Overall objectives:

1 - The unit Intercultural Business Communication helps the students to develop further their intercultural and interpersonal communicative skills, while at the same time giving them additional insights into some theoretical frameworks in the areas of intercultural and interactional pragmatics. The focus will be on business and professional contexts, allowing the students to become effective communicators in a globalized professional arena. On successful completion of the course the students will be able to:
2 - Demonstrate specialist knowledge (at an introductory level) of relevant aspects of intercultural and interactional pragmatics;
3 - Interact confidently, sensitively and effectively with a variety of audiences in a globalized professional arena;
4 - Become reflective learners, capable of monitoring and managing progress in their own intercultural journey, both personal and professional.

Syllabus:

1 - Language, culture and society: key concepts
2 - Cultural universals I: Focus on Hofstede's cultural dimensions
3 - Cultural universals II: Focus on Hall's dichotomies
4 - Cultural universals III: Focus on Brown and Levinson's Politeness Theory
5 - Cultural Universals IV: Focus on Searl's Speech Act Theory
6 - Communicative skills for global professionals
7 - Rapport management for global professional success
8 - Non-verbal communication across cultures
9 - Understanding unconscious bias, prejudice and micro-aggression at workplace
10 - Conflict resolution and mediation at workplace
11 - Topic(s) chosen by students

Literature/Sources:

A. Holliday, J. Kullman, M. Hyde (2010) , 2010 , Intercultural communication: an advanced resource book for students. , London: Routledge
R. Steers, L. Nardon and C. J. Sanchez-Runde , 2018 , Management across cultures: developing global competences , Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
H. Spencer-Oatey, P. Franklin and D. Lazidou , 2022 , Global fitness for global people: how to manage and leverage cultural diversity at work , London: Casteldown
Ingrid Piller , 2017 , Intercultural Communication: A Critical Introduction , Edinburgh University Press
Robert Gibson , 2021 , Bridge the Culture Gap , Nicholas Brealey Publishing
Jane Jackson , 2014 , Introducing Language and Intercultural Communication , Routledge

Assesssment methods and criteria:

Classification Type: Quantitativa (0-20)

Evaluation Methodology:
The unit is delivered in weekly interactive lectures and student-led seminars. Interactive lectures introduce a new concept/topic and contextualise it within the relevant scholarly terms. Student-led seminars provide the students with an arena in which they can become creators of their own knowledge, expand on their understanding of the chosen concept/topic, share it and discuss further with their peers. There are 2 parts of the assessment (type A): 1) Group presentation (groups of 2-3; up to 15 min long), marked individually: the task is to design and present a short intercultural training programme commissioned by an imaginary international corporate client intending to set up their business in another country (40%) ; 2) Reflection: A short report (up to 500 words) reflecting on (i) the learning experience of the course and (ii) (30%) group work experience (preparations for the group presentation) (30%).