This document is a syllabus for a course titled "Managing Diversity in a Global Economy" that will run from September 8, 2011 to December 15, 2011. The course aims to provide students with an in-depth understanding of organizational behavioral issues from both a global and domestic perspective. Students will develop insight into how people behave in organizations around the world, understand systematic patterns of behavior across cultures, and learn to leverage cultural diversity. The syllabus outlines topics to be covered each week, required readings, assignments, grading criteria, and the instructor's contact information.

1. Managing Diversity in a Global Economy
Syllabus –September 8, 2011 - December 15, 2011
Course #: ______ Thursday 6:20 – 8:50 PM Room: ________
Instructor: Deborah Brown
Telephone 646-456-4883
Email: db114@nyu.edu
There are truths on this side of the Pyrenees which are falsehoods on the other.
~ Blaise Pascal
Intense global competition in just the past decade has created a demand for managers and leaders
sophisticated and adept in working with culturally diverse teams both domestically as well as globally.
But until recently U.S. managers have been very parochial in their view. The body of research and
business literature bears out that we have and, to a disturbing degree, continue to labor under the
dangerous misapprehension that what is true for Americans working in the United States is universal.
Stop to consider, for example, that of more than 11,000 articles published in 24 management journals,
approximately 80 percent reported on studies focused on U.S. companies conducted by American
researchers.
But hard-won lessons have proven that the U.S. can hardly claim a "gold standard" of management,
Only through a willingness to break down conceptual and theoretical biases do we become truly adept
at cross-cultural management. Global economic activity is unprecedented and the pace of global
competition will only accelerate. Any notion of success transcends national boundaries. When you
consider that 70 percent of cross border ventures fail within the first three years, your realize, that the
critically important question is no longer whether organizational dynamics are universal or culturally
specific, but rather when and how to be sensitive to culture.
Your success as a leader, manager, or team member in today’s global or domestic-multicultural
environment will largely hinge on your ability to recognize what differences are operating and learn to
harness the potential advantages of diverse ways of understanding and solving business challenges. We
will have to manage and think differently—to test and expand on the limits of our knowledge.
This class will explore the various ways to perceive, describe, interpret and evaluate cultural differences
as a springboard to understanding how to leverage the diversity of cultural background among
employees for competitive advantage.

2. This class is designed to provide you with an in depth understanding of organizational behavioral issues
from both a global and domestic perspective. You will:
 Understand your own cultural influences and propensities/presuppositions
 Develop insight into how the behavior of people in organizations around the world.
 Understand the systematic, predictable patterns of organization behavior across cultures.
 Describe and compare organizational behavior within countries and cultures; to better
understand and improve the interaction of co-workers, team members and leaders.
 Leverage cultural diversity through an integrated approach to managing diversity.
 Understand the intersect of gender and culture in organizations.
Students are expected to attend class, complete assigned readings prior to class and participate in class
discussions. Homework assignments are to be submitted on their scheduled due dates. Late
assignments will not be accepted unless previously discussed and approved. Failure to attend class or
satisfactorily participate in class discussions will result in a lower corresponding grade. Exceptions will
be made for health and religious reasons.
Midterm = 30 % of grade
Final = 40 % of grade
Reaction papers = 15%
Quality of Participation 15%
TEACHING METHODS
The course will rely heavily on experiential problem solving to unpack strategies to overcome our
natural parochial tendencies and/or the ethnocentric default option. Through case studies, reflection
and integration exercises, students will learn to see, understand and transcend their cultural
conditioning and why it is crucial that they reject the domination of one reality over another.

