Dr. Olga Muzychenko is a lecturer at the University of Adelaide Business School. Prior to joining the Business School Olga worked for other Australian and French universities. Olga’s expertise in the field of Cross-cultural Management is based on her research and experience of working and living in different countries. Olga’s research interests include management of cultural diversity in Australia and cross-cultural competence in different professional fields. She authored and co-authored a number of refereed publications in international academic journals. Her expertise in the subject area is complemented by experience of working and living in different countries such as United Kingdom, Australia, France, China, Singapore, Hong-Kong, Italy, Russia, and Armenia.

Olga is also a consultant for the International Labor Organisation. In this capacity her assignments included training government officials and professionals from many countries at the International Training Centre of International Labor Organisation in Turin, Italy.

Olga holds a PhD from the University of Adelaide (Australia), M. Sc. from the University of Stirling (UK) and BA (Hons) from Moscow State University (Russia). Her PhD research explored the influence of cultural differences on the process of international entrepreneurship and studied the notion of cross-cultural competence among Australian entrepreneurs.

Dr. Muzychenko is available for consultation after each class and by appointment at any other time. The best way to reach the lecturer is via e-mail.

Date/time	Topic	Assignment due date
Part 1: Understanding cultural differences and developing self-awareness
Session 1 10 am – 5 pm Venue: 10 Pulteney Street,    Level 13 Seminar room 01	Topic 1: Understanding culture: Values, world views and socio-cultural systems.
	Topic 2: Cultural dimensions theories: The practical applicability and limitations.
Session 2 10 am – 5 pm Venue: as above	Topic 3: The impact of cultural differences on individuals. Verbal and non-verbal communication across cultures.
Part 2: Cultural differences in various organisational contexts and developing interpersonal managerial responses and strategies
Session 2 continued 10 am – 5 pm Venue: as above	Topic 4: Conflict and ethics across cultures.
Session 3 10 am – 5 pm Venue: as above	Topic 5: Cross-cultural negotiation: The process and strategies Topic 6: Cultural aspects of international business negotiations.	Individual assignment due
Session 4 10 am – 5 pm Venue: as above	Topic 7: Decision making and leadership across cultures.
	Topic 8: Motivating across cultures.
Part 3: Cultural differences at the organisational level
Session 5 10 am – 5 pm Venue: as above	Topic 9: Organisational culture and national culture. Cultural aspects of mergers and acquisitions.
	Topic 10: Management of Cultural Diversity. Managing multicultural teams.
Part 4: Integrating what you learned in this course
Session 6 10 am – 5 pm Venue: as above	Topic 11: Cross-cultural intelligence and managerial competence.
	Group presentations	Power point slides for presentations must be submitted via e-mail to the lecturer by 9 am on Wednesday 6 May. 7 May: Presentations Wednesday 14 May: Group assignment (report) due.
Date to be confirmed	Final exam

The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from the Course Planner at
https://access.adelaide.edu.au/courses/details.asp?year=2014&course=106358+1+3410+1

This course has the following objectives:

1. to provide you with a sufficient knowledge and understanding of the socio-cultural dimensions and its implications for communication and management differences across cultures;
2. to enable you to understand differing approaches to management issues that exist around the world;
3. to enable you to gain sound perspectives on competent practice in communicating and managing within a culturally diverse context;
4. to help you develop cultural sensitivity needed to succeed in any kind of cross-cultural interactions;
5. to assist you with developing capability to competently apply course concepts in cross- cultural situations that require responses at the individual, managerial and organisational levels.

Text book: Saee, J. 2007. Managing organisations in a global economy: An intercultural perspective. 2nd edition. Cengage Learning, United States.
Course materials posted on MyUni: Case studies, exercises, and library links to readings.

Adler, N. (2003). International Dimensions of organisational behavior (3rd Edition) South-Western College Publishing, Ohio, USA

Axtel, (1998). Gestures: the dos and taboos of body language around the world.

Bartlett, C.A. & Ghoshal, S. (1989). Managing Across Borders. Harvard Business School Press.

