Topic outline

  • General

    NOTE!!! Exam on Mon 21 March from 16:00 to 19:00 will be held in ROOM U4 (not in U9 as earlier indicated).


    Responsible teachers:
    Anne Kankaanranta (anne.kankaanranta@aalto.fi) and
    Marketta Majapuro (marketta.majapuro@aalto.fi)

    Readings in Business and Intercultural Communication is only for students studying according to the 2005 degree regulations. The course is based on self-study and an exam - there is no teaching. Registration for the exam, via WebOodi, is obligatory, but it is the only thing you need to register for.

    The book exams will be held on the following dates:
    Friday, 6th November, 2015 from 14.00 p.m. to 17:00 p.m.

    in Otaniemi, room U4.

    Monday, 21 March, 2016 from 16:00 p.m. to 19:00 p.m.
    in Otaniemi, room U4 (not in U9 as earlier indicated) 


    You can find learning objectives and a list of course readings under Materials on this MyCourses page. You can also find some info about the exam.
     
    Please contact Anne or Marketta if you have any questions. If you have any trouble accessing the articles, you can ask the Aalto library staff for help.

  • For Aalto users

    Not available unless: Your Email address contains @aalto.fi

  • Materials

  • Exam

    When you study for the exam, concentrate on central concepts and ideas, and on issues you think might be useful to know in later working life. Search the web for any (central) concepts you do not understand.

    The exam may have different types of tasks and questions. For example, the questions may require essay style answers or you may be asked to define and explain some key terms and concepts related to intercultural communication.
     
    The grammar and spelling of your responses will not be graded, as the focus is on content. However, try to make your point as clear as possible, consider your reader and plan your answers to make them coherent. These factors will affect the grading.

    If you feel you would like to refresh your essay writing skills, you could check this Purdue University website: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/737/1/

    Please note: you are not allowed to use a dictionary or any other materials in the exam.

  • Learning Objectives

    In today's business environment employees face constant communication and cultural challenges. They have to deal with different cultures and communication styles when meeting face to face, interacting in social media, and participating in or leading multinational (virtual) teams.

    The aim of the course is to deepen the students' knowledge of current research in the versatile and changing field of business and intercultural communication.

    Learning outcomes

    By the end of the course students will:

    • comprehend the interrelationship of culture, communication, and identity
    • have developed an understanding of the most pertinent communication issues in international business
    • identify different strategies for dealing with intercultural challenges
    • have become familiar with theoretical concepts as well as research methods from the various disciplines of intercultural business studies.
    Content

    The selected articles offer different frameworks for understanding the role of culture and language in intercultural business communication. The articles deal with the key concepts of cultural identity work and intercultural intelligence, relationship building and knowledge sharing across cultures in virtual teams, key communication competences of intercultural qualified multinational team leaders, and English as Business Lingua Franca (BELF). Most of the articles focus on discourse practices in intercultural business communication but some of them address specific contexts such as mergers and acquisitions, website design, business negotiations, and crisis communication.