Developing People Internationally Approaches and Materials Mark Ridolfo

Developing People Internationally Approaches and Materials Mark Ridolfo Senior Lecturer in Cross-Cultural Management The Business School Bournemouth University, UK www. bournemouth. ac. uk

A little background. . . • • • Degree in French and German (Aston) Licence in English with French and German (Orléans) Diploma in Management Studies (Bournemouth) Lived in France for 3 years (fluent French speaker) Lived in Germany for 6 months (rusty (!) German speaker) Lived in Italy for 1 month Have taught in China (Shanghai) for 8 years Some knowledge of Italian, Spanish, Japanese & Chinese Have travelled extensively in Europe and Australasia Responsible for international affairs in Business School www. bournemouth. ac. uk

The Institutional Vision “We are committed to fostering a global outlook. To facilitate this, we will encourage internationally significant research; the recruitment of students and staff with experience of a wide range of countries and cultures; the development of opportunities for international engagement for all students and staff; the delivery of a curriculum which prepares for global employability; the establishment of strategically significant international partnerships and active engagement”. Bournemouth University Corporate Strategy (June 2006) www. bournemouth. ac. uk

Agenda q Globally employable graduates? q Cross-Cultural Capability at BU q Assessment – YOU choose the case study! q Q & A / Discussion www. bournemouth. ac. uk

Employability in the 21 st century "Final-year students should be aware that nearly half of [graduate] recruiters expect to face difficulties in fulfilling recruitment objectives - with the largest factor being a lack of applicants with the right skills. Employers are … looking for graduates who can demonstrate softer skills, such as team working, cultural awareness, leadership and communication skills, as well as academic achievement”. Chief executive of the AGR, Carl Gilleard (Ford, The Guardian - 07. 02. 07) www. bournemouth. ac. uk

Cross-Cultural Capability at BU ü 8 modules across 9 programmes ü Modules delivered from Level C to M ü Emphasis on cultural and linguistic sensitivity / fluency ü Culture-specific and culture-general approaches used ü Ethnocentrism and stereotyping highlighted throughout ü Focus on role and evolution of English as a lingua franca ü Embedding of interpersonal/transferable skills ü Relevance to personal development and lifelong learning. www. bournemouth. ac. uk

The International Jigsaw Awareness of one’s own language The ability to anticipate differences Awareness of one’s own culture International behaviours www. bournemouth. ac. uk International attributes Foreign language skills

What makes an effective international manager = what we aim to develop and assess Ø Ø Ø Ø Ø Adaptability and flexibility Cultural sensitivity Curiosity Excellent communication skills Language ability - English and foreign languages Empathy and respect for others Recognition of knowledge and educational gaps Ability to lead, yet delegate Tact and diplomacy Experience of having lived and worked abroad www. bournemouth. ac. uk

What makes an effective international manager = what we aim to develop and assess Ø Ø Ø Ø Ø A daptability and flexibility C ultural sensitivity C uriosity E xcellent communication skills L anguage ability - English and foreign languages E mpathy and respect for others R ecognition of knowledge and educational gaps A bility to lead, yet delegate T act and diplomacy E xperience of having lived and worked abroad Conceived by Ridolfo, M (2003) www. bournemouth. ac. uk

Cross-Cultural Capability at BU: Indicative Learning Outcomes ü ü ü Subject to level of study and number of credits, students will: develop and practise intrapersonal and interpersonal behaviours, which are known to be pre-requisites for operating successfully internationally; develop a critical appreciation of, and the ability to apply, argument and persuasion for advanced multicultural business interactions; develop awareness of the advantages and limitations of the use of International English; develop understanding of cross-cultural theory and its application to a range of international business scenarios; acquire a critical understanding of the impact of cultural and national differences on business protocol, organisational behaviour and management culture. www. bournemouth. ac. uk

Cross-Cultural Capability at BU: Indicative Contents ü ü Functions of language ü Non-verbal communication Style, register and idiom ü Channels of ü communication ü Effective communication ü ü and plain English ü Techniques of persuasion ü ü The future of English www. bournemouth. ac. uk The international business context The effective international manager Cultural norms and differences Cross-cultural theory National identity, perception and stereotyping National and international management cultures and styles ü Negotiation and managing conflict

Cross-Cultural Capability at BU: Learning Philosophy q Professional / ‘real life’ focus balancing theory and practice q Range of delivery methods, including ELearning / Assessment q Active and interactive learning environment – role play, simulations etc q Emphasis on critical reflection, through, for example, self and peer assessment q Some ‘engineering’ of assignment groups / pairs www. bournemouth. ac. uk

Cross-Cultural Capability at BU: Example assignments ü Group presentation: students play the role of business consultants / trainers, advising a UK audience on how to enter, and conduct everyday business interactions in, a specific foreign market; ü Online group negotiation: students negotiate ‘virtually’ with representatives from an (initially undisclosed) ‘Eastern’ culture, thus requiring them to adapt their persuasion skills and cultural expectations; ü Face-to-face negotiation: a pair of students must explore and seek to resolve a complex cross-cultural business conflict, by using appropriate communicative and suasive techniques. www. bournemouth. ac. uk

Managing International teams. . . abroad. . . and at home "The manager who knows only his or her own country is doomed to become obsolete. Most organizations can no longer afford to employ culturally myopic managers. " Harris, P. , Moran, T. & Moran, S. , 2004. Managing Cultural Differences: Global Leadership Strategies for the 21 st Century. (6 th Edition) Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann www. bournemouth. ac. uk

Developing People Internationally Approaches and Materials Thank you for your interest Any Questions? Mark Ridolfo Senior Lecturer in Cross-Cultural Management The Business School, Bournemouth University, UK 0044 (0)1202 965525 mridolfo@bournemouth. ac. uk www. bournemouth. ac. uk