The objective of this course is to enhance the ability of class members to interact effectively with people from cultures other than their own, specifically in the context of international business. The course is aimed at significantly improving the ability of practicing managers to be effective global managers. The course is concerned with considering the issues and problems of managing in cross-cultural situations, in particular at the people problems that invariably arise in international business relationships. Failure on the part of managers to understand and deal with the difference in attitudes, values and behaviour of those with whom they interact in business transactions consistently has been shown to be a major source of difficulties. The course will involve marrying theories and concepts from the broad fields of culture and international business and applying them to problems typically confronted by managers involved in international business. The course will draw on the existing knowledge and expertise of the class participants to solve problems relevant to them and their organisations. Students will be required to apply relevant research discussed in the course to realistic business cases.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. Analyse an organisation’s internal and external strategically relevant environments by applying appropriate theories, models, and/or frameworks, including to scenarios deriving from students' personal work experience;
2. Formulate appropriate strategies to gain a competitive advantage at both business unit and corporate levels;
3. Compare alternative strategy options; and
4. Communicate strategies or strategic alternatives both in writing and verbally to facilitate organisational decision-making and problem-solving.

Research-Led Teaching

The course is designed to provide students the opportunity to learn and critique extant research in cross-cultural management. Students are expected to show a strong commitment to teamwork and to be open to interesting and challenging cultural discussions based on the case and research article. All assessments require students to have an understanding of extant research in the field. 

Field Trips

Not relevant.

Additional Course Costs

There are no additional costs expected for this course.

Examination Material or equipment

Final exam will be scheduled during the final exam period. This exam will be in person on campus.

Recommended Resources

1) Richard M. Steers and Joyce S. Osland.. Management across Cultures: Challenges, Strategies and Skills, 4th Ed., Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2020

2) F. Luthans, and J.P. Doh. International Management: Culture, Strategy, and Behavior, 11th Ed., McGraw-Hill Irwin, 2021

These books are also available in the library for short term loan.

A copy of the textbook both in hard copy and an e-book format will be held in the ANU library reserve & short loan collection.

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• Written comments
• Verbal comments

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement. The Surveys and Evaluation website provides more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses.

Other Information

Publication of Final Results

The release of final grades may change before the end of the semester. The last return of assessment date (4th Dec 2025) provided in the Assessment Summary table is the latest expected. If results are released earlier, then the assessment item(s) will be returned earlier as well.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Week 1: Culture, Management and Organisation	-Chapters 1 & 2 of Textbook 1-Please refer to the Canvas site for additional weekly reading
2	Week 2: Models of Cross-Cultural Management	-Chapter 2 of Textbook 2-Please refer to the Canvas site for additional weekly reading
3	Week 3: Developing Global Management skills	-Chapter 5 of the Textbook 1-Please refer to the Canvas site for additional weekly reading
4	Week 4: Cross-cultural teams in organisations	-Chapter 9 of the Textbook 1-Please refer to the Canvas site for additional weekly reading
5	Week 5: Intercultural communication in organisations	-Chapter 7 of the Textbook 2-Please refer to the Canvas site for additional weekly reading
6	Week 6: Negotiation and managing conflict across cultures	-Chapter 8 of the Textbook 1-Please refer to the Canvas site for additional weekly reading
7	Week 7: Diversity in Workforce & Acculturation	-Chapter10 of Textbook 1 and Chapter 6 of Textbook 2-Please refer to the Canvas site for additional weekly reading
8	Week 8: Global careers - Expatiation and repatriation	-Chapter 14 of Textbook 2-Please refer to the Canvas site for additional weekly reading
9	Week 9: Leading in a multi-cultural organisation	-Chapter 6 of Textbook 1-Please refer to the Canvas site for additional weekly reading
10	Week 10: Employee-Employer relationships and cross-cultural management	-Chapter 12 of Textbook 2-Please refer to the Canvas site for additional weekly reading
11	Week 11: Future of cross-cultural training & Presentation	-Chapter 12 of Textbook 2-Please refer to the Canvas site for additional weekly reading
12	Week 12: Review & Presentation

Tutorial Registration

There is no tutorial associated with this course.

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
Weekly insight (Individual - 10%)	10 %	*	*	1,2,3,4
In-class group discussion (Group - 10%)	10 %	*	*	1,2,3,4
Group Project (Group - 25%)	25 %	13/10/2025	12/11/2025	1,2,3,4
Individual Reflective Essay (Individual - 10%)	10 %	15/10/2025	12/11/2025	1,4
Final exam (Individual - 45%)	45 %	*	04/12/2025	1,2,3,4

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Misconduct Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Policy and General Information
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website Students may choose not to submit assessment items through Turnitin. In this instance you will be required to submit, alongside the assessment item itself, hard copies of all references included in the assessment item.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Participation

Class format:

In each week, students will be given a 1-1.5 hour pre-recorded lecture video. Students are expected to watch the video before the in-person class.

In each week, there will be a 1.5-2 hour in-person class, during which a range of discussion activities will take place. Attendance at and participation in this in-person class is expected for all teaching weeks.

Note: Attendance, while not compulsory, is expected in line with "Code of Practice for Teaching and Learning", Clause 2 paragraph (b).

Examination(s)

The final exam will be scheduled during the final exam period. This exam will be in person on campus.

Assessment Task 1

Weekly insight (Individual - 10%)

This assignment aims to deepen your understanding of weekly seminar topics by encouraging critical reflection and the application of concepts to real-world scenarios.

You will make one weekly submission for each week from Week 2 to Week 11. Total score of 1 mark per weekly assignment.

Each week, you will:

• Present a real-world case or scenario relevant to the seminar topic. This could be from current events or personal experience.
• Apply seminar concepts to analyze the case. Discuss how the theories or ideas from the seminar provide insight into the case.
• Reflect on what you've learned from this exercise.

Word limit: 150 words (+/- 5%), where an assignment exceeds this word limit, the portion that exceeds the word limit will not be marked. 

Submission file format: Word file

Individual assessment or Group task: Individual Assessment

Late submission is not accepted unless evidence of extenuating circumstances is provided.

Return of assessment date: Marks/feedback will be returned in the following week.

Marking criteria

• Case Relevance & Application (0.5)
• Reflection & Insight (0.5)

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): Students are welcome to use generative AI tools (e.g. GPT-4, DALL-E, Copilot) and other tools (e.g. Grammarly) to support their learning in a way that is consistent with the ANU Academic Integrity principles for use of GenAI. As such, please be aware of the following additional conditions for this assessment task:

• Clearly acknowledge use of Artificial Intelligence in the relevant parts of assessment task
• Submit the deliverable in a format that preserves ‘tracked changes’ (e.g. MS Word, Apple Pages, or similar) that shows the progression of academic effort and contribution towards completing the task.

Assessment Task 2

In-class group discussion (Group - 10%)

Group discussions based on the case and research article will take place from Week 2 to Week 11. Students are required to submit the discussion after each class every week. Feedback will be provided in week 6 and the week after week 12. The discussion in each week is worth 1 mark.

Individual assessment or Group task: Group Assessment

Submission date: Submissions will be made during class from Week 2 to Week 11.

Return of assessment date: Marks will be returned in the following week.

Late submission is not accepted unless evidence of extenuating circumstances is provided.

Marking criteria

Knowledge and Skills Application (1)

• Application of models/theory

(The sureness of your grasp of the conceptual frameworks/theories that have a bearing on the discussion and your ability to apply them to the discussion). 

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): Students are welcome to use generative AI tools (e.g. GPT-4, DALL-E, Copilot) and other tools (e.g. Grammarly) to support their learning in a way that is consistent with the ANU Academic Integrity principles for use of GenAI. As such, please be aware of the following additional conditions for this assessment task:

• Clearly acknowledge use of Artificial Intelligence in the relevant parts of assessment task
• Submit the deliverable in a format that preserves ‘tracked changes’ (e.g. MS Word, Apple Pages, or similar) that shows the progression of academic effort and contribution towards completing the task.

Assessment Task 3

Group Project (Group - 25%)

In this project, your group will explore real cross-cultural experiences beyond the classroom. You will form a diverse team, select a topic, collect field data, and deliver a quality presentation showcasing your findings and analysis.

1) Studying individuals

- Interview people working with multicultural teams (e.g., manager, team leader, immigrant employee). Explore how they manage cultural differences, resolve conflicts, and perceive themselves in cross-cultural interactions.

- Study a group sharing the same cultural background to understand their perception of cultural differences, coping strategies, and effects on interpersonal relationships.

- Investigate a cross-cultural communication issue from multiple group perspectives, revealing insights, differences, and your critical evaluation.

2) Studying organisations

- Analyse how a company, department, or team manages cultural diversity. Include views from both leaders and employees.

The focus should be on interpersonal interactions, reflections on cultural experiences, and your group’s evaluation.

Individual assessment or Group task: Group Assessment

Submission date: PowerPoint slides by 11.59 pm Monday 13/10/2025

Return of assessment date: 12/11/2025

Group presentation: Week 11 and Week 12

Group Formation: Self-selected (Groups of 4 students)

Presentation time: 20 minutes per group. Presentations will be video recorded, which will enable later validation and verification of assessment if required (in accordance with point 7 in the ANU Student Assessment (Coursework) policy). Any material presented after 20 minutes will not be considered for assessment.

Marking Criteria: Marking criteria are detailed in the assignment brief.

• Knowledge and skills application
• Critical thinking and reflection
• Presentation

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): Students are welcome to use generative AI tools (e.g. GPT-4, DALL-E, Copilot) and other tools (e.g. Grammarly) to support their learning in a way that is consistent with the ANU Academic Integrity principles for use of GenAI. As such, please be aware of the following additional conditions for this assessment task:

• Clearly acknowledge use of Artificial Intelligence in the relevant parts of assessment task
• Submit the deliverable in a format that preserves ‘tracked changes’ (e.g. MS Word, Apple Pages, or similar) that shows the progression of academic effort and contribution towards completing the task.

Assessment Task 4

Individual Reflective Essay (Individual - 10%)

Individual Reflective Essay

Each student will write an essay reflecting on their personal experiences with cross-cultural interactions throughout this semester. You should analyse how you communicated and collaborated with team members from different cultural backgrounds, identifying what went well and what challenges you faced. Reflect on your own behaviours and attitudes, and consider how they influenced the group dynamics. Connect your experiences to relevant theories and concepts discussed in class, explaining how these frameworks help you understand both your own and others’ actions. Finally, discuss strategies you used or plan to use to improve your cross-cultural communication skills moving forward.

This assignment aims to help you think critically about your behaviour and enhance your cross-cultural interaction skills. More detailed instructions will be provided in class.

Individual assessment or Group task: Individual Assessment

Word limit: 1000 words + or - 10% excluding references. Any portion that exceeds the word allowance will not be marked

Submission date: 11.59 pm Wednesday 15/10/2025

Return of assessment date: 12/11/2025

Late submission penalty: A 5% penalty per business day (or part of) will be deducted from the total marks.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): Students are welcome to use generative AI tools (e.g. GPT-4, DALL-E, Copilot) and other tools (e.g. Grammarly) to support their learning in a way that is consistent with the ANU Academic Integrity principles for use of GenAI. As such, please be aware of the following additional conditions for this assessment task:

• Clearly acknowledge use of Artificial Intelligence in the relevant parts of assessment task
• Submit the deliverable in a format that preserves ‘tracked changes’ (e.g. MS Word, Apple Pages, or similar) that shows the progression of academic effort and contribution towards completing the task.

Assessment Task 5

Final exam (Individual - 45%)

Students are expected to read and study all assigned readings. The test will comprise multiple-choice questions (MCQs), short answer questions, and essay questions. The test content will pull heavily from assigned readings, lecture notes, and class discussions. In the exam, you will be asked to go beyond factual knowledge by integrating what you have learned into a bigger picture of cross-cultural differences and by applying your knowledge and experience to practical cross-cultural management problems.

Exam Date: The exam will be scheduled during the final exam period

Exam Venue: To be advised by the Examinations Office

Duration: 3 hrs + 10 minutes reading time

Permitted Materials: No references allowed (closed book)

Exam Type: In-person invigilated exam

Estimated return date: Marked exams will be available after the release of final grades.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of our culture as a community of scholars. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically. This means that all members of the community commit to honest and responsible scholarly practice and to upholding these values with respect and fairness. The Australian National University commits to embedding the values of academic integrity in our teaching and learning. We ensure that all members of our community understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. The ANU expects staff and students to uphold high standards of academic integrity and act ethically and honestly, to ensure the quality and value of the qualification that you will graduate with. The University has policies and procedures in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Visit the following Academic honesty & plagiarism website for more information about academic integrity and what the ANU considers academic misconduct. The ANU offers a number of services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. The Academic Skills and Learning Centre offers a number of workshops and seminars that you may find useful for your studies.

Online Submission

The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.

Hardcopy Submission

No hard copy submission would be required for this course.

Late Submission

Assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% per working day. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days of the due date.

Requests for Assessment Adjustment (Assessment Extension and Extenuating Circumstances Application) should be submitted via ANUHub.

Referencing Requirements

Accepted academic practice for referencing sources that you use in presentations can be found via the links on the Wattle site, under the file named “ANU and College Policies, Program Information, Student Support Services and Assessment”. Alternatively, you can seek help through the Students Learning Development website.

Returning Assignments

Please see relevant assessment task details above.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure The Course Convener may grant extensions for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Resubmission of Assignments

Unless specified otherwise in the assignment requirements, resubmissions are permitted up until the due date and time, but not allowed afterwards.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information. In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service — including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy. If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes. Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Diversity and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students