MGT431401 Fall 2019 Dr.

Hassi

COURSE SYLLABUS

Course Cross-Cultural Management Pre- MGT 3301

Title requisites
Course MGT 4314 01 Credit 3
Code
Class M/W/F 9 – 9:50 am Required Understanding Cross-Cultural
Hours Textbook Management, by Marie-Joelle
Browaeys & Roger Price, Pearson,
2015, 3d edition.
Professor Dr. Abderrahman Hassi Office Building 10, Room 005
Office M/W/F: 11am – 12:30pm. Contact Ext. 2334
Hours* T/Tr: 8:45am – 9:30am Details A.Hassi@aui.ma
&11am - 12:30pm.

Notes: *Appointments need to be scheduled by email. All course-related announcements will be made
in class.

1. Course Description

Globalization has yielded an unprecedented increase in interaction between organizations and

business people from different cultures and countries. Working effectively and efficiently
across cultures is no longer an asset but rather a necessity for individuals in order to be
successful in the global business environment and for organizations to reach a global
competitive advantage. This course aims at expanding students’ global mindset and providing
them with frameworks, knowledge and practical tools that would enable them to understand the
effects of national culture on management practices. The course addresses issues related to
culture and management such as cultural determinants and dimensions; variations of
management styles across national cultures; culture and communication; and influence of
culture on business strategy.

2. Course ILOs
BBA Program Learning Course ILO Metric (What) Course Assessment Metric (How)
Goals/Objectives

1. Ethical: Make decisions ethically

a Understand ethical concepts Students will be able to understand and Assessed through assignments and
including sustainability and identify (un)ethical practices and readings on the topic
concepts of corporate social behaviors across national cultures.
responsibility [Understanding]

2. Successful: Display skills and competencies of successful business decision makers

a Comprehend and apply general BA Students will be able to understand Assessed through case studies and
concepts, methods and techniques theoretical cultural approaches and exams.
[Understanding, Applying] frameworks in cross-cultural
management.

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c Use modern IT tools effectively Students will be able to demonstrate Assessed through oral
[Applying] proficiency with presentation tools such presentations.
as MS PowerPoint or Prezi.

d Communicate effectively orally and Students will be able to display Assessed through presentations and
in writing [Creating] effective writing and presentation skills. individual report.

e Work effectively within a team Students will be able to display Assessed through team projects and
[Applying, Analyzing, Evaluating, effective group skills and competencies. presentations.
Creating]

3. Manager: Demonstrate managerial qualities

a Understand the functions of a Students will be able to understand Assessed through case studies and
manager including planning, basic roles and functions of managers exams
organizing, motivating, controlling, across various national cultures.
and evaluating (Understanding)
b Discern relevant data for Students will be able to search for data Assessed through case studies and
managerial decision-making in various sources and select relevant written assignments.
[Applying, Analyzing, Evaluating] data for decision making in cross-
cultural management.
4. Leader: Understand and demonstrate leadership qualities
a Recognize and comprehend Students will be able to understand the Assessed using case studies and
common leadership theories and influence of national culture on exams.
models (Remembering, leadership styles.
Understanding)

5. Local: Understand the Moroccan business environment

a Understand the local business Students will be able to analyze and Assessed through case studies and
environment and its challenges evaluate how international companies individual report.
(Understanding) and expatriates can effectively operate
in Morocco.

6. Global: Comprehend the global business environment

a Understand the global business Students will be able to understand the Assessed through case studies and
environment and challenges influence of culture on management exams.
[Understanding] practices.

b Analyze global case studies Students will be able to analyze Assessed through case studies and
(Applying, Analyzing) common situations and issues that exams.
managers and expatriates face when
working internationally.

3. Course Resources

 Required textbook: Understanding Cross-Cultural Management, by Marie-Joelle

Browaeys & Roger Price, Pearson, 2019, 4th edition.

 Recommended textbook: Management Interculturel: Concepts, Approches,

Problématiques et Pratiques, by A. Hassi, M.A. Balambo & K. Limamy (2016), El
Maarif Al Jadida, Rabat. The Moroccan context is the main area of focus of this book.

