• explain and analyze the content of the different types of society and culture, their differences and the causes of cultural change as discussed in the course literature.
• explain how the different types of society and culture discussed in the course gives rise to culturally different business relationships and organizational and managerial structures.
• critically evaluate the advantages and limitations of the concepts of culture and cultural change and the societal level of analysis.
• critically evaluate the advantages and limitations of the theories of organizational culture, including the role of theoretical perspectives in the management of cultural diversity, including inter-firm cooperation and mergers and acquisitions.

The aim of the course is to provide students with a theory of culture and cultural change as they affect markets and organizations.

The first part of the course focusses on Inglehart’s distinction between traditional, modern and postmodern society and culture with the aim of showing how the different socio-cultural types give rise to different business and organizational cultures across the world’s countries. Using cases from China, Africa and Latin America it is shown how personal relationships of family and friendship structure business relations constituting the cultural context of management in developing countries.

The modern, industrial type of organization, the technical-bureaucratic structure and the values it contains, is illustrated using McDonald’s, and the use of postmodern values and ideals as a business opportunity is illustrated using the Body shop as an exemplary case.

The second half of the course focuses on the organizational culture of international companies, how it reflects values and norms in the environment and on the analytical perspectives used in the analysis of organizational culture. The course presents and discusses different approaches to the management of cultural diversity with particular attention to the importance of managers’ view on culture and how it may be reflected in their management of cultural diversity.

The last part of the course deals with importance of culture in interfirm relationships and in mergers and acquisitions. 

Indicative literature:

Kragh and Dyrhauge eds.: Cross-Cultural Management. Latest edition. (Compilation of texts) 

Nina Jacob: Intercultural Management. MBA Masterclass. Kogan page. 2003