Course Description
This course examines the role of culture, its impact on organizational effectiveness, and the interaction between culture within an organization and the diverse and emerging cultures that prevail in a global economy characterized by rapid demographic change, new technology, and shifting values as companies seek to reach out to more diverse populations of both customers and employees. Students will explore the dimensions of this diversity and examine how it represents both a challenge and an opportunity depending on how effectively it can be integrated into the culture of an organization. The premise of the course is that managing diversity is a source of competitive advantage; that there is a "business case" as well as an ethical case for diversity. Understanding how these cultural differences affect human resource management, marketing, and operations can determine success or failure for anyone working in this global economy. (3 credits)
Prerequisite
- OEL 501: Driving Organization Adaptability through Learning Organizations
Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)
Students who successfully complete this course will be able to:
- Critically examine the demographic and generational changes in the workforce over the past 20 years.
- Examine the concepts and theories related to the dimensions of diversity, inclusive approaches and cross cultural models.
- Examine challenges associated with issue of diversity and inclusion for a global workforce.
- Analyze and apply various cultural theories as they relate to leading and interacting with a diverse workforce or customer base.
- Assess the influences of personal leadership styles (behaviors and beliefs) on an organization's success in achieving strategic initiatives.
- Develop workplace policies based on an understanding of ethics as it relates to an international/intercultural environment.
- Develop a diversity strategy that will identify, attract, retain, and motivate the best human resource talent.
Applicable Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs)
- PLO 2. Evaluate and formulate an individual leadership style.
- PLO 3. Develop professional communication skills.
- PLO 4. Recommend how one develops effective groups.
- PLO 5. Construct organizational leadership strategies.
- PLO 6. Explain the complexities of organizational design and the interconnection between organizational structure.
- PLO 7. Design and implement organizational change processes.
- PLO 8. Create strategies to support intercultural/global inter-relationships.
- PLO 9. Develop strategies that support the advancement of organization's vision and mission.
Course Activities and Grading
| Assignments | Points | Weight |
|---|---|---|
Discussions (Weeks 1-8): 10 Discussion Questions @ 30 points each | 300 | 30% |
Short Research Papers (Weeks 1, 2, & 6): 3 @ 100 points each | 300 | 30% |
Case Analysis (Week 7): 1 @ 100 points each | 100 | 10% |
Application Presentation (Week 4) | 100 | 10% |
Application Paper (Week 8) | 200 | 20% |
Total | 1,000 Points | 100% |
Required Textbooks
Available through Charter Oak State College's Book Bundle
- Collins, Jim. Good to Great. 1st ed. Harper Publishing, 2001.
- Trompenaars & Hampden-Turner. Riding the Waves of Culture. 4th edition. McGraw Hill Publishing, 2021.
Additional Required Materials
- Denend, Lyn. Nike’s Global Women’s Fitness Business. Stanford Business School Publishing, 2007. ISBN: Case SM-152 (See week 7 course content folder for instructions on how to purchase.)
Harvard Business Publishing Coursepack
(Instructions to acquire below provided in Week 1 Course Content)
- Osterwalder, A., Pigneur, Y. & Guppta, K. Don’t Let Your Company Culture Just Happen
- Burgelman, R. A., & Denend, L. Nike’s Global Women’s Fitness Business: Driving Strategic Integration
- Groysberg, B., Lee, J., Price, J. & Chang, J.Y. J. The Leaders Guide to Corporate Culture
- Thomas, D. A., & Ely, R. J. Making Differences Matter: New Paradigm for Managing Diversity
- Ely, R. J., & Ammerman, C. Organizational Behavior Reading: Managing Differences
- Livingston, R. How to Promote Racial Equity in the Workplace
Supplemental Required Readings/Resources
- Links to the supplemental readings and articles are provided in the course shells.
Course Schedule
Week | PLOs | SLOs | Readings and Exercises | Assignments |
1 | 2-8 | 4,6,7 | Topics: What is Culture and why is it important to organizations?
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2 | 6,8 | 1,2 | Topics: Demography and Diversity
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3 | 6,8 | 1,2,3 | Topics: Diversity Policies and Practices
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4 | 4,5,8 | 4 | Topic: The Cultural Theory of Diversity
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5 | 2,5,9 | 5 | Topics: Ethics and Ethical Relativism in a Global Economy
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6 | 2,3,6,7,8 | 6 | Topics: Leadership Styles and Challenges
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7 | 3,5,7,8,9 | 7 | Topics: Diversity Strategies and Business Strategy
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8 | 2-9 | 1-7 | Topics: Diversity, Culture and Business Strategy
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COSC Accessibility Statement
Charter Oak State College encourages students with disabilities, including non-visible disabilities such as chronic diseases, learning disabilities, head injury, attention deficit/hyperactive disorder, or psychiatric disabilities, to discuss appropriate accommodations with the Office of Accessibility Services at OAS@charteroak.edu.
COSC Policies, Course Policies, Academic Support Services and Resources
Students are responsible for knowing all Charter Oak State College (COSC) institutional policies, course-specific policies, procedures, and available academic support services and resources. Please see COSC Policies for COSC institutional policies, and see also specific policies related to this course. See COSC Resources for information regarding available academic support services and resources.