyUni. In addition, course communication/announcements and possible additional readings and links will be suggested in MyUni throughout the semester.Workload
The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.
The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.
The University expects full-time students (i.e. those taking 12 units per semester) to devote a total of 48 hours per week to their studies. This means that you are expected to commit approximately 9 hours for our three-unit course. This time commitment will include reading the relevant textbook chapters, preparing for tutorials, and other assessment tasks. Students in this course are expected to attend all the weekly tutorials throughout the semester.
As the semester is 12-weeks long followed by a written examination, it is important that all the tutorial activities and assessments are completed and submitted as per the deadlines for each coursework. Being up-to-date with the tutorial discussions would enable the students to be prepared for the written examination better.Learning Activities Summary
Week 1Lecture/Tutorial 1Introduction to the course; a general discussion around the course topics, globalisation and rationale for this course.Reading: Chapter 1
Week 2Lecture/Tutorial 2Developing Global Management SkillsReading: Chapter 2
Week 3Lecture/Tutorial 3Cultural EnvironmentsReading: Chapter 3
Week 4Lecture/Tutorial 4Organisational environments: Organising in a cross-cultural contextReading: Chapter 4
Week 5Lecture/Tutorial 5Managerial Work EnvironmentsReading: Chapter 5
Week 6Lecture/Tutorial 6Leading people and organisationsReading: Chapter 6
Week 7Lecture/Tutorial 7Communicating across culturesReading: Chapter 7
Week 8Lecture/Tutorial 8Managing ResponsiblyReading: Chapter 8
Week 9Lecture/Tutorial 9Negotiating Global AgreementsReading: Chapter 9
Week 10Lecture/Tutorial 10Managing Global TeamsReading: Chapter 10Week 11Lecture/Tutorial 11Working internationally and across culturesReading: Chapter 11
Week 12Lecture/Tutorial 12Course review and examination preparationReading: Chapter 12
TUTORIALS
Tutorials will be held weekly commencing the week beginning Monday 29th July 2024. Tutorial preparation requirements will be posted on MyUni in advance. The tutorials broadly follow and support the lecture subjects. The participation assessment is based on tutorial preparation and activities so it is essential that you fully prepare for and participate in the tutorials. Preparation will normally include some reading and additional tasks.
Students are expected to bring written preparatory notes with them to each tutorial.
A full guide to tutorials and preparation requirements will be provided each week on MyUni.Specific Course Requirements
The students are required to consult the course text:
Steer, RM., Osland JS., Szkudlarek B. (2024) Management Across Cultures: Challenges, Strategies and Skills, Fifth Edition, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
This text provides the basic framework for the lecture program and is required reading to prepare for each week’s classes.
Without the text, it would be challenging for the students to prepare for their tutorials. -
Assessment
The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:
- Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
- Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
- Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
- Assessment must maintain academic standards.
Assessment Summary
Assessment Task Task Type Weighting Learning Outcomes Tutorial preparation and participation Individual 10% 1 Group Project (25% total): Group Presentation Collaborative 20% 1,3,4 Peer Assessment Individual 5% 3,4 Individual Analysis and Reflection Individual 15% 2,5,6 Final Written Examination Individual 50% 2,5,6 Total 100% Assessment Related Requirements
To gain a pass in this course, a mark of at least 50% must be obtained for the course
overall.
Please note that to be eligible for Additional Assessment (previously referred to as Supplementary Examinations) in this course ALL required assessment tasks (coursework) must be submitted.Assessment Detail
Assessment 1:
Tutorial Preparation and Participation (weighting – 10%)Students are expected to attend ALL tutorials. Marks will be allocated for tutorial preparation and participation, not for attendance, although the lecturer will keep an attendance record. The lecturer will check your preparation.
Assessment 2:
Group project (total weighting – 25%)Assignment summary:
Group Presentation (20%)Presentation made in tutorial times starting week 6 onward until the end of week 10
Peer assessment by your group members (5%)Performa based feedback
The lecturer will arrange groups for this assignment between Week 2 (tutorial 1) and Week 3 (tutorial 2).
Please note:
After the groups have been confirmed group members cannot change their groups and nor can a group exclude a group member under any circumstances, without the written agreement of the lecturer. If any practical or personal problems interfere with your group’s performance at any time during the group work, you must immediately contact your lecturer (do not wait until a few days before any formal deadline; remember, the course lasts only 12 weeks) and your lecturer will help you deal with any such issues.
