Intercultural Communication and Management

Overview

The Intercultural Communication and Management course tackles one of the key topics of modern management: how to handle interactions with customers, personnel and organisational systems from different cultures in the global market. Nowadays, more and more organisations and companies operate on an international scale; therefore, they cannot underestimate the influence of cultural variables on consumer purchasing behaviour and on managerial, professional and communication styles. Furthermore and ever more frequently, the mergers and acquisitions of companies, joint ventures and international partnerships result in having to confront different cultural values and organisational and strategic systems that must be adequately managed, lest this kind of operation fail. Also, from a specifically operational point of view, cultural diversity has a profound effect on interpersonal communication modalities; a lack of awareness and competency in these subjects may give rise to very problematic situations. Today, all this creates the need for dedicated training in intercultural communication and management.  

Objectives

The Intercultural Communication and Management course is aimed at providing you with the conceptual and operational tools to enable you to function as a manager in an international environment. On completion of the course, you will be able to:

• understand the meaning of culture and the impact of cultural diversity on business and management;
• evaluate and interpret cultural diversity by means of the most advanced conceptual models;
• understand and manage the various levels of cultural influence on business (national/regional, by productive sector, professional, functional and company) and their interactions;
• understand and manage the communication models and styles of the various cultures of the world;
• understand and manage the impact of cultural influences on the organisation, the company strategy and customer and personnel relations;
• operate in international teams;
• understand the competencies necessary for international level management, with particular reference to cultural diversity management.

 

Recipients

The Intercultural Communication and Management course is primarily aimed at those who intend to or already operate professionally in international contexts: managers, entrepreneurs and professionals. More generally, it is a course that is useful to all those who wish to acquire or consolidate their competencies in the field of intercultural management, in view of the expected evolution of their professional life or of their business.  

Contents

[su_spoiler title="The meaning of culture" open="yes" style="fancy"]

• Culture as a source of competitive advantage/disadvantage
• Recognising one’s own and others’ cultures
• Discovering culture
  • Manufacts and behaviours
  • Beliefs and values
  • Basic assumptions

[/su_spoiler] [su_spoiler title="Culture interpretation models" open="yes" style="fancy"]

• Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck
• Hall
• Hofstede
• Trompenaar
• Etc.

[/su_spoiler] [su_spoiler title="Cultural spheres and their interactions" open="yes" style="fancy"]

• Cultural influence spheres:
  • National/regional
  • Productive sector
  • Professional
  • Functional
  • Company
• Ways in which cultural spheres interact and the creation of the competitive advantage

[/su_spoiler] [su_spoiler title="Communication between different cultures" open="yes" style="fancy"]

• Barriers and obstacles to intercultural communication
• Communication styles
• International negotiation

[/su_spoiler] [su_spoiler title="Culture and organisation" open="yes" style="fancy"]

• Culture and organisational structure
• Culture and processes
• Best practices transfer

[/su_spoiler] [su_spoiler title="Culture and strategy" open="yes" style="fancy"]

• The cultural roots of strategy
• Cultural models of strategy
• Strategic implication of culture
• Internationalisation and the role of national culture

[/su_spoiler] [su_spoiler title="Culture and human resources management" open="yes" style="fancy"]

• The cultural meaning of human resources management
• The human resources management ‘menu’
• Making human resources management significant through cultures

[/su_spoiler] [su_spoiler title="The international manager" open="yes" style="fancy"]

• Competencies for International level management
• The development of cultural competencies
• Personal development strategies for intercultural management
• Suggestions for the management of diversity

[/su_spoiler] [su_spoiler title="The multicultural team" open="yes" style="fancy"]

• Why multicultural teams
• Task and process strategies
• Virtual intercultural teams

[/su_spoiler] [su_spoiler title="The global organisation" open="yes" style="fancy"]

• The strategic options for the management of cultural diversity
  • Ignoring cultural diversity: business is business
  • Minimising cultural diversity
  • Using cultural diversity and making it valuable
  • Less global than what we thought?
  • The creation of culturally strategic alliances
  • Gaining a competitive advantage through cultural diversity
  • Suggestions for the management of cultural diversity

[/su_spoiler] [su_spoiler title="Citizens of the world: entrepreneurial ethics and social responsibility" open="yes" style="fancy"]

• Taking care of business
• Why does a company exist?
• The economic sphere and the ethical sphere
• The imperative of globalization
• Ethics and culture
• Strategies for the management of ethical dilemmas
• Citizens of the world: the role of managers and companies
• Towards a global civilisation

[/su_spoiler]  

Teaching methods

In line with the Rome Business School’s general approach and the best international standards, the course is designed with the aim of providing excellent training with an emphasis to its concrete application in the job, professional and company markets. Therefore, the course involves both mainly one way teaching phases – to accurately transfer the reference conceptual models – and practical application sessions aimed at developing your operational and management capabilities. Your progress in the subjects taught will be tested and consolidated through exercises related to actual managerial cases.  

Modes of attendance

This course can be attended in three ways:

1. On campus
2. On line, via a cutting-edge web platform
3. In house, i.e. at your workplace

 

Benefits

Whichever way you choose to take the course, you will receive: CERTIFICATE At the end of the course, you will be presented with a named participation certificate. HIGH QUALITY LECTURES Our teachers are renowned trainers and managers who come from a multitude of operational and professional environments. They are therefore able to bring a wealth of up to date experience and competency. LEARNING MATERIALS All participants in this course will be provided with a wealth of documentation, including slide presentations, case studies and exercises. CAREER-SERVICE If you wish, participation in this course will entitle you to: Having your CV inserted in the Rome Business School database and distributed to companies, organizations and head hunters of the Rome Business School’s international network; The review and editing of your CV; Support in managing your job interviews. REGISTRATION IN THE ROME BUSINESS SCHOOL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION Participation in the Master’s course entitles you to be enrolled in the Rome Business School Alumni Association, the international network through which students of the Rome Business School can share ideas, experiences and projects.