Brislin, R. (1993). Understanding culture’s influence on behavior. Fort Worth: Harcourt Brace.

Cope, B. & Kalantzis, (1997). Productive diversity: A new Australian model for work and management. Sydney: Pluto Press.

Furnham, A. & Bochner, S. (1989). Culture shock: Psychological reactions to unfamiliar environments. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.

Gudykunst, W. & Ting-Toomey, S. (1988). Culture and interpersonal communication. NewburyPark: Sage.

Hall, E. (1977) The silent language. NY: Fawsett.

Hall, E. T. (1976). Beyond culture. New York: Anchor Press.

Hofstede, G., Hofstede, G.I., and Minkov, M. (2010). Cultures and organisations: Software of the mind. London: McGraw Hill.

Irwin, H. (1996). Communicating with Asia. Understanding people and customs. Australia: Allen & Unwin.

Kluckhohn, F. & Strodtbeck, F. (1961). Variations in value orientation. New York: Harper & Row.

Lewis, R. (1999). When cultures collide: Managing successfully across cultures. Nicolas Brealey Publishing, London

Littlejohn, S. (1996). Theories of Human Communication. Wadsworth Publishing Company, California, USA

Lustig, M. & Koester, I. (1993). Intercultural competence: Interpersonal communication across cultures. New York: Harper Collins.

Martin, J.N. & Nakayama, T.K. (1997). Intercultural communication in context. USA: Mayfield Publication Company.

Morris, D. (1994). The human animal. London, BBC books.

Trompenaars, F., and Hampden-Turner, C. (1997). Riding the Waves of Culture, Nicholas Brealey, London.

Trompenaars, F., and Hampden-Turner, C. (2001). Building Cross-cultural competence: How to create wealth from conflicting values . New York: John Wiley and Sons.

Trompenaars, F., and Hampden-Turner, C. (2004). Managing people across cultures. Chichester: Capstone.

Wiseman, R. & Koester, I. (1993). Intercultural communication competence. Newbury Park: Sage.

Journals
International Journal of Intercultural Relations
Journal of International Business Studies
Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology
International Sociological Journal
Harvard Business Review
International Journal of Cross-cultural Management

In preparation for each lecture please visit MyUni course site www.myuni.adelaide.edu.au to access course materials. The lecturer’s PowerPoint files, case studies and exercises for each session will be posted on MyUni weekly. Power point lecture notes offer both a summary of important material and some supplementary information. My Uni will also be used be the lecturer to post important messages.

The course uses a mixture of readings, experiential exercises, cases and guest speakers (to be confirmed).

The University expects full-time students (i.e. those taking 12 units per semester) to devote a total of 48 hours per week to their studies. This means that you are expected to commit approximately 9 hours per week of private study outside of your regular classes. This includes preparation for classes and working on assignments.

Topic 1: Understanding culture: Values, world views and socio-cultural systems. Reference material: Saee, Chapter 3; Course Materials folder on MyUni Activities: Self-awareness exercise	Session 1
Topic 2: Cultural dimensions theories: The practical applicability and limitations. Reference material: Saee, Chapter 2; Course Materials folder on MyUni
Topic 3: The impact of cultural differences on individuals. Verbal and non-verbal communication across cultures. Reference material: Saee, Chapters 4 - 6; Course Materials folder on MyUni Activities: Case study, self-awareness exercises	Session 2
Topic 4: Conflict and ethics across cultures. Reference material: Saee, Chapters 11 and 12; Course Materials folder on MyUni Activities: Case studies and mini scenarios
Topic 5: Cross-cultural negotiation: The process and strategies Reference material: Saee, Chapter 10 ; Course Materials folder on MyUni Activities: Case study, role play	Session 3
Topic 6: Cultural aspects of international business negotiations. Reference material: Course Materials folder on MyUni. Activities: role play
Topic 7: Decision making and leadership across cultures. Reference material: Saee, Chapter 8; Course Materials folder on MyUni Activities: Case study	Session 4
Topic 8: Motivating across cultures. Reference material: Saee, Chapter 9; Course Materials folder on MyUni Activities: Role play
Topic 9: Organisational culture and national culture. Cultural aspects of mergers and acquisitions. Reference material: Saee, Chapter 7, pp. 139-151; Course Materials folder on MyUni Activities: Case study	Session 5
Topic 10: Management of Cultural Diversity. Managing multicultural teams. Reference material: Saee, Chapter 7, pp. 151-153; Course Materials folder on MyUni Activities: Case study
Topic 11 (Integrative): Cross-cultural intelligence and managerial competence. Reference material: Saee, Chapter 15; Course Materials folder on MyUni	Session 6
Group presentations
Final exam	TBA

