General provisions

The course is only available to students within contract education programmes at Master's level.

Entry requirements

A Bachelor's degree, equivalent to a Swedish degree of at least 180 credits including the equivalent to 60 credits in Business Studies. Proficiency in English. The course is only available to students within contract education programmes at Master level.

Learning outcomes

Managing cultural diversity is important in today’s globalised world with its multicultural societies and cross-border activities that all lead to cross cultural interaction. The purpose of this course is to provide you with knowledge about and understanding of the impact of (national) cultures on management practice. After participating in the course students will be able to:

• Present an overview and analyse different meanings and dimensions of “culture”;

• Describe and analyse the impact of culture on business practices;

• Explain and analyse the impact of national culture on organisational cultures;

• Understand the impact of culture on Human Resource Management;

• Explain how leadership differs across cultures;

• Analyse strategies for managing international teams and projects;

• Develop strategies for working in virtual and co-located multicultural teams;

• Discuss ethical dilemmas and social responsibility facing firms in different cultures;

• Present, both in speech and writing, the impact of culture on various aspects of management.

Content

An increasing number of firms have activities spread around the world and a critical reflection on the impact of culture on business activities and individuals in this context is of vital importance. In this course, various levels of culture will be studied, with a special focus on national cultures and whether and how they affect the behaviour of firms and individuals. Students will be given the opportunity to collect specialised insights into certain themes, firms or cultures through focused assignments.

Instruction

The course uses a combination of seminars with student-based activities, cases and other problem-based assignments, and lectures. Both individual and group assignments are included. Professors and lecturers with a special research interest in the impact on or role of culture in international business will participate as well as guest lecturers from firms with international experience. The language of instruction is English.

Assessment

Examination includes active participation in seminars and completion of assignments given during the course. The final grade of the course is determined after taking into consideration the different parts of examination. Grading criteria are presented in the study guide provided at the start of the course. Grades will be given in accordance with the Swedish grading system. The following grades will be used: VG (pass with distinction), G (pass), and U (fail). Assignments and exams handed in late will not be graded except in special circumstances. In addition, any remaining assignments and supplements must be completed and handed in by the deadline specified in the study guide, otherwise the entire course (all assignments included) must be redone the next time the course is given, provided there is space in the course.

Uppsala University takes cheating and plagiarism seriously, and disciplinary action will be taken against any student suspected of being involved in any sort of cheating and/or plagiarism. The disciplinary actions take the form of warnings and limited suspensions.

NOTE: Only completed courses can be included in a degree.