The aim of this course is to raise awareness of the factors that influence interaction in intercultural settings, to introduce approaches to intercultural communication and intercultural management, and to provide students with tools to enable them to work and communicate effectively across cultures.

The course is taught in ENGLISH.

After completion of this course participants will be able to:

• Define "culture" as a complex concept and anticipate the effects of cultural differences on different areas of life.
• Be aware of their own cultural background.
• Reflect on stereotypes and prejudices participants may have about other cultures.
• Be able to perceive differences in behavior as cultural differences and identify the reasons for certain patterns of behavior.
• Be aware of the role of "culture" in communication processes and use the concepts acquired in the course to apply new communication strategies.
• Analyze critical incidents using a solution-oriented approach.
• Develop empathic skills in cross-cultural interactions through experiential modules like role plays and simulations.
• Be aware of possible effects of culture shock and develop coping strategies.

In case of restrictions on campus and depending on the size of the class, this course will start in rotation mode. You will attend classes in smaller groups and for shorter time slots, in accordance with distancing rules. Should this not be possible either, the course will switch to online mode and will include video conference sessions.

In either case, attendance is mandatory in at least 80% of live sessions. Absence is to be agreed upon in advance and has to be compensated for with an academic paper or equivalent task.​

Further online course material, assignments, individual and group work, as well as course readings will complement the shorter in-class sessions. A group assignment (including an oral presentation and written report), in-class participation, and the exam will be part of the course, also in this alternative mode. ​

You will receive further details from your course instructor approximately one week prior to the start of the first session.

The assessment of the course will include the following criteria:

• Class participation (20%)
• Group assignment, incl. oral presentation and written report (40%)
• Written final exam (40%)

Grading key (points/percent)

• 90 - 100   Sehr gut (1 - Excellent)
• 80 - 89     Gut (2 - Good)
• 70 - 79     Befriedigend (3 - Satisfactory)
• 60 - 69     Genügend (4 - Sufficient)
• < 60         Nicht genügend (5 - Fail)

The written exam for all participants of cross-cultural competence courses that end before the respective exam date is scheduled at the same time and and is centrally organized. The exam date is included in the course dates (please see above the 2-hour time slot).

The exam will be carried out as a "Remote Take-Home Exam". Details will be communicated at the beginning of the course.

The "Reader Cross-Cultural Competence", Thielemann N. et al., 2021, is available at the Management Book Service (Building D2 on campus) or can be ordered via e-mail to: office@mbsbuch.at. The written exam is based on the readings. You can find sample questions on Learn@WU.

You will be informed about the assessment criteria details during the course.

This course is aimed at students who participate in a WU exchange program, after the official nomination by the WU International Office only.

stephan.klinger@wu.ac.at

The course will be taught in ENGLISH.