Learning Outcomes:
After completing this module students will be able to:
• Understand and reflect on the stages of adjustment to living in a different country.
• Identify a set of relevant survival skills for dealing with situations that are out of one’s ‘comfort zone’.
• Explain the concept of culture and how it affects how individuals view the world.
• Identify and reflect on key socio-cultural values and assumptions of the host culture, and compare and contrast these with some of the socio-cultural values and assumptions of their own cultural framework.
• Demonstrate a high degree of self-awareness and sensitivity towards others of a different cultural background.
• Analyse some of the key business and socio-economic issues facing the host economy and compare and contrast these with the Irish economy.
Indicative Module Content:
Key Topics:
• the concept of culture and how it affects how individuals view the world
• examine and describe how culture works based on cross-cultural interaction in terms of social cognition, cultural norms and scripts, selective perception, stereotypical expectations, differential attributions, the cross-cultural interaction model and finally the nature of motivation across culture
• the culture shock and its impact on international assignments
• the key socio-cultural values and assumptions of the host culture and compare and contrast these with some of the socio-cultural values and assumptions of their own cultural framework
• the organization culture dimensions and management practice of the host country and compare and contrast these with the Irish organization culture.