International Leadership and Organizational Behavior
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International Leadership and Organizational Behavior
Università Bocconi
About this Course
4.7
566 ratings
Leaders in business and non-profit organizations increasingly work across national borders and in multi-cultural environments. You may work regularly with customers or suppliers abroad, or be part of a globally dispersed cross-functional team, or an expatriate manager on an international assignment. You may be a member of a global online community, or a development aid worker collaborating with an international network of partner organizations. In all of these contexts, your effectiveness as a leader depends on how well you understand and are able to manage individual and collective behaviors in an intercultural context.
In this course – together with a team of Bocconi expert faculty and Bocconi alumni – we’ll explore the theory and practice of international and intercultural leadership and organizational behavior. Social science research has revealed systematic ways in which our behavior differs across cultural contexts – enabling us to more effectively work across borders. Insights from psychology, neuroscience, sociology and anthropology, from communication studies and from management scholarship allow us to understand what shapes individual and group decision making, what enhances or weakens team performance, and how we can build and use our social networks. And the shared practical experience of international leaders allows us to identify concrete steps to enhancing intercultural leadership competence, and to be cognizant of common leadership challenges.
Learning about organizational behavior provides a great opportunity to develop your leadership skills and to reflect on your own behavioral tendencies. How do you usually make important decisions? What motivates you and how do you try motivating others? How successfully do you leverage and integrate diverse skills and views in a team? Do you prefer professional relationships with a close-knit group of trusted colleagues, or with a far-flung network of acquaintances from all walks of life?
If you really want to learn how organizations behave and take decisions and at the same time develop leadership skills, then this is the course for you.
We are looking forward to welcoming you and supporting you on this journey of learning and discovery.
COURSE SYLLABUS
Week 1 - Leadership Acumen. International perspective on leadership, common traps & challenges, and opportunities of intercultural leadership.
Week 2 - Navigating Culture. Impact of cultural differences on organizations, decoding culture, culture classifications and stereotyping, developing intercultural intelligence.
Week 3 - Communication. Communication and its impact on leadership identity and relationships, managing communication to improve decision making, steps for developing your intercultural communication skills.
Week 4 - Motivation. Views on individual motivation, cultural differences in motivation, developing motivation and commitment in teams.
Week 5 - Networking. Patterns of interpersonal relationships in/across organizations, strategically developing social networks and social capital, norms for networking across cultures.
Week 6 - Conflict. Effective / defective conflict management approaches, dealing with ethical dilemmas.
Thanks to the participation of our alumni and of the Bocconi Alumni Association, participants will have practical insights on international leadership.
RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND
All are welcome! Some prior exposure to basic issues of organizational behavior (communication, decision making, motivation, etc.) is useful, but not required.
Skills you will gain
Social NetworkLeadershipManagementCross-Cultural Communication
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Week
1LEADERSHIP ACUMEN
In the first module we outline the basics of leadership and leadership development with an international mindset, exploring common traps & challenges, and opportunities of intercultural leadership.
6 videos (Total 77 min), 4 readings, 1 quiz
6 videos
1. Introduction - Three Principles of Leadership15m
2. FOCUS ON RESEARCH - Leadership from an International OB Perspective14m
3. FOCUS ON PRACTICE - Leadership Challenges22m
4. FOCUS ON PRACTICE - Leadership Opportunities10m
5. Wrap Up8m
4 readings
Grading Policy10m
Surviving the Course10m
SLIDES WEEK 110m
Links and Readings10m
1 practice exercise
Quiz 120m
Week
2NAVIGATING CULTURE
In this second module we talk about the impact of culture and cultural differences on organizations, different perspectives on analyzing and decoding culture, and how to develop intercultural intelligence.
5 videos (Total 76 min), 4 readings, 1 quiz
5 videos
2. FOCUS ON RESEARCH - Implicit Theories of Culture in Our Heads16m
3. CASE DISCUSSION - Decoding Cultures13m
4. FOCUS ON PRACTICE - Cultural Intelligence24m
5. Wrap Up5m
4 readings
Have You Ever Lived Abroad? Join The Discussion!10m
Join The Discussion: Should the Boss Have All the Answers?10m
SLIDES WEEK 210m
Links and Readings10m
1 practice exercise
Quiz 220m
Week
3COMMUNICATING EFFECTIVELY
Almost everything international leaders do, they do through communication. In an international context, they often encounter communication barriers when they interact with followers, peers, and partners from other cultures. We talk about how to encourage open, respectful, and productive conversations for improving collaboration and collective decision-making. We will also closely examine the role of communication for leaders' identity and their relationships with others. Bocconi alumni who have accumulated many years of international experience share with us what they have learned about intercultural communication and how to develop your communication skills.
7 videos (Total 107 min), 2 readings, 1 quiz
7 videos
2. Enabling Decision Making19m
3. Identity & Relationships - Part 111m
4. Identity & Relationships - Part 217m
5. FOCUS ON RESEARCH - Becoming a More Effective Communicator21m
6. INTEGRATIVE CASE - Communicating Effectively9m
7. Wrap Up12m
2 readings
SLIDES WEEK 310m
Links and Readings10m
1 practice exercise
Quiz 320m
Week
4MOTIVATING FOLLOWERS
International leaders need to spur and channel the energy, talents, and commitment of their followers. To foster