 Supplementary material/handouts.

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4. Class Schedule & Course Outline

Week Start Course Content Assignments

Date

1 Sept 2 Course Introduction – Syllabus

Determinants of Culture Chapter 1 of required text

2 Sept 9 Determinants of Culture (cont’d) Chapter 1 of required text

Cultural Dimensions and Dilemmas Chapter 5 of required text

3 Sept 16 Cultural Dimensions and Dilemmas Chapter 5 of required text

(cont’d)

4 Sept 23 Dimensions of Culture Chapter 2 of required text

5 Sept 30 Topic of Term Project Selection 1-page written reflection

Presentations
Dimensions of Culture (cont’d) Chapter 2 of required text
6 Oct 7 Cultures and Styles of Management Chapter 6 of required text

7 Oct 14 Mid-Term Exam

Culture and Leadership Chapter 8 of required text

8 Oct 21 Chapter 8 of required text

Culture and Leadership (cont’d)

9 Oct 28 Culture and Strategy Chapter 9 of required text

10 Nov 4 Reflection on Project Presentations 3-page written reflection

11 Nov 11 Reflection on Project Presentations

(cont’d) Chapter 13 of required text
Business Communication across
Cultures
12 Nov 18 Business Communication across Chapter 13 of required text
Cultures (cont’d)
13 Nov 25 Negotiating Internationally Chapter 14 of required text

14 Dec 2 Negotiating Internationally (cont’d) Chapter 14 of required text

Working with International teams Chapter 15 of required text

15 Dec 9 Working with International teams Chapter 15 of required text

(cont’d)

16 Dec 16 Final Exam As scheduled by

Enrollment Services

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5. Teaching Method

The teaching method consists of presenting the main content in class, involving learners in
active exchange to enhance their analytical and critical competencies, consolidate the course
content through assignments and tests, and provide learners with opportunities to practice and
integrate the new skills in individual and team projects. The course material is designed based
on course and program requirements as well as learners’ level and needs.

Learning styles are diverse; hence, different activities are carried out to accommodate all
students. Some learn efficiently by reading the material, others benefit best from attending
lectures, delivering presentations, through hands-on projects, working on assignments or
preparing for examinations. Therefore, the course is designed in such a way to meet these
diverse styles, and assessment tools are as diverse: class participation, case study analyses,
exams, presentations, and projects.

Expectations of students’ role in the course and ways how the course objectives can be met are
discussed in the first class. Students’ feedback is highly encouraged as it constantly allows
improving the course.

6. Course Grading & Evaluation

Grades will be assigned to six types of activities as follows:

Activity Course Description

Weight
Individual Participation 10 points Participation in all course-related
discussions, assignments, etc.

Preliminary Position Papers 10 points A personal reflection on each case study that
(PPPs) will be presented in class by classmates
Case Study Analysis and 15 points Case study analysis and presentation
Presentation
Mid-Term Exam 20 points Closed-book exam in class

Individual Project: 20 points Analysis of a managerial issue or problem

Topic selection (4 points)
Reflection (6 points)
Written report (10 points)

Final Exam 25 points Closed-book exam in class

 Individual Participation

Assiduity and punctuality are required from each student, but are not enough. All students are
expected to participate actively in class work to receive a participation grade (10%). Active
participation is neither about monopolizing communication nor being right all the time. It is
rather about showing interest in issues being discussed as well as in other students’ ideas by
giving value-adding comments and insights. This component is entirely the responsibility of

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the professor who is the only judge of the relevance of a student’s participation and who decides
of the grade it deserves. Class attendance and punctuality are expected. Absences and lack of
punctuality will affect your final grade.

