International Business Culture and Communication C, 10 points Syllabus : International Business Culture and Communication Course code : FEUC16 Responsibility : The Department of Business Administration Subject : Business Administration Level : C (advanced) Course credit : 15 ECTS / 10 points Field of education : Social Sciences This is a course at the C-level in a Bsc-degree or a Msc-degree at Umeå University. The course can also be included in study programmes in Business Administration and Economics at Umeå School of Business and Economics. 1. Resolution to arrange the course The course is established by the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Umeå and the syllabus was confirmed by the Board of Business Administration on May 13, 2005. 2. Objectives The business environment is truly international or global. Export and import activities are increasing and foreign direct investment activities have grown over the decades. Functional areas such as procurement, marketing as well as product development and human resource management need to account for cultural differences and cross-cultural relations. This course is designed to enhance the student's understanding of business cultures and cross-cultural communication and develop the student's cross-cultural analytical skills. 3. Content Module 1. Analysis of business culture, 5 points/7.5 ECTS Cultural studies and cross-cultural communication is a vast area where many theoretical disciplines contribute. The course focuses on business culture and cross-cultural communication in business contexts rather than on general country or regional cultural issues. Student participation and the use of cases, and student-led project work is an essential component of the course. The first part of the course is devoted to the study and analysis of business culture. This includes the study of cultural components prevalent in business and on analytical approaches to define cultural differences and cultural indicators. Marketing, organizational behavior, decision-making and business negotiations will be highlighted as areas where cultural awareness is needed. The first part concludes with communication from a cross-cultural perspective. Module 2. Practical business management, 5 points/7.5 ECTS The second part of the course is a combination of project & term paper assignment where theoretical skills acquired in the first part will be confronted with a practical business and academic environment. This will include meetings with business people, lectures and workshops combined with a term paper work. Other assignments on the course theme can be included. A term paper shall be handed in and defended in the end of the course together with an individual examination. The term paper shall be designed to highlight some aspects of the course's overall theme.” 4. Prerequisites Courses in Business Administration 60 ECTS credits. Students are required to have a minimum of 40 points from the A-and B-level courses in Business Administration. This corresponds to 60 ECTS- credits in basic courses in Business Administration (Management, Accounting, Financial Investments, Cost Accounting and Marketing). 5. Teaching methods The course will include traditional lectures, case-seminars, study visits, assignments to be carried out and solved together with students, and project assignments. An important aspect of the course is for the students to search for information outside the required reading in connection to these assignments. 6. Examination Attendance at lectures, seminars, study visits and a written project report are required. Written exam and project report will be graded. The following grading system will be used: Pass with distinction (Väl godkänd, Vg 75% or more), Pass (Godkänd, G 50% or more), Fail (Underkänd, U less than 50%). For exchange students the ECTS grading scale will be used upon request. When a student has failed an examination on two occasions, he or she has a right to have another grading teacher. A written request should be handed to the director of studies no later than two weeks before the next examination opportunity. To receive the grade Pass with distinction on the course, the student must have achieved at least 75% of the total of points on the separate modules or the equivalent Grades on the course are awarded when students have passed all examinations and compulsory course elements. 7 Utilization et cetera In cases where there are applicants from abroad, the course language will be English. Otherwise, parts of the course may be taught in English. Information on language aspects can be obtained from the student counsellor. 8 Readings and other material Required reading: Varner Iris. & Beamer, Linda: Intercultural Communication in the Global Workplace, 3:rd ed., McGraw-Hill (2005). Articles: Brislin, Richard W and Lavoi Kim (2003) "Cultural diversity in peoples’ understanding and uses of time". Applied psychology: An International Review, 52(3): 363-382 Brown, P. M and Turner, J. C. (2002) "The role of theories in the formation of stereotype content". In Craig, McGarty, Yzerbyt, Vincent, and Spears, Russell, Eds, Stereotypes as explanations [electronic resource]: The formation of meaningful beliefs about social groups, Ebrary, London ; New York: Cambridge University Press, 2002, http://site.ebrary.com Goodin, Robert E, and Geoffrey Brennan (2001) "Bargaining over beliefs". Ethics, 111, 256-277 Keesing (1994) "Theories of culture revisited". In Borofsky, Robert Ed, Assessing cultural anthropology, New York ; London : McGraw-Hill , pages 301-312 Articles & Cases; Studentexpeditionen. Supplementary reading: Gesteland, Richard R. (2002) Cross-Cultural Business Behavior: Marketing, Negotiating, Sourcing and Managing Across Cultures. 3rd ed. Copenhagen Business School Press, Gylling. Moran, R. T. & Stripp,W. G.: Successful international business negotiations. Gulf Professional Publishing Company. Houston (1991). Raiffa, H.: The art & science of negotiation, Harvard University Press, Cambridge (1982). ----------------- UMEÅ UNIVERSITY Faculty of Social Sciences Department of Business Administration S-901 87 Umeå, Sweden www.fek.umu.se