Syllabus

Title
5293 Cross-Cultural Competence: Crisis Communication Across Cultures
Instructors
Iryna Wehr, M.A.
Contact details
Type
PI
Weekly hours
2
Language of instruction
Englisch
Registration
02/15/23 to 02/22/23
Registration via LPIS
Notes to the course
Dates
Day Date Time Room
Wednesday 05/17/23 10:15 AM - 02:00 PM D3.0.218
Wednesday 05/24/23 10:15 AM - 02:00 PM EA.6.026
Wednesday 05/31/23 10:15 AM - 02:00 PM TC.0.03 WIENER STÄDTISCHE
Wednesday 06/07/23 10:15 AM - 02:00 PM D3.0.225
Friday 06/09/23 10:15 AM - 02:00 PM D3.0.233
Monday 06/12/23 10:15 AM - 02:00 PM D3.0.225
Contents

The aim of the course is to introduce and to apply approaches to intercultural and cross-cultural analysis of crisis communication, and to foster the development of students’ intercultural competence by providing them with theoretical framework, analytical method, and illustrative case studies (prominently but not exclusively, from USA, Western, Eastern and Central Europe). A comparative (multimodal) analysis of case studies will facilitate the insight into culture as complex and multi-facetted phenomenon and into the cultural similarities and differences within organizational crisis management  

Students will conduct their own research analyses with the aim of raising their cultural awareness, developing intercultural competence, and applying the acquired knowledge and skills in intercultural business communication. As a result, the students will be able to anticipate the impact of cultural differences in different areas of life and business and assess the cultural preferences of concrete communication solutions.

Learning outcomes

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 and business communication.
  • Define “crisis” and different stages of crisis management and crisis communication
  • Be aware of the role of "culture" in crisis communication processes
  • Use the concepts acquired in the course, apply them to new crisis communication cases and propose a practical communicative solution for a concrete crisis situation
  • Estimate crisis vulnerabilities and differentiate different types of crises
  • Be aware of the related areas, such as risk communication, issue, and reputation management
  • Develop empathic skills in cross-cultural interactions through experiential modules like role plays and simulations
Attendance requirements

Regular attendance and active participation are a must in order to pass this course. 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.​

You will receive further details from your course instructor at the start of the course.

Teaching/learning method(s)
  • input
  • discussion of case studies
  • presentation
  • response paper
Assessment

The assessment of the course will include the following criteria:

  • Class participation (20%)
  • Oral presentation and written report (40%)
  • Written individual assignment/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)
Readings

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Last edited: 2023-05-04



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