Intercultural Business Communication

I MA 2018-2019 / Sem 1
Course leader: Silvia-Emilia Plăcintar (emilia.placintar@econ.ubbcluj.ro)

The course and seminar materials will be provided by e-mail through the group
representatives. These will consist in slides, (extensive) theoretical readings, case studies,
and critical incidents.

A. EXAM DESCRIPTION

The evaluation comprises two parts:

1) an oral presentation of an academic poster (in pairs)
2) a written exam

1) Academic posters – Task description

The poster should present a comparative analysis of two cultural profiles of your choice based
on the application of (certain variables of) the framework of cultural orientations. I suggest the
ECOLE format – Expectations / Values, Communication style, Organisation, Leadership,
Etiquette. The description of the communication style should contain references to these areas
of performance in business: presentations, meetings and negotiations.

You will adopt the role of a consultant in intercultural business communication! You will need
to research the two cultures and are expected to structure your poster into the following parts:
- a brief historical background to explain the underlying values of that culture;
- the comparative analysis of the business style itself;
- recommendations for mutual adaptation of behaviour;
- references – see Harvard Citation and Referencing Guide at
http://libweb.anglia.ac.uk/referencing/harvard.htm

The poster will be designed as a single full-colour PowerPoint slide, following the instructions
below:
 Go into File – Page Setup;
 Set size as 594mm x 841mm (A1) or 841mm x 1189mm (A0);
 Consider the orientation;
 Consider the layout, design and colour scheme;
 Font size: title – 80 points; authors – 54 pts; subheadings – 36 pts; body text – 24 pts;
captions – 18 pts.

1
You will choose a colleague to work with on the poster and present it jointly. The posters will
be presented during the seminars in Weeks nine (26-29 Nov), ten (3-7Dec), eleven (10-14
Dec) and twelve (17-21 Dec), according to each group’s timetable.

Each pair will be allotted 10 minutes: 8 minutes for the presentation and 2 minutes for
questions from the audience.

After the presentation, one student of each pair will submit the poster to
emilia.placintar@econ.ubbcluj.ro. The title of the poster will include the surnames of the
authors, specialisation, and the two countries that are the subject of your analysis (Example:
Ionescu_Popescu_MDA_Italy_Japan).

(As an example, I attach an academic poster by a former MA business student of mine on the
application of a business analytical tool to a case study. Obviously, your task is different!)

2) Written Exam
The written exam will be scheduled for the exam session. It will consist in (a) two questions
related to the course material and (b) the interpretation of two critical incidents in terms of the
concepts, analytical frameworks and sample cultural profiles provided. Below is an example
of such an incident + task:

Sales representatives from Germany and Britain are in difficult negotiation. Things are getting
tense. Franz Bauer sits upright and is disturbed as Jim Banks relaxes in his chair. Franz feels
that Jim is not taking the negotiation seriously. Jim feels that Herr Bauer is getting more and
more aggressive.

Task What do you think is the cause of misunderstanding between the two interactants?
Analyse the culturally determined interpretation and perception of the other’s behaviour in the
situation above.
B. SCORING SCHEME
I have thought long and hard and have decided the following weightings in the final mark:
(1) Seminar and course participation (six attendances in all): 10%
NOTE: I understand that some of you are unable to attend the seminars/courses because of
your jobs. You can compensate your absence by making one personal oral contribution related
to the themes discussed and based on the recommended readings or literature of your choice.
(2) Academic poster: 50%
(3) Written exam: 40%

Good luck!!