Topics:

-         Culture is defined based on one’s personal perspective and framework in which culture develops. This framework includes time, and circumstances/context. What was a cultural aspect in the past may not be so today – but sometimes it still is; and influences of other cultures (via language exchange, political agendas, trade or war/takeover, among many other factors) changes a domestic culture over time.

-         Understanding a country’s culture influences the framework of a company’s decisions – companies are a product of the environments in which they start and grow. Thus, it allows a greater understanding for the role that research (PESTEL/5 Forces or Porter’s Diamond9) plays/should play in company decisions for both domestic and international decisions.

-         Leadership and management are very closely linked to cultures – but the issue that will be dealt with more is what is the setting/context that explains leadership and management culture on a political and company level.

-         Culture can be shaped by technology, and culture can be used to exploit people. This is a topic in this course – to see culture from different perspectives and to see how the world around us impacts and is impacted by culture.

Purpose and/or relevance of the course in the programme.

Students will be able to:

·        gain a general insight into general characteristics/perspectives of culture as perceived from the outside

·        gain a general insight into some of the business cultural models/authors

·        understand how cultural attitudes ae evident in international expansion and access to resources

·        understand how political power impacts historical development and thus cultural perspectives and attitudes even today

·        understand how the fears, obsessions and prejudices of various times in history are revealed in artifacts and their long-term impact on company and country decisions

·        understand how leadership influences the company culture/behavior and how culture impacts leadership and company culture/behavior

·        understand the implications that cultural understanding has (or should have!) on company strategy and decisions