The Business School BA Hons Business Studies BABS Welcome

1
Education for Sustainable DevelopmentGraduates
as Global Citizens
Developing International ManagersReflections on
10 years of Teaching Cross-Cultural Capabilityin
the Business School
Mark Ridolfo Senior Lecturer in Cross-Cultural
Management The Business School Bournemouth
University, UK
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A little background . . .

• Degree in French and German (Aston)
• Licence in English with French and German
  (Orléans)
• Diploma in Management Studies (Bournemouth)
• Lived in France for 3 years (fluent French
  speaker)
• Lived in Germany for 6 months (rusty German
  speaker)
• Lived in Italy for 1 month
• Visiting Lecturer to CEIBS (Shanghai) for 9
  years
• Some knowledge of Italian, Spanish, Japanese
  Chinese
• Have travelled extensively in Europe,
  Australasia S.E.Asia
• Responsible for international affairs in
  Business School
• Framework Leader for UG Business and Management

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The Institutional Vision

• We are committed to fostering a global outlook.
  We will encourage internationally significant
  research, the recruitment of students and staff
  with experience of a wide range of countries and
  cultures, the development of opportunities for
  international engagement by students and staff,
  the delivery of a curriculum which prepares for
  global employability, the establishment of
  strategically significant international
  partnerships and active engagement with
  appropriate networks and initiatives within
  Europe and beyond.
• Bournemouth University Strategic Plan
  (08/09-11/12)

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Agenda

• Introduction
• Cross-Cultural Capability in the Business School
• Lessons learned
• What and where next?
• Q A / Discussion

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Employability in the 21st century

• "Final-year students should be aware that nearly
  half of graduate recruiters expect to face
  difficulties in fulfilling recruitment objectives
  - with the largest factor being a lack of
  applicants with the right skills.
• Employers are looking for graduates who can
  demonstrate softer skills, such as team working,
  cultural awareness, leadership and communication
  skills, as well as academic achievement.
• Chief executive of the AGR, Carl Gilleard
• (Ford, The Guardian - 07.02.07)

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Cross-Cultural Capability in the Business School

• 3 units (all team-taught)
• International Awareness and Management Ethics
  (Level C)
• Working in an International Context (Level I)
• International Management (Level H)
• Cultural and linguistic sensitivity / fluency
• Ethical challenges in (international) management
• CSR, sustainability, international HRM
• Focus on evolution of English as a lingua franca
• Culture-specific and culture-general approaches
  used
• Ethnocentrism and stereotyping highlighted
  throughout
• Focus on development of interpersonal /
  transferable skills
• Multi-faceted assessment

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Overview The International Jigsaw
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What makes an effective international manager
what we aim to develop and assess

• Ability to see the big picture
• Cultural sensitivity
• Curiosity
• Ethical management
• Language ability - English and foreign languages
• Empathy and respect for others
• Recognition of knowledge and educational gaps
• Adaptability and flexibility
• Tolerance of ambiguity, uncertainty and
  complexity
• Experience of having lived and worked abroad

Conceived and adapted by Ridolfo, M (03-09)
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What makes an effective international manager
what we aim to develop and assess

• A bility to see the big picture
• C ultural sensitivity
• C uriosity
• E thical management
• L anguage ability - English and foreign
  languages
• E mpathy and respect for others
• R ecognition of knowledge and educational gaps
• A daptability and flexibility
• T olerance of ambiguity, uncertainty and
  complexity
• E xperience of having lived and worked abroad

Conceived and adapted by Ridolfo, M (03-09)
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Cross-Cultural CapabilityExample ILOs

• Understanding of, and ability to apply, the
  principles of effective communication in a
  cross-cultural context (C)
• Appreciation of occasions where unethical
  behaviour might occur and the range of managerial
  practices possible to encourage ethical behaviour
  (C)
• Understanding of the nature and complexity of
  social responsibility and ability to apply
  methodologies to critically examine moral,
  social, environmental and economic dilemmas (I)
• Critical understanding of cultural differences in
  business protocol, organisational behaviour and
  management culture (I)
• A critical appreciation of the nature and
  complexity of International Organisations and
  Management issues (H)
• An ability to contribute effectively to the
  formulation, communication and implementation of
  management policy and practice in both national
  and international contexts (H)

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Cross-Cultural CapabilityLearning and
Assessment Philosophy

• Professional / real life focus - balancing
  theory and practice
• Range of delivery methods, including E-Learning /
  Assessment
• Active and interactive learning environment
  role play, simulations etc
• Emphasis on critical reflection, through, for
  example, self and peer assessment
• Some engineering of assignment groups / pairs

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Cross-Cultural Capability at BU Example
assignments

• Group presentation students play the role of
  business consultants / trainers, advising a UK
  audience on how to enter, and conduct everyday
  business interactions in, a specific foreign
  market (C)
• Online group negotiation students negotiate
  virtually with representatives from an
  (initially undisclosed) Eastern culture, thus
  requiring them to adapt their persuasion skills
  and cultural expectations (I)
• Report students write a briefing report on the
  business and management in two contrasting
  countries, focusing on everyday business
  interactions (I)
• Face-to-face negotiation a pair of students must
  explore and seek to resolve a complex
  cross-cultural business conflict, by using
  appropriate communicative and suasive techniques
  (role play with tutor) (H)
• Group presentation students prepare and deliver
  a cultural briefing, as well as a training
  programme to a client, which will be sending a
  manager overseas (H)

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Lessons learned

• Students enjoy this subject when taught
  enthusiastically and knowledgeably (IAME and
  WiaIC are the highest-scoring units on C/I)
• Many students have fascinating life experiences,
  which they are happy to discuss when prompted
• Students increasingly struggle with the more
  complex material, due to a lack of wider reading
  (e.g. current affairs). Up-to-date and
  interesting case studies, to which they can
  relate, are key
• Students resent being preached at or told what
  to think. They want material delivered
  objectively and to be able to form their own
  views
• Students engage particularly well with practical
  assignments. Such assignments need not be
  lightweight. My assignments are hybrids
• For group-based work, students respond extremely
  positively and maturely to Self and Peer
  Assessment, provided the system is carefully
  explained and well-managed.

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What and where next?

• Materials date quickly my units need refreshing
  (when?)
• At present, there is little integration between
  the two halves of each unit. However, this
  year, we will be running an integrated assignment
  for International Management and we aim to
  develop similar for the other units in 10-11
• The number of Business Studies students taking
  the final-year option remains disappointingly low
  how we can encourage more to take this route?

15
Education for Sustainable DevelopmentGraduates
as Global Citizens
Developing International ManagersReflections on
10 years of Teaching Cross-Cultural Capabilityin
the Business School
Thank you for your attention Any Questions?
Mark Ridolfo Senior Lecturer in Cross-Cultural
Management The Business School Bournemouth
University, UK