Intercultural Communication Theories for Business Partnership: Presentation and Research Analysis

Module Learning Outcomes (from module syllabus)

1. Understand critically intercultural communication theories
2. Evaluate and interpret divergent international cultures within business
3. Analyse business communication situations.

Task Discription

Assessment Component 2 (Practical) – Presentation 

A global company based in the United Kingdom contemplating a joint venture with a foreign company based in China. Join ventures usually require ongoing interaction from both parties to establish and maintain a successful partnership, and smooth decision making process. You are required as a group of 3 - 5 to prepare a 15 minutes presentation to identify and discuss different aspects of cultural challenges likely to be experienced by the British company in China, and while aiming to establish successful communication and partnership with the new Chinese partner. Your presentation should be supported by application of relevant intercultural communication theories and examples from different sources.

Based on the cultural challenges and difficulties identified, you are required to provide your recommendations and business communication solutions to enable the partnership (British – Chinese joint venture) to succeed in China. 

1. Research-informed Literature

Your work must be informed and supported by scholarly material that is relevant to and focused on the task(s) set. You should provide evidence that you have accessed a wide range of sources, which may be academic, governmental and industrial; these sources may include academic journal articles, textbooks, current news articles, organisational documents, and websites. You should consider the credibility of your sources; academic journals are normally highly credible sources while websites require careful consideration/selection and should be used sparingly. Any sources you use should be current and up-to-date, mostly published within the last five years or so, though seminal/important works in the field may be older. You must provide evidence of your research/own reading throughout your work, using in-text citations in the main body of your work and a reference list that is alphabetical at the end of your work. Please use the Harvard referencing system.

Specific to this assignment. Critically review theories of intercultural communication relevant to leaders or managers can improve team working.

2. Knowledge and Understanding of the Subject

Your work must demonstrate the growing extent of your knowledge and understanding of concepts and underlying principles associated with the subject area. Knowledge relates to the facts, information and skills you have acquired through your learning. You demonstrate your understanding by interpreting the meaning of the facts and information (knowledge). This means that you need to select and include in your work the concepts, techniques, models, theories, etc. appropriate to the task(s) set. You should be able to explain the theories, concepts, etc. meaningfully to show your understanding. Your mark/grade will also depend upon the extent to which you demonstrate your knowledge and understanding; ideally, each should be complete and detailed, with comprehensive coverage.

Task Discription

Specific to this assignment: Demonstrate knowledge and comprehension of how the factors not limited to organisational culture, team working just to mention a few, are related to the specific context of the discussion.

3. Analysis

Your work must contain evidence of logical, analytical thinking, evaluation and synthesis. For example, to examine and break information down into parts, make inferences, compile, compare and contrast information. This means not just describing What! but also justifying: Why? How? When? Who? Where? At all times, you must provide justification for your arguments and judgements. Evidence that you have reflected upon the ideas of others within the subject area is crucial to you providing a reasoned and informed debate within your work. Furthermore, you should provide evidence that you are able to make sound judgements and convincing arguments using data and concepts. Sound, valid conclusions are necessary and must be derived from the content of your work. There should be no new information presented in your conclusion. Where relevant, alternative solutions and recommendations may be proposed.

Specific to this assignment: Evaluate & analyse the importance of different theories and different aspects of how managers/leaders can use them to improve organisational performance.

4. Practical Application and Deployment

You should be able to demonstrate how the subject-related concepts and ideas relate to real world situations or a particular context. How do they work in practice? You will deploy models, methods, techniques, and/or theories, in that context, to assess current situations, perhaps to formulate plans or solutions to solve problems, some of which may be innovative and creative. This is likely to involve, for instance, the use of real-world examples and cases, the application of a model within an organisation and/or benchmarking one organisation against others based on stated criteria. You should show awareness of the limitations of concepts and theories when applied in particular contexts.

Specific to this assignment. Give examples of differences in general between different leaders or managers and explain how important it is to understand the approaches that they have applied in improving intercultural team/group work which has in turn improved organisational performance.

5. Skills for Professional Practice

Your work must provide evidence of the attributes expected in professional practice. This includes demonstrating your initiative and/or collaborative working. You must communicate effectively in a suitable format, which may be written and/or oral, for example, essay, management report, presentation. Work should be coherent and well-structured in presentation and organisation.

Specific to this assignment: Communicate clearly in good English. Good presentations of the essay in a way that is professional. The essay needs to be in good English and correctly referenced. For the submission, Turnitin must be used.