Intercultural Aspects of Corporate Communication

Bachelor 2022/2023

Type: Elective course (Foreign Languages and Intercultural Communication)

Area of studies: Linguistics

Delivered by: School of Foreign Languages

Where: School of Foreign Languages

When: 4 year, 1, 2 module

Mode of studies: offline

Open to: students of one campus

Instructors: Elizaveta Kryukova, Daria Ulkhanovna Mirzaeva, Anastasia Stefanova, Nadezhda Vradiy

Language: English

ECTS credits: 5

Contact hours: 54

Full Syllabus

Abstract

The course is designed for fourth-year bachelor students, who major in “Intercultural Communication” and consists of two aspects: ‘Project Management in Intercultural Context’ and ‘Conflict Management and Resolution in Intercultural Business Environment’. The course is highly correlated with the courses “Intercultural Communication: Theory and Practice”, “Introduction to Organizational Communication” and “Corporate Culture and Business Communication” covered in the third year. The aspect ‘Project Management in Intercultural Context’ provides students with fundamentals of project management. Over the past 20 years, project management has proven to help modern organizations maintain a competitive edge. We consider intercultural contexts together with complex organizational communications most influential factors in project management. The aspect covers major project management concepts, which are reinforced by cases from various business spheres. Students will learn about methods and tools a successful project manager needs to initiate, plan, execute, monitor, control, and close a project. The aspect guides the student through technical, interpersonal and cultural skills necessary to manage a project efficiently. The aspect ‘Conflict Management and Resolution in Intercultural Business Environment’ provides students with fundamentals of conflict management. Since conflicts are everyday occurrences in people's lives, social groups and international relations, in all historic times, in all cultures, groups and countries, the quest for peace has been ongoing. Costs incurred because of conflicts are very high: human suffering, economic losses and moral degradation. The efforts made by humankind to live in peace give us insight to accomplish real results, transform conflicts and manage them positively. This aspect in conflictology presents empirical knowledge and insight on conflict resolution, transformation, mediation and management, for conflicts of all importance, be they interpersonal, intercultural or global, as well as helps to give future professionals knowledge and build skills in conflict management.

Learning Objectives

to acquaint students with the subject, categorical system, the key theoretical and practical problems of modern conflict resolution
to develop conflict management skills and teach students how to apply them in intercultural and international business communication practice
to identify the essential skills required to manage a project
to implement project management body of knowledge
to apply project management principles effectively
to engage and lead project management teams in intercultural context
to demonstrate a good understanding of a project life cycle

Expected Learning Outcomes

apply the knowledge and skills they get to analyze and assess complex project management situations
apply the knowledge and skills they get to relate a project to the intercultural environment that influences it
develop technical, interpersonal and cultural skills necessary for a successful project manager
develop the ability to use project management strategies and methods to manage a project from start to finish
know fundamental concepts of project management
know Project Management Institute’s (PMI’s) project model
know project process groups
know the definition of a project and its characteristics
understand how to manage project cost, quality, and delivery
apply skills in performing primary analysis and interpretation of culture’s actions in a conflict situation
apply the knowledge and skills they get to analyze major factors influencing project management outcomes
apply the knowledge and skills they get to use project management tools and techniques
be able to recognize typical conflict situations, as well as the specificity of their occurrence in the course of students’ professional activity as specialists in intercultural communication
know current theories of conflictology, the nature of conflict as special characteristics of social interaction, the main forms of conflict management
understand the role of a project manager

Course Contents

Conceptual overview of project management
Project management process groups
Project management knowledge and skills
The Nature of Conflict & Conflict Escalation
Perspectives on Conflict Sources
The role of culture in conflict resolution
Conflict management strategies
Conflict management forms of intervention: negotiation and mediation
Conflict in Cyberspace
Conflict Management Project

Assessment Elements

PM Continuous Assessment
Short written or oral forms of control conducted during the seminar based on the materials covered during the previous seminar
PM Final Test
Final test is conducted on the last seminar in the 1st module covering all the materials from the previous seminars.
PM Group Project
Project plans are delivered in groups including written documentation and oral presentation.
СM Continuous Assessment
CM Written Assignments
CM Group Project
Exam
The exam is held offline and comprises two theoretical questions and two practical tasks.

Interim Assessment

2022/2023 2nd module
0.2 * Exam + 0.1 * СM Continuous Assessment + 0.1 * PM Continuous Assessment + 0.2 * PM Group Project + 0.2 * CM Written Assignments + 0.1 * CM Group Project + 0.1 * PM Final Test

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide), Sixth Edition, 2017. Режим доступа: http://library.books24x7.com/bookshelf.asp
Heagney, J. (2012). Fundamentals of Project Management (Vol. 4th ed). New York: AMACOM. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=388987
Hornickel, Jim. Negotiating Success : Tips and Tools for Building Rapport and Dissolving Conflict While Still Getting What You Want, John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated, 2013. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/hselibrary-ebooks/detail.action?docID=1562635.
How Is Global Dialogue Possible? : Foundational Research on Values, Conflicts, and Intercultural Thought, edited by Johanna Seibt, and Jesper Garsdal, De Gruyter, Inc., 2014. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/hselibrary-ebooks/detail.action?docID=1346945.
The Conflict Resolution Toolbox: Models and Maps for Analyzing, Diagnosing, and Resolving Conflict / Furlong, Gary T. – John Wiley & Sons Incorporated. Social Sciences & Humanities (General), 2009. URL: https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/hselibrary-ebooks/detail.action?docID=456084
Third Party Workplace Dispute Resolution : Third Party Workplace Dispute Resolution, edited by Richard Posthuma, and Richard A Posthuma, Emerald Publishing Limited, 2007. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/hselibrary-ebooks/detail.action?docID=320618.

Recommended Additional Bibliography

Anna Kurzydłowska. (2016). Leadership in Project Management. Humanities and Social Sciences, 23 (2), 103. https://doi.org/10.7862/rz.2016.hss.22
Association, I. R. M. (2016). Project Management : Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications. [Place of publication not identified]: Business Science Reference. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1253153
BĂDIȚOIU, L. A., & STĂNESCU, A. (2018). A Strategic Approach to Conflict Management Systems. Review of International Comparative Management / Revista de Management Comparat International, 19(5), 487–496. https://doi.org/10.24818/RMCI.2018.5.487
Binder, J. (2007). Global Project Management : Communication, Collaboration and Management Across Borders. Aldershot, England: Routledge. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=269279
Catherine H. Tinsley. (n.d.). Predicting the constellation of conflict management strategies used across cultures. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.F32BCF43
Emotion and Conflict: How Human Rights Can Dignify Emotion and Help Us Wage Good Conflict (Contemporary psychology) / Lindner, Evelin. Praeger. Social Sciences & Humanities (General), 2005. URL: https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/hselibraryebooks/detail.action?docID=492063
Eunson, Baden. Conflict Management, John Wiley & Sons Australia, Limited, 2011. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/hselibrary-ebooks/detail.action?docID=903141.
Stephan Proksch. (2016). Conflict Management. Springer. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsrep&AN=edsrep.b.spr.mgmtpr.978.3.319.31885.1
Virtual Teamwork : Mastering the Art and Practice of Online Learning and Corporate Collaboration, edited by Robert Ubell, John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated, 2010. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/hselibrary-ebooks/detail.action?docID=565122.

Course Syllabus