Purpose:
The purpose of this assignment is to give you the opportunity to explore the challenges of international and cross-cultural management from theoretical and practical perspectives. This will also help you prepare for the examination (the tasks were derived from past examination papers) and contribute to your tutorial members’ learning,
Task:
Each group will address one of the questions provided on MyUni. Tutors will seek to offer a choice of questions wherever possible. However, as each group must answer a different question, some negotiation and random allocation may be necessary. Please note that the schedule is not negotiable as the topics are linked to the other tutorial activities and the preceding lecture, so please ensure that your group is available for the scheduled delivery of your question/topic.
Assessment 2.1 Group Presentation (20%)Presentation made in tutorial time:
Your presentation must address one of the questions listed on MyUni. You will have about 20-30 minutes to present your answer. This will require you to explain the question (in your own words) to clarify your task for the audience. You should ensure that any theory you draw on is clearly explained and critiqued (all presentations must use and reference one quality source). This should be followed with any comparison, critical evaluation, application and/or discussion/debate, leading to a clear conclusion and recommendation(s). You should also allow a few minutes for any questions from the audience.
You should provide some visual aids for your audience (PowerPoint presentations are acceptable – if so, no more than 4 slides should be used, excluding your references).- As in the examination, the key thing is to present a clear and convincing answer to the specific question; do not simply try to include everything that you know about the topic specified.- You are also required to take a management perspective – try to answer your question as you think a manager would consider professionally significant (what are the organisational implications of the issue, challenge etc highlighted by the question. Most questions/issues would be enhanced with some specific recommendations for managerial action (eg to solve a problem or take advantage of an opportunity).- Finally, you will need to use relevant theory and/or research to support your answer. The theory is an essential part of university learning but is also central to how we understand the world around us. In order to demonstrate your understanding of theory in this course, you must apply (not just describe) relevant theory in answers (you can use theory to help understand a phenomenon or to help to frame, explain and justify recommendations).
Presentation assessment Criteria:- Answering the question; did you answer the question clearly and convincingly?- Relevant theoretical support; did you explain and apply theory appropriately?- Clarity of presentation; did your explanation, conclusion, rationale etc make sense?- Addressing audience questions; were your answers clear, concise and relevant?
Assessment 2.2 Peer assessment of your group members (5%)Each member of the team should assess their teammates, confidentially, based on the following criteria (you must include a written justification of your mark; without a clear and convincing explanation of the mark, based on these criteria, your final marks are subject to moderation by your examiner. So, simply giving all your group members 100% or 0%, or any other unjustified marks, without a convincing justification, is likely to result in all marks being revisited by the examiner).
Peer assessment criteria:- Contribution to the group task; Participation in group meetings; attendance and contribution – not just attendance- Achievement of agreed goals.
Assessment 3:
Individual analysis and reflection (15%)
Assignment Title: SWIFTONOMICS
From the perspective of a cross-cultural manager, how far do you agree with CNA's (2024) assertion about globalisation.
The main purpose of this assignment is to explore, compare, analyse and evaluate different arguments regarding the phenomenon of globalisation. CNA's (2024) Video -- Please note that CNA's video would not be considered a scholarly research source (rather it is presented from an individual/organisation’s point of view). This does not mean that CNA's points are wrong, rather we would need to be aware that this argument and evidence need evaluation (hence the task here). I recommend that you watch the video. After watching the video you should explore the arguments by looking for scholarly research – take care to avoid simply finding scholars who agree or disagree with CNA; it is best to find a mixture of perspectives, then you can compare and evaluate the scholarly evidence before drawing your conclusions.
The specific content of your answer is flexible – there is no one right way to address this question. However, it is essential that you draw from relevant theory and use clear and specific examples to support your answer – remember, there are a number of approaches to using such examples: you may apply a theory to your example to help diagnose a managerial problem or you could use theory to actually ‘solve’ such a problem. In some cases examples of management practice can also provide relevant evidence to support your argument, though take care with this approach; it is important to use strong examples for this – personal or hypothetical examples are much less convincing as ‘evidence’ than examples of actual practice presented in research publications that have been subjected to rigorous analysis.
