Business & Cultures

Department
  • International Program
Course unit code
  • IFLV6563
Number of ECTS credits allocated
  • 3.0
Name of lecturer(s)
  • Ass.Prof. Blaess Guillaume, Ph.D.
Mode of delivery
  • face-to-face
Recommended optional program components
  • none
Recommended or required reading
  • Cliffe,S. & Molinsky A., Companies Don't Go Global People Do, Harvard Business Review. October 2015

    D'Iribarne P., The Logic of Honour: http://www.cnam.fr/lipsor/dso/articles/fiche/diribarne2.html. 2003

    Globe Project: https://globeproject.com/

    Griffin, R. & Pustay M. They May Speak the Same Language…but International Business, 2010.

    Harvard Business Review. National Culture and Management, 1994.

    Hammerich K. & Lewis R. How different cultures say: "I disagree": How National Culture Can Make Or Break Your Corporate Strategy, 2013.

    Khanna T. Contextual Intelligence. Harvard Business Review. September 2014

    Nisbett C. The Geography of Thought: How Asians and Westerners Think Differently, 2007.

    Renan E. What is a Nation?, A lecture delivered at the Sorbonne, 11 March 1882.

    Rosenhauer Sven, Cross-cultural Business Communication, 2010

    Smit C. TEDx, Humour and Culture in International Business, 2015.

    "You are What you Eat", The Economist, May 2014.Beugelsdijk, S., & Maseland, R. (2011). Culture in economics. History, methodological reflections, and contemporary applications. Cambridge University Press.
    Bowles, S. (2016). The moral economy. Why good incentives are no substitute for good citizens. New Haven/London: Yale University Press.
    Zelizer, V. A. (2011). Economic lives. How culture shapes the economy. Princeton University Press.
Additional information about examination modalities
  • Participation (20%)

    Final Individual Presentation (20%)

    Analysis of a real situation (20%)

    Case Study (20%)

    Survival Kit Production (20%)
Level of course unit
  • Bachelor
Year of study
  • Spring 2027
Semester when the course unit is delivered
  • 2
Language of instruction
  • English
Learning outcomes of the course unit
  • In today’s globalized environment, professionals need more than just technical skills and the ability to communicate within the familiar context of their own national background and education. Success now requires understanding how people from different cultures perceive reality and work differently, often guided by diverse metrics of success. As future managers and team members, it's crucial to ask: How do we adapt to others? What cultural “synergies” and “conflicts” might arise? How can we increase our cultural awareness and maximize our performance across diverse environments?

    This course is designed for students with no prior experience in intercultural management, aiming to equip them with the fundamental tools and perspectives necessary to thrive in multicultural settings. The course objectives include:

    - Understand and Define Culture: Develop a foundational understanding of what culture is and how it influences behavior and perceptions.

    - Apply Cultural Dimensions: Learn to identify and apply key cultural dimensions that differentiate societies and affect workplace dynamics.

    - Explore National Identity and Belonging: Understand how national identity fosters a sense of belonging and can lead to the paradox of Us vs. Them.

    - Examine the Formation of Values: Study how values are shaped by specific cultural contexts and how they influence decision-making and behavior.

    - Grasp the Concept of Teamwork in an International Context: Understand the dynamics of teamwork across cultures and the challenges and opportunities it presents.

    - Develop Soft Skills for Cross-Cultural Interaction: Enhance interpersonal skills that promote flexibility, confidence, and effectiveness in unfamiliar cultural settings.

    - Challenge Stereotypes and Embrace an Anthropological Perspective: Learn to move beyond clichés and adopt a more nuanced, anthropological approach to understanding and engaging with different people.

    This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the principles of intercultural management, preparing students to navigate and succeed in diverse situations.
Course contents
  • Course contents
    Introduction: making a case for culture
    1. What is culture?
    2. Making a case: the example of tipping
    3. Methods of measuring 'culture and economies'
    Part I. Foundations, theories, concepts
    4. Classic contributions: the economic ethic, embeddedness and commodities
    5. Moral economies
    6. Market life and culture: historical and comparative lessons
    Part II. Culture and economies in everyday life
    7. Valuing children, and how markets evolve from that
    8. Consumption as distinction
    9. Foundations of everyday economic deviance
    Part III. Culture, economy and the common good
    10. Paying taxes
    11. Cultures of corruption
    12. The moral economy of welfare states
    Part IV. Capitalism, corporate life and entrepreneurship
    13. Corporate culture
    14. Hofstede’s thesis
    15. Entrepreneurship as culture
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
  • Lectures, Workshops, Problem-based activities, flipped activities (pre-readings), oral presentations.

    Clear learning outcomes for every session will be set out with concise take-aways at the end.
    There will be a detailed content focus and constant interactions between students and the professor. Critical thinking will also be stimulated.

    We will mix conceptual theories, debates, mini-case studies, role-plays, readings, short presentations and situational approaches.
Work placement(s)
  • none

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