 Preliminary Position Papers (PPPs)

Students’ preparation is critical with the business case method as what they put into it
determines what they will get out of it. Therefore, all non-presenting students are required to
individually complete and submit a Preliminary Position Paper (PPP). The latter consists of
writing a one page-reflection on the situation described in the case and linking it to the topic
and theories discussed in the chapter. Each student is required to hand in a hard copy of their
PPP to the instructor at the beginning of the session during which the assigned case will be
presented and discussed. Soft copies are not accepted. Every student has to hand in her/his
own hard copy. The PPP submissions are graded and represent 10 per cent of the course overall
grade.

 Case Study Analysis and Presentation

During the semester, teams of students will analyze a case study and present it to the class. The
number of students per team will depend on class enrollment. Each team will present a 20-
minute interactive oral presentation analyzing a case study assigned by the instructor.

The presenting team will need to respond to questions from the class during their presentation. The
evaluation of the presentation will be based on the following criteria: 1) Content (thoroughness
and depth of the analysis); and 2) Delivery (organization and structure of presentation, use of
visuals, and handling of questions).

Attendance during the presentations is mandatory for all students registered in the course. At
this time, students are required to provide constructive critical and relevant questions prepared
in advance to challenge the analyses of the presenters.

Failing to answer any random question related to the presented case content by any
member of the team will imply that the work is not their own and hence will be considered
as plagiarism.

 Mid-Term Exam

Mid-way through the course, a written exam will be administered to students. It consists of
several course-related questions.

 Individual Project

Each student will select a course-related topic to work on during the semester under the
supervision of the professor. Students may choose any theme or topic related to cross-cultural
management and apply it to the Moroccan context such as the effects of the Moroccan national
culture on leadership or decision making or strategy or business negotiation. Secondary and/or
primary data will need to be collected. Students will present the rationale for the selection of
their topic in a 1-page written reflection and a 5-minute oral presentation on September 30,
2019; this topic selection assignment counts for 4% of the overall course grade.

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Students will submit a reflection on their learning experience in a 3-page written document and
a 7-minute oral presentation on November 4, 2019; this assignment includes a critique of the
research process, discussion of the key points of the paper, challenges encountered by the
student and how they were overcome; this assignment counts for 6% of the overall course grade.

Each student will submit a soft copy of the written report no later than November 29, 2019.
Due dates for assignments are non-negotiable. Assignments submitted late will be penalized –
10% per day up to 4 days maximum. All written assignments must comply with the following
format to receive full credit: Times New Roman, 12-point font size; 1.5 line spacing; 2.5cm
right and left margins; justified right and left text (full justification); page numbers; title page;
table of contents; and standard bibliography. The structure of the paper should be as follows:
introduction (1 page); methodology (1 page); description (collected data; minimum 4 pages);
discussion (minimum 4 pages); and conclusion (1 page). A minimum of five (5) scholarly
articles must be used and cited in the paper.

Ideas must be expressed clearly in grammatically correct English. As per the length of the paper,
there is no pre-determined number of pages; ‘’quality over quantity’’ is the evaluation criterion
that is used in this regard. The project will be graded on how well you applied the concepts of
the course, how thorough the research was, how well you presented your findings and the
conclusions, and on the overall structure of the paper.

 Final Exam

A final exam will test students’ grasp of the materials discussed in class and in the assigned
readings. It will consist of several course-related questions.

To successfully pass the course, students must earn at least 70% of the total possible points.
The grades breakdown is:

Grading Scale

A+ 97-100 %
A 93 -96 %
A- 90-92 %
B+ 87-89 %
B 83-86 %
B- 80-82 %
C+ 77-79 %
C 73-76 %
C- 70-72 %
D (FAIL) < 69 %

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7. Cheating Policy

The words and ideas of authors and others must be properly referenced. Cheating of any kind,
including plagiarism is NOT tolerated. Issues of academic Integrity, cheating, plagiarism,
falsifying documents, and/or disciplinary dismissal will be addressed as indicated in the AUI
catalogue, pages 94-95.

8. Disruptive Classroom Behavior

Students who disrupt the flow of the class and interfere with the learning process of their
classmates through, for instance, using their electronic gadgets, leaving the classroom in the
middle of lectures and chatting during class will be accorded an F grade for the entire course
by an SBA disciplinary committee.