3. Student's written work is evaluated for effectiveness, as well as content. The writing must express ideas
clearly, logically, and maturely, using Standard English sentence structure, grammar, and spelling.
Students must acknowledge all sources of information by following a standard citation format.
The use of cell phones, texting and Blackberries during class will not be permitted.
Details of assigned homework will be posted on Blackboard as will the bibliography of readings. The
schedule detailed below is intended as a guideline and will remain flexible.
Week Date Subject/In-class activity Readings/Deliverable Due
Dates
1 9/8 Communication tools for understanding culture Reading: Communication
Tools, by LeBaron
2 9/15 The vital role of cultural fluency Reading: Cultural Fluency, by
Inoues
Reaction paper due
3 9/22 Through a looking glass – Our own cultural Reading: Working with
underpinnings Americans by Stewart-Allen &
Denslow. Part 1 & 2
Personal Reflections Paper
4 9/29 Through a looking glass – How we do business Reading: Working with
Americans by Stewart-Allen &
Denslow. Part 3 & 4
Discussion Questions
5 10/6 Behavior of people in organizations around the Reading: Global Smarts by
world. Hodge
Understand the systematic, predictable patterns Chapters 1 – 4
of organization behavior across cultures
Application exercise from U.S.
Application exercise and video media
6 10/13 The impact of culture on organizations Reading: Power distance,
individualism and job related
attitudes in a culturally diverse
work group by Boechner

4. 7 10/20 In class mid-term exam
8 10/27 Leveraging cultural diversity in organizations Reading: Making Difference
Matter by Thomas
The Loudest Duck by Liswood
Create your own case study
9 11/3 Managing in a multi-cultural work environment Reading Cultural Intelligence
by P. Christopher Earley, Elaine
Mosakowski
Global Leadership Success
Through Emotional and
Cultural Intelligences
by Ilan Alon, Alon Ilan, James
M. Higgins 12 pages.
Quiz
10 11/10 The intersect of culture and gender in Reading: Global Smarts by
organizations Hodge. Chapter 13
Organizational Influences on
Women’s Career Opportunities
by Harris
Women Matter by McKinsey
and Company
Integration Exercise
11 11/17 Women’s Progress into the World of Expatriates Breaking Barriers by Altman
and Shortland
Discussion Questions
12 11/24 Thanksgiving Day – No Class
13 12/1 In class final exam (written half)
14 12/8 Final exam (verbal presentation)
15 12/15 Exam review

5. Readings:
Alon, Ilan and Higgins, J. (2005) Global leadership success through emotional and
cultural intelligences. Business Horizons, Volume 48, Issue 6, November-December 2005, Pages
501-512.
Bochner, S., and Hesketh, B. (1994). Power distance, individualism and job related attitudes in a
culturally diverse work group. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 25 (2), 42-57.
Earley P. C. and Mosakowski, E. Cultural Intelligence. Retrieved August 2010, from
http://home.sandiego.edu/~pavett/docs/msgl_503/CulturalIntelligence-HBR.pdf
Hodge, Sheida (2000) Global Smarts: The Art of Communicating and Deal Making Anywhere in
the World. New York, Wiley.
Inoue. Y. (2007) Cultural Fluency as a Guide to Effective Intercultural Communication: The Case
of Japan and the U.S. Retrieved, August 2006 from
http://www.immi.se/intercultural/nr15/inoue.htm
LeBaron, M. "Cross-Cultural Tools for Understanding Cultural Differences. Communication."
Retrieved, July, 2010, from http://www.beyondintractability.org/essay/communication_tools/
Liswood, L. A. The Loudest Duck: Moving Beyond Diversity while Embracing Differences to
Achieve Success at Work. Wiley New York.
McKinsey and Company. “Women Matter-Gender Diversity, a Corporate Performance Driver.”
Retrieved July 2010 from
http://www.mckinsey.com/locations/swiss/news_publications/pdf/women_matter_english.pdf
Ohbuchi, K., and Takahashi, Y. (1994). Cultural styles of conflict management in Japanese and
Americans: Passivity, covertness and effectiveness of strategies. Journal of Applied Social
Psychology, 24 (1), 1345-1366.
Page, Scott. (2011). The Difference: How the Power of Diversity Creates Better Groups, Firms,
Schools and Socieities. Princeton University Press.
Stewart-Allen, A. and Denslow, L. (2002) Working With Americans: How to Build Profitable
Business Relationships Financial Times Management.
Thomas, D. and Ely, R. (1996) Making Difference Matter: A New Paradigm for Managing
Diversity Harvard Business Review, Vol. 74, Issue 5.
Yochanan, A. and Shortland, S. (2008) Women and international assignments: Taking stock—a
25-year review. Special Issue: Part One: Breaking Barriers for Purposes of Inclusiveness. Volume
47, Issue 2, pages 199–216.