MA course 'Cross-Cultural Management: China and the West'*

The course compares the different cultural understandings and points to risks and challenges in the communication process between Chinese and Western business partners. On a superordinate level, the course also introduces and critically discusses themes such as:

- hypothesis of cultural homogenization in times of globalization

- complexes of cultural superiority and inferiority

- cultural adaptation strategies etc.

As one important theoretical foundation, taxonomic notions of culture will be juxtaposed with more generative notions of culture that acknowledge cultural hybridity.

The course will investigate the questions outlined above by viewing both English and Chinese language sources. The reading of original Chinese texts (often specific case situations) will be supplemented by theoretical texts written in English on identical or similar subjects. The Chinese vocabulary relevant to the themes and concepts above will also be trained in conversational practice, and the student will be trained in participating in intercultural communication situations and negotiations using Chinese language. Exercises in retrieval of information about cross-cultural management in a Western/Chinese business environment will be an integrated part of the teaching.

Teaching takes the form of lectures, discussions, and exercises. The languages used in teaching are English and Chinese. Considerable active participation is expected from students in relation to preparation, presentation and discussion of suggested readings. Students are encouraged to create study groups in this discipline.

*This course was part of the study programme 'BA and MA in Business, Language, and Culture (Chinese)' offered at the University of Southern Denmark (SDU) between 2007 and 2021. The programme ended in 2021.