Assessment item	Percentage of total mark	Relevant learning objective(s)	Due or scheduled date
Individual assignment (Reflective report: Culture visit or Critical incident)	20%	Learning objectives 1, 3-5	2 April 2014
Group assignment (presentation)	10%	Learning objectives 1-3	7 May 2014
Group assignment (report)	15 %	Learning objectives 1-3	14 May 2014
Class participation	10%	Learning objectives 1-5	Ongoing
Final examination	45%	Learning objectives 1-5	Date to be confirmed

Group assessment tasks have a maximum 30% weighting. A minimum of seventy percent (70%) of the total value of a course’s assessment will be devoted to individually submitted work, which may be in the form of assignments, examinations or presentations.

To gain a pass for this course, a mark of at least 45% must be obtained on the examination as well as a total of at least 50% for individual work and a mark of 50% overall. Students not achieving this requirement will receive an F grade as their final grade.

Students in this course are expected to attend all seminars throughout the semester.

Individual Assignment: 20%

Option 1: Culture visit and reflective report

You are asked to visit a national culture that is unfamiliar to you, interact with members of that culture and write a report about your experiences. The objective is to simulate, as closely as possible, what it would be like for you to go and work in a culture new to you.

The emphasis of this fieldwork assignment is on experiential learning. The task is to experience entry into and dealing with another culture directly (as opposed to studying or speculating about it). When choosing a culture, keep in mind that culture is a group phenomenon. Therefore, spending some time with just one member of the culture may not enable you to see any more than one person’s views.

The specific national culture you visit is completely up to you and is only limited by the number of cultures present in Adelaide. The way you find and contact your culture of choice is also up to you. However, below are contact details of some multicultural groups in Adelaide. You could ask to be allowed entrance to one of their social evenings, go to their social clubs or restaurants, spend an evening with a family or talk to individual members of a culture. Use your creativity!

The report on your fieldwork experiences should include the following items:

• Description of the national culture you chose and why you chose it.
• Preparation for entering the culture – reading, thinking about it, contacting people, collecting information, etc. This should include your expectations about the culture based on your preparation.
• Gaining entry – how you did it. Contact person, how contacted, permission, etc.
• Description of the experience and the main cultural differences you experienced.
• Description of what “culture shock” if any, you experienced, your reactions to it, and how you adapted.
• Reflection – what you learned from the experience (including what you learned about yourself, if appropriate): feelings, insights; links with international business, the course material and other readings and/or experiences; expectations confirmed, disconfirmed; surprises – both positive and negative. Try to draw generalizations from the visit experience, your previous experiences and the course. Try to integrate your learning from these different sources.
• Recommendations – how would you enhance your cross-cultural entry next time?

The last two items (reflection and recommendations) are the most important parts of the report. Please give them due attention. In the report, try to relate your experience as much as possible to the theories and models discussed in the first three topics