9. Attendance Policy

Attendance has been shown to be a key factor in academic success. Any absence, regardless of
the reason, will prevent the student from getting the full benefit of the course. Therefore,
students should recognize the advantages of regular and punctual class attendance, accept it as
a personal responsibility, and apprise themselves of the consequences of poor attendance.

Policy: Absences are controlled by faculty members. The number of absences for whatever
reason (except as indicated in points 1.1, 1.2, and 1.3) is taken into account in the final grade.

1. Excused Absences
Students may be authorized by instructors to be absent from class for institutional reasons as
specified in 1.1, and 1.2 below. However, the instructor may deny the student permission to be
absent if the student’s academic performance is not judged to be adequate. Once approved,
these absences should not count in the student’s absence record. Instructors should be informed
before the absence to agree with the student on a suitable time and manner for a make-up should
it be necessary. A maximum of three of these absences per semester could be authorized.

1.1 External Events: student must submit a completed and signed form from the Office of
Student Activities to the instructor. Examples of these absences include participation in
university-sponsored sports, cultural or other events as a University representative.

1.2 Field Trips as part of a class requirement or as authorized by a Dean: the Dean’s assistant
of the school offering or authorizing the trip should sign the absence request form.

1.3 In case of protracted illness or emergency condition necessitating hospitalization,

students may exceptionally appeal to the Dean of Student Affairs so as not to be dropped from
a course. However, extended illness may lead to the semester not being validated.

No other justification will be accepted. Students should be prepared in case they have to be
absent for personal or family reasons.

2. Impact of absences on grades

Each unauthorized absence shall result in one grade being deducted from the class
participation grade up to the limit set in section 3 below when a WF is assigned.

3. Ceilings before a WF is assigned

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When a student exceeds the ceiling of absences, the instructor may sign an administrative
withdrawal form. The ceiling of absences is fixed to 5 absences if the class meets twice a week
(Tuesday and Thursday OR Monday and Wednesday); it is fixed to 7 absences if the class
meets three times a week (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday).

4. Pre-authorized absences
Notification of planned absences using the Absence Requests Form available at the Student
Activities Office must be delivered to the instructor, with permission signed and dated by the
instructor.

Once notified of planned absence, the instructor should inform the student of the deadline for
completion of any missed assignment or examination where applicable. Make-up
examinations, if necessary and acceptable to the instructor, shall be at a time and place
mutually agreed upon by the instructor and students.

4.1 Each week an email will be generated from the system to all students informing them about
their absence record. The Dean of Student Affairs or his representative will monitor the system
and call in students with an attendance problem and direct them to the proper assistance service.
4.2 During the Add and drop period, no absence is accepted in a course; add and drop should
be done outside class time.
4.3 In case of a late registration, students assume full responsibility for their absences as
recorded from the first day of classes.

5. Administrative Withdrawal
When a student has exceeded the maximum number of absences according to the mentioned
ceiling (except as stated in points 1.1 and 1.2); the instructor has the right to drop a student
from a course with a “WF” grade. Special hardship cases as stated in 1.3 above may be
referred by the Vice President for Student Affairs to the Dean/Director’s appreciation.
The “Administrative withdrawal form” must reach the Registrar’s Office at least 5 days prior
to the first day of final exams.

10. Academic Resources

Various academic resources are available to students such as tutoring service, writing center,
language help (catalogue pages 83-84), counseling services (catalogue page 77), and other
student support such as Center for Learning Excellence and Counseling (catalogue page 77).

11. Syllabus Modification

The instructor of the course reserves the right to modify the syllabus, the course contents, the
graded assignments and the course schedule at any time during the semester. While, students
will be notified of any modification, they are also expected to regularly check the course site
on Jenzabar d throughout the semester.

12. Miscellaneous

Reference letters will be provided, upon request, to students who:

(1) get at least an ‘‘A’’ in the overall course grade;
(2) make an outstanding contribution to the course activities; and
(3) provide a one pager describing their contribution to the course.