Leadership Behaviors, Diversity, and Cultures

This is a collaborative course that examines what constitutes "effective" leadership across cultures. The underlying theme is that the skills and behaviors that are perceived as effective leadership characteristics in one culture are not necessarily those that will be effective in a different culture. By exploring the ways in which specific characteristics are valued differently by different cultures, you acquire frameworks for assessing how to approach a work assignment in a culture that is not your own. Everyone is expected to work in cross-cultural groups to the extent possible based on enrollments. The weekly readings target particular aspects of cultural differentiation. Working within those topics, the student teams are asked to describe aspects of leadership in particular cultures based on their research and/or personal experiences. Students use both formal presentations and informal discussions to engage each other in learning about different cultural expectations. The goal of the course is to help prepare students for business assignments outside of their native countries.