Multicultural groups in Adelaide

Organisations	Telephone number
Adelaide Lithuanian Society Inc	8362 4931
Australia-Brunei Darussalam Business Council	8221 5722
Australia-China Friendship Society	8272 9763
Bulgarian Educational & Friendly Soc. Inc.	8356 3254
Cambodian Australian Association Inc.	8281 9811
Chinese Association of SA	8297 0098
Chinese Language & Cultural Advice	8352 6128
Chinese Welfare Services of SA	8212 2988
Croatian Community Council SA	8346 4099, 8235 0511
Dom Polski (Polish) Centre	8223 3884
Dutch Community (Dutch Social & Welfare Club) Inc.	8281 1441
Ethnic Schools Assoc. of SA Inc.	8301 4814
German Association Inc.	8232 2082
German Language School	0412 233 041
Greek Orthodox Community of SA Inc.	8231 4307
Indian Australian Association of SA Inc	8364 1414
Irish Australian Association Inc.	8212 3767
Italian Centre	8223 2417
Jewish Community Services Inc.	8212 0077
Laos Association of SA Inc	8283 0378
Macedonian Community - Cultural Centre	8347 1401
Overseas Chinese Association	8445 7355
Spanish Latino Americana Association	8250 7755
Royal Caledonian Society of SA Inc	8379 2515
Ukrainian Community	0417 889 274
Vietnamese Community in SA	8447 8821
United Vietnamese Buddhist Congregation of SA	8447 8477

Additional information about multicultural groups in Adelaide is available on http://www.bcl.com.au/adelaide/intgroup/multicultural.htm

Option 2: Critical incident report

If you are unable to conduct a culture visit, you are allowed to write a critical incident as an alternative assignment. However, please do not choose this alternative lightly. You will learn much more from conducting the culture visit.

Critical incidents are brief descriptions in which there is a misunderstanding, problem or conflict arising from cultural differences between interacting parties or where there is a problem of cross-cultural adaptation. Your critical incident should be based on personal experience. It can deal with any subject as long as it discusses a situation in which you interacted with members of another culture and in which misunderstandings were caused by cultural differences or you had to use your cross-cultural skills to prevent misunderstandings from arising. To write this critical incident you should follow the following five steps (based on Fowler & Mumford, 1995):

1. Identify the event or situation as clearly as possible, the problem to be solved, the issue involved, etc.
2. Describe the relevant details and circumstances surrounding the event, so that the readers will understand what happened. (What? When? How? Why? Where?)
3. List the people involved: describe them and their relationships to you and to one another (Who?)
4. Describe your own role in the situation (that is, what you did and how you acted) and identify the particular cultural differences and/or cross-cultural skill or skills involved. How well or badly did you understand the situation? How well or badly did you use the skill involved? What would you do differently next time? Describe your interpretation of the events.
5. Write an analysis of the incident, telling what you learned from the experience.

In writing the critical incident report, try to relate your experience as much as possible to the theories and models discussed in the first three topics.

Word limit: 2000 words. Exceeding a word limit will attract a 5% reduction in your mark. The word count excludes the executive summary, and appendixes.

Due date: 2 April 2014

Assessment criteria:

• Logic and flow of argument;
• Ability to present your findings clearly and succinctly;
• Application of key relevant theories and concepts;
• Research skills and use of data to support the analysis;
• Recommendations and tradeoffs identified in analysis;
• Relevance to the topic;
• Effective overall strategy, adequate introduction, body, and conclusion;
• Presentation: word limit; layout; referencing and bibliography.

Group assignment : 25 % (report 15 %, presentation 10%)

In a group of 3-4 students analyse (a) socio-cultural system and its impacts on management and business practices in a country of your choice and (b) research and describe cultural aspects of the negotiating style in that country.

Your report must include a brief analysis that compares/contrasts cultural values, management practices and negotiating style n the country selected for the report and in the home country(ies) of group members.

You are invited to selects a country from the following list: China, Malaysia, India, Indonesia, South Korea, Japan, Brazil, Thailand, Columbia, Mexico, Vietnam, Turkey, Russia, France, and Germany. Your choice of a country must be approved by the by the lecturer.

You are encouraged to use creative approach to the presentation. Please highlight those elements of your project that you found to be particularly interesting or contentious and enable the class to learn from your research. You are expected to use scholarly journal articles and books as a source of reference.

Word limit (report): 3000 words. Exceeding a word limit will attract a 5% reduction in your mark. The word count excludes the executive summary, and appendixes.