The format of your assignment is also flexible. You may prefer to present your work in essay format or report format – or a more creative approach altogether. It might be useful for you to think of this as similar to an examination task (it is the sort of question that has been used in the past, after all, the main difference being that examinations do not normally require complete and accurate referencing).
You will need to support your analysis with appropriate references. These may include academic articles, practitioner journal sources, demographic data or employer association/International Management publications and textbooks. However, any essay that does not include a minimum of 4 quality research references (eg journal articles), will receive a grade of no more than 49%. If you have any doubts about your sources you should check with your tutor. Please note, the video referred to here SHOULD NOT be considered quality research reference. It presents interesting and relevant opinion of the individual organisation presenting and need to be subjected to scholarly scrutiny in your answer.
Your assignments should be no longer than 1500 words (not including your reference list).
Assignments must be submitted through Turnitin on the course Myuni page.
Assessment Criteria for the individual written assignment
Answering the question: please ensure that what you write addresses the question fully and clearly.
Rationale and argument: remember, although your opinions and beliefs matter to you, other people are more interested in why you have developed these opinions and beliefs and how strong the evidence supporting them is.
Use of relevant theory(ies): theory is an essential part of how we make sense of the world; in the social world, theories help us to understand what we observe and predict the outcomes of particular behaviours (ours and others), so it is important to be able to critique the theories we use. How can we be confident that your chosen theories are strong and useful?
Use of appropriate organisational/managerial examples: The question specifies cross-cultural management as your focus, so you must include relevant examples – ideally from your scholarly reading – of how globalisation has, is and is likely to impact on managers and the people/organisations that they manage.
Appropriate reference support, clear expression, correct grammar and punctuation: accurate referencing is essential to both guide your reader and avoid accusations of plagiarism. Similarly, clear and well-written answers are essential if your critique, argument.
Assessment 4:
Final Exam (total weighting – 50%)
There will be a 3 hour open book examination during the examination period.
You will be provided a case study and you are required to submit a written analysis of the case study based on the concepts that were explored during the course. Further details will be provided in the final lecture.Submission
1. All written assignments must be submitted on MyUni through the relevant link.
2. All assignments are to be lodged at, or prior to, the due date and time. A late assignment where no extension has been granted will be penalised by a reduction of 5% of the mark given for each day, or part of a day, that it is late.
3. Assessment marks prior to the final exam will be displayed on the course website on MyUni. Students are encouraged to check their marks and notify the lecturer of any discrepancies.
4. Preferrably, all submissions must be typed (NOT hand-written).
5. As this course length is 12 weeks, no extensions are permitted, unless due to medical reasons.
Presentation of Assignments
1. Students must retain a copy of all assignments submitted.
2. All individual assignments must be attached to an Assignment Cover Sheet that must be signed and dated by the student before submission. The Lecturer will withhold students’ results until such time as the student has signed the Assignment Cover Sheet (available via MyUni).
3. Students may not submit work for an assignment that has previously been submitted for this course or any other course.
4. The lecturer can refuse to accept assignments that do not have a signed acknowledgement of the University’s Policy on Plagiarism: www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/230/Course Grading
Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:
M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme) Grade Mark Description FNS Fail No Submission F 1-49 Fail P 50-64 Pass C 65-74 Credit D 75-84 Distinction HD 85-100 High Distinction CN Continuing NFE No Formal Examination RP Result Pending Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.
Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.
Final results for this course will be made available through .
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Student Feedback
The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.
SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
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Student Support
- Academic Integrity for Students
- Academic Support with Maths
- Academic Support with writing and study skills
- Careers Services
- Library Services for Students
- LinkedIn Learning
- Student Life Counselling Support - Personal counselling for issues affecting study
- Students with a Disability - Alternative academic arrangements
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Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
- Academic Credit Arrangements Policy
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Academic Progress by Coursework Students Policy
- Assessment for Coursework Programs Policy
- Copyright Compliance Policy
- Coursework Academic Programs Policy
- Intellectual Property Policy
- IT Acceptable Use and Security Policy
- Modified Arrangements for Coursework Assessment Policy
- Reasonable Adjustments to Learning, Teaching & Assessment for Students with a Disability Policy
- Student Experience of Learning and Teaching Policy
- Student Grievance Resolution Process
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Fraud Awareness
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