School: Business and Law

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

  • Unit Title

    Working Across Cultures
  • Unit Code

    MBA6150
  • Year

    2025
  • Enrolment Period

    1
  • Version

    3
  • Credit Points

    20
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus
    Online
  • Unit Coordinator

    Dr Ian AUSTIN

Description

Student learning in this unit focuses on developing cross-cultural competencies whilst taking a practical approach to self-discovery and working with people from diverse backgrounds. Such development is important as self-awareness and cross-cultural competencies contribute heavily to effective leadership and management in modern global settings. A feature of the unit is the development of problem-solving skills in cross-cultural contexts, where students can apply their learning to complex situations.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Evaluate the utility of different concepts, frameworks and models across different regions and different cultures for different types of organisations.
  2. Evaluate how different country environments impact organisational operational considerations.
  3. Address complex issues and conflicts in culturally diverse contexts.
  4. Demonstrate effective communication, interpersonal and relationship management skills in cross-cultural settings.

Unit Content

  1. Business and social customs.
  2. Contrasting cultural values.
  3. Cultural shock.
  4. Global etiquette.
  5. Intercultural negotiation components.
  6. Intercultural negotiation processes.
  7. The role of contextual language differences in cross-cultural management.
  8. Laws affecting international business and travel.
  9. Oral and non-verbal communication patterns.
  10. The nature of intercultural communication.
  11. Universal systems.
  12. Written communication patterns.

Learning Experience

ON-CAMPUS

Students will attend on campus classes as well as engage in learning activities through ECU's LMS

JoondalupMount LawleySouth West (Bunbury)
Semester 113 x 2 hour seminarNot OfferedNot Offered

For more information see the Semester Timetable

ONLINE

Students will engage in learning experiences via ECU’s LMS as well as additional ECU learning technologies

Additional Learning Experience Information

The unit will make use of a mixed-mode approach to delivery; that is, a mixture of face-to-face plenary sessions, on-line readings and activities, and self-paced work. Industry leaders will feature as guest lecturers, enabling learners to make the connections between theory and practical application. Student activities will require independent and team-based work, both within and outside sessions - group work will form a critical component of unit activities. The content will include knowledge and skill-building by way of self-discovery, improving self-awareness and the application of learning in different, diverse and cross-cultural contexts. The ultimate aim is to build individual and professional capacity.

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
Reflective PracticeReflective journal20%
Case StudyGroup case study30%
ProjectProblem solving project50%
ONLINE
TypeDescriptionValue
Reflective PracticeReflective journal20%
Case StudyGroup Case Study30%
ProjectProblem Solving Project50%

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Assessment

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. Informal vivas may be conducted as part of an assessment task, where staff require further information to confirm the learning outcomes have been met. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

Academic Integrity

Integrity is a core value at Edith Cowan University, and it is expected that ECU students complete their assessment tasks honestly and with acknowledgement of other people's work as well as any generative artificial intelligence tools that may have been used. This means that assessment tasks must be completed individually (unless it is an authorised group assessment task) and any sources used must be referenced.

Breaches of academic integrity can include:

Plagiarism

Copying the words, ideas or creative works of other people or generative artificial intelligence tools, without referencing in accordance with stated University requirements. Students need to seek approval from the Unit Coordinator within the first week of study if they intend to use some of their previous work in an assessment task (self-plagiarism).

Unauthorised collaboration (collusion)

Working with other students and submitting the same or substantially similar work or portions of work when an individual submission was required. This includes students knowingly providing others with copies of their own work to use in the same or similar assessment task(s).

Contract cheating

Organising a friend, a family member, another student or an external person or organisation (e.g. through an online website) to complete or substantially edit or refine part or all of an assessment task(s) on their behalf.

Cheating in an exam

Using or having access to unauthorised materials in an exam or test.

Serious outcomes may be imposed if a student is found to have committed one of these breaches, up to and including expulsion from the University for repeated or serious acts.

ECU's policies and more information about academic integrity can be found on the student academic integrity website.

All commencing ECU students are required to complete the Academic Integrity Module.

Assessment Extension

In some circumstances, Students may apply to their Unit Coordinator to extend the due date of their Assessment Task(s) in accordance with ECU's Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000001386.

Special Consideration

Students may apply for Special Consideration in respect of a final unit grade, where their achievement was affected by Exceptional Circumstances as set out in the Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000003318.

MBA6150|3|1