Due date: 14 May 2014

Assessment criteria (report):

• Logic and flow of argument;
• Ability to present your findings clearly and succinctly;
• Application of key relevant theories and concepts;
• Research skills and use of data to support the analysis;
• Recommendations and tradeoffs identified in analysis;
• Relevance to the topic;
• Effective overall strategy, adequate introduction, body, and conclusion;
• Presentation: word limit; layout; referencing and bibliography.

Presentation length: 15-20 minutes plus questions and answers time.

Due date: 7 May 2014. Power point slides must be submitted to the lecturer by 9 am on 6 May 2014.

Assessment criteria (presentation):

• Research quality;
• Application of CCM concepts in analysing research;
• Creativity in presentation style;
• Stimulating interest for the audience;
• Highlighting key points;
• Handling questions.

Class Participation 10 %

Assessment criteria:

• Participation in class discussions such as for example putting forward one’s point of view with a brief supporting argument; summarising and evaluating ideas/issues that arise from course readings; asking questions directly related to issues/problems discussed in class;
• Participation in in-class group activities.

Final Exam: 45%
There will be a 3 hour exam. It is likely to include essay type questions and a case study.

You are required to submit a soft copy of your assignments as Word.doc(x) file directly to the lecturer at olga.muzychenko@adelaide.edu.au . PDF files and assignments not complying with formatting requirements will not be accepted. 
A hard copy with a signed assignment cover sheet must be submitted to the lecturer in class unless an alternative arrangement was made.

Presentation of Assignments

• Please must retain a copy of all assignments submitted.
• Please attach an ‘Assignment Cover Sheet’, which is signed and dated by you before submission.
• All group assignments must be attached to a ‘Group Assignment Cover Sheet’, which must be signed and dated by all group members before submission. All team members are expected to contribute approximately equally to a group assignment.
• Your assignment must include a title page that indicates your name, student number, email address, course name, course coordinator, assignment topic and word count (excluding executive summary, attachments and appendices). Please note that word limits will be strictly enforced. The word count excludes the executive summary, and appendixes.

Formatting requirements:

• Double spacing with 2.5 cm margins
• Page numbers on each page
• Tables and figures correctly labelled and include titles (note difference between tables and figures!)
• Relevant diagrams should be in the main body of the report only supplementary material in the appendix
• Appendixes (for additional information) attached and labelled.

Lecturers can refuse to accept assignments, which do not have a signed acknowledgement of the University’s policy on plagiarism.

Assignment Guidelines including Referencing Details
A copy of the Postgraduate Programs: Communication Skills Guide will have been given to you at the beginning of your program. This guide will assist you structure your assignments. A copy of the guide can also be downloaded from
http://www.adelaide.edu.au/professions/hub/downloads/MBA-Communication-Skills-Guide.pdf

This publication also provides guidelines on a range of other important communication skills including writing essays and management reports, making oral presentations etc.
In preparing any written piece of assessment for your postgraduate studies it is important to draw on the relevant ‘literature’ to support critical analysis. Also essential is to reference the literature used. Correct referencing is important because it identifies the source of the ideas and arguments that you present, and sometimes the source of the actual words you use, and helps to avoid the problem of plagiarism. (Further information on plagiarism is provided later in this course outline.)
The Harvard system is widely used in the Business School. Guidelines for the use of this style of referencing can be found in the Communication Skills Guide.

Further assistance with referencing is available from the Faculty’s Learning Support Advisors. The contact details are provided on page 6 of the Communication Skills Guide.

Late Assignment Submission and Extensions to Due Dates
Students are expected to submit their work by the due date to maintain a fair and equitable system. Extensions will generally only be given for medical or other serious reasons. All requests for extensions must be emailed to the lecturer in charge of the course before the due date. Each request will be assessed on its merits. A late assignment (without prior arrangement) will be penalised by a 5% mark reduction for each day that it is late.

Return of Assignments
Lecturer’s aim to mark and return assignments to students within two (2) weeks of the due date with written feedback. Students are responsible for collecting their marked assignments from either their tutorials or lectures. If assignments aren’t collected after two (2) weeks, the assignments will be available at the Student Hub for two (2) weeks. The remaining assignments will only be posted out to the students, if the correct mailing addresses are on the assignments.