This document outlines the teaching framework for an intercultural management unit focused on the English-speaking world. It includes 4 elements: an introduction to the unit, a discussion of culture definitions, aspects of the corporate context and intercultural processes, and a personal development program. It also describes an assessment involving an exam and group presentation where students take on the role of consultants advising a French company on entering English-speaking markets. The presentation and report will account for 40% of the unit mark.

1. M1: UE 5 Intercultural Management
(Specialised for the English-speaking world)
Teaching Framework:
Element 1.
Unit set-up. Introduction to: tutor; unit structure and rationale; resources
(traditional and online at www.tonyversity.com/students); assessment strategy;
reflection upon Intercultural Management Unit and expectations of the
distinctiveness of an English-speaking Intercultural Management context. Start of
exercise to define and explore ‘culture’ and ‘inter-culture’ Assignments set up [I
x individual + 1 x written]. (Tutor-led)
Element 2.
Continuation of Culture Definition, Exploration and Interpretation exercise.
Production of ‘master’ definition. Discussion of where the 'intercultural'
impinges upon the 'managerial' Generic Aspects: ‘life’, the working
environment, perspectives, culture in the English-speaking world and systems.
(Tutor-led.). Assignment 2: Teams to discuss ideas and structures and sources etc
with me in a verbal progress report with evidence of materials sourced so far.
Assignment 1. Initial thoughts of the group. (Student –led)
Element 3.
Aspects 1: The Corporate Context: core values, knowledge management, strategy
and structure. The Processes: the engagement process ; acclimatisation, operation,
communication & conflict. (Tutor-led.).
Element 4. Specific Aspects 2: The Professional: personal audit of own
intercultural capability and design of a personal development programme.
Feedback on Assignment 1. Unit review and reflection. (Tutor and student
Submission of assignment for assessment)*
ASSESSMENT
In-course Exam hour (date as notified by timetable and tutor). This usually
follows just a week or so after the end of the taught component of this unit. It will
involve answering a question from a choice of perhaps two or three in essay or
report form as specified. Hard copy dictionaries will be allowed, but be warned:
• As long as I am 100% clear what you mean / intend, I will not be subtracting
any marks for errors in English.
• An hour is a very short time: if you concentrate upon perfection in your
written English, you may not have time to fully address the question.
In your 'shoes', I might use a dictionary to make absolutely certain I
understood the question completely and accurately, but I would use it very
'sparingly' (i.e. not much at all) in the writing of the answer. ASSESSED. This
exam will be worth 60% of the unit mark.
In-Course Assignment: Group presentation, in role, to client. 20 minutes
presentation / 20 minutes questions / 20 minutes feedback.. ASSESSED 40% of
unit mark).

2. Team Presentation & Report Assignment (40% of unit mark)
Date set: Session 1.
Date due: Final taught session in the unit (prior to exam hour).
Group Presentation in English of 20-30 minutes' duration with associated report
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Context.
You are a group of specialist inter-cultural consultants to a French company seeking:
1. to sell its products in these English speaking markets (see country below)
2. to then hopefully to set up operations and production / distribution centres and
networks in such countries
As this is the company's first attempt at exporting to Anglophone markets it wants to 'get
it right'. It is also aware that a common language is no guarantee of common culture or
business practices. This is the reason for your engagement as consultants. You elect to
task a number of teams of two or three individuals with covering at least FOUR the
countries shown and prioritised below:-
1. England °, 2. Ireland°,
3. United States of America°, 4. Canada°*,
5. Australia°, 6. New Zealand
7. South Africa 8. Wales or Scotland°
NB. The group must ensure that no nation is duplicated!
° If there are more nations than teams, then these nations MUST be selected first.
* Once again, ignore Quebec.
The consultancy brief agreed with the company tasks you with:
•Researching the cultural characteristics of your chosen English-speaking nations
and the challenges this will present to your French client company as it seeks to achieve
its export and expansion plans (see below). NB. This means that we do NOT need
geographical / population etc data..... they can find and read all that themselves.... but
how is the chosen nation different culturally from France and how is this set to emerge
when they try to do business there. What can they do to prepare for selling, setting up
and operating there?
•As a GROUP (ie all MICAI 1):
• Prepare a 20-30 minute presentation synthesising your team research, in
role, for the Board of Directors (being myself). This should be based around a
'flow-chart' representation of the steps to be taken by the company as
advocated by the Action Programme which you will explain and interpret for
your client's benefit (see below).

3. •The above presentation will be accompanied by a GROUP report comprising:
•Title and contents pages
•An introduction / restatement of the 'brief'
•An Action Programme (clear, step by step instructions), making highly
specific recommendations as to what the company should do now to
prepare itself and develop its staff ready to move into such markets given
the cultural differences?
• A copy of the 'flow chart'
• 2 or 3 (MAX) pages of distilled and well-edited synthesis of
comparative cultural characteristics per nation/team
• The overall conclusions you have drawn from your research which
lead you to advocate your group Action Programme
• Appendices (as appropriate)
At the end of your group presentation, you will take questions from your client and
receive his feedback.
(NB. Take care here... this does NOT mean saying to your client: ‘take into account what
we said and do something sensible’, but rather the advocacy of a logical, step-by-step
programme of actions that the company should take over the immediate, short, medium
and longer term. HOW can they operationalise (receive, learn from, respond to and
ultimately benefit from) your information. Give them a ‘road map’ they can follow).

4. OTHER ASSIGNMENT - RELATED ISSUES
LANGUAGE. The essay assignment may be delivered in English OR in French. As
long as your meaning / intention is clear when writing in English, you have my word that
I will NOT deduct any marks for mistakes in English. It does give you the opportunity to
improve your written English however, and I will try to make suggestions and comment
on your use of English as well as the assignment content.
PROFESSIONAL APPROACH. This is a professional, business programme so I am
adopting a professional standpoint where deadlines are deadlines. Assignments
submitted late WILL be penalised UNLESS there are extenuating circumstances (illness
etc) formally notified in advance of the submission date to the Secrétariat and acceptable
to the Programme Manager. Likewise, failure to attend a Team Presentation (Assignment
2) without a valid reason acceptable to Course Management will result in a mark of 0 for
this element (it would also be grossly unfair to your team partner, which is even more
important!)
TIME INVESTMENT. You ‘read’ for a degree (and even moreso for a Masters!), so I
am expecting you to do some research in the library in textbooks and journals. You may
even find that the quality and accessibility of information there is better and better
explained than accessing the web via Google! Yes, I am also expecting that you will
source material online – some information is only available in this medium. I anticipate
that you will spend between 20 - 30 hours on this (ie up to twice the hours in the
classroom).
CITING YOUR SOURCES: BEWARE PLAGIARISM.
• You MUST ALWAYS cite your sources and produce a bibliography.
• You should use well chosen, direct quotations in italics (ie in “quotation marks”), set
them out, using space for effect, in your text and ALWAYS give the author and date
in the text. Balance direct quotation with paraphrasing. Even if you are paraphrasing
someone else’s work in your own words you must STILL ACKNOWLEDGE the
original author.
• “Plagiarism = citation without attribution” Jolley, T. (2007). So, failure to state
your sources is effectively cheating or stealing which is NOT acceptable under any
circumstances to me, the MICAI Programme or UHA and will therefore be heavily
penalised. Be aware that the ultimate sanction available to the university for
plagiarism is ejection from the course. Severe penalties have been applied in the past.
Do NOT let this happen to you. The ability to easily copy and paste electronically
comes with a heavy responsibility not to misuse the facility!
• Although there is always room for your opinion, it should be after other learned /
professional evidence has been presented, analysed and evaluated… and , of course,
supported by the evidence wherever possible.
STRUCTURE. You are not being asked to write generally about a topic – you are
being given specific questions to address. The precise areas to which you are to apply
these questions are given (in this case) in the quotations used. I strongly recommend that
you use a systematic approach to defining what is required in any question. Use one
highlighter to identify instruction words, use another to identify the subjects to which
you are to apply these question words. What remains is contextual information to guide
you. If you find you have two instruction words and two subjects to apply them to, you
clearly have FOUR parts to the main body of your answer, plus an introduction and
conclusion: SIX clear elements. Use that as your structure and you can hardly go wrong!