Given the increasingly intercultural and globally connected nature of business, management and organisations, this module provides opportunities for you to question and reflect on your own practice and to develop ways of managing and leading which are appropriate in different national and regional settings. By offering new (cross-national) perspectives on leadership and management you are also challenged to rethink your own practices in your current setting. This module addresses issues facing managers and leaders working in intercultural contexts and supports you to develop skills, competencies and knowledge to thrive and to get the best from colleagues, partners and associates.
What you will study
This module aims to help leaders and managers develop as intercultural mediators who are able to engage with the complexities of the global arena by transforming ideas, goals and practices into forms which are meaningful and workable in local settings; appreciating and understanding difference and avoiding stereotyping. It builds on the groundwork done in MBA stage 1: management perspectives and practice (B716) and complements the strategy, and finance modules by developing an understanding of the ways in which management practices need adaptation in different cultural and institutional contexts. More specifically the learning outcomes of this elective are to:
- develop increased critical understanding of cultural and institutional differences between national and regional contexts and their implications for leadership and management
- develop the skills of perspective-taking and reframing that enable you to recast ideas in and challenges in ways which work in different national and regional contexts
- use other cultural and institutional perspectives as a lens to construct a more critical understanding of your own context and management and leadership practice
- develop skills in accessing information on different national and regional contexts and drawing implications for the effective practice of management and leadership in those settings
- develop a foundation for key competencies in managing across cultural and institutional contexts including: cultural intelligence; brokering; and recasting ideas and practices in terms which make sense in particular local contexts.
The content of this module is aimed at:
- managers and leaders either already working in or wishing to work in cross-national settings be they in MNCs, governmental organisations, NGOs, not for profit organisations or SMEs;
- those who need to expand their understanding of the challenges of international management.
The module covers the following three main themes:
Theme 1: Understanding culture’s effects
This theme explores different approaches to understanding cultures. The study materials encourage you to critically engage with these approaches based on your own knowledge and experience. Activities explore different concepts of management and leadership in different cultures and the expectations they raise in different cultural settings.
Theme 2: Understanding the role of social, political and economic institutions
Drawing on a varieties of capitalism approach, this section looks at the ways in which institutions such as labour markets, forms of firm governance, legal systems, differences in the rule of law, and the structure of inter-firm collaboration and competition affect the practices and challenges of leadership and management. Activities encourage you to explore the ways in which the business, social, economic and political environments affect your own experience of leadership and management.
Theme 3: Putting it into practice: cross-cultural leadership capabilities
This theme explores the implications of what you have learned for your own practice and uses, with a series of self-assessment tools to evaluate and assess your own strengths and development needs in relation to the challenges of intercultural leadership and management.
Supporting learning activities
While there is some reading involved in the module, much of the learning is through activities and investigations, on your own and in collaboration with others. These activities will involve you in gathering and interpreting evidence to better understand different cultural settings and in engaging with others to build your own skills in operating in intercultural contexts. A significant proportion of marks are allocated for effective participation in these activities.
Vocational relevance
The module is relevant to any managerial career. It has particular relevance if you are considering or already have an international career or if your managerial and leadership role involves interaction with or within intercultural or intracultural organisations or contexts.
Entry
You will need to ensure that you have the knowledge and experience to study at postgraduate level. Please note that if you wish to study this module as part of a qualification you must meet the entry requirements for that qualification and any requirements regarding the order of study.
The module requires 150 hours of study over six months.
You will also need an appropriate facility in English language, sufficient to be able to work effectively at postgraduate level; generally this means capability equivalent to an International English Language Test System (IELTS) score of 6.5. To assess your English language skills in relation to your proposed studies you can visit the IELTS website. If you are unsure whether your skill level in English is adequate you may find it helpful to look at our Skills for OU Study site.
If you have any doubt about the suitability of the module, please speak to an adviser.
Qualifications
BB848 is an optional module in our:
Excluded combinations
Sometimes you will not be able to count a module towards a qualification if you have already taken another module with similar content. To check any excluded combinations relating to this module, visit our excluded combination finder or check with an adviser before registering.
If you have a disability
Elements of this module are delivered online and include the use of real-time online discussions and an interactive whiteboard space; consequently time spent using a computer and the internet will be extensive. If you use assistive technology or have a hearing or speech impairment and have concerns about accessing this type of virtual environment and materials you should contact The Open University to discuss it further before registering.
The written transcripts of most audio components and Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) versions of printed material are available. Some Adobe PDF components may not be available or fully accessible using a screen reader. Alternative formats of the study materials may be available in the future.
Study materials
What's included
An extensive variety of specially written resources presented in different media (print and online) and designed exclusively for this module, audio-visual material, published articles, case-studies, a set of interactive tools to help you develop your management thinking abilities and access to The Open University library.
Computing requirements
You’ll need broadband internet access and a desktop or laptop computer with an up-to-date version of Windows (10 or 11) or macOS Ventura or higher.
Any additional software will be provided or is generally freely available.
To join in spoken conversations in tutorials, we recommend a wired headset (headphones/earphones with a built-in microphone).
Our module websites comply with web standards, and any modern browser is suitable for most activities.
Our OU Study mobile app will operate on all current, supported versions of Android and iOS. It’s not available on Kindle.
It’s also possible to access some module materials on a mobile phone, tablet device or Chromebook. However, as you may be asked to install additional software or use certain applications, you’ll also require a desktop or laptop, as described above.
Teaching and assessment
Support from your tutor
You will have a tutor who will help you with the study material and mark and comment on your assignments and whom you can ask for advice and guidance. You will contact your tutor by telephone, email or via your tutor group forum on the BB848 website.
Contact us if you want to know more about study with The Open University before you register.
Assessment
The assessment details can be found in the facts box above.
You must use the online eTMA system to submit your tutor-marked assignment (TMA) and end-of-module assessment (EMA).
Future availability
Leadership and management in intercultural contexts starts once a year – in November. This page describes the module that will start in November 2020 when we expect it to start for the last time.
Regulations
As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the academic regulations which are available on our
Student Policies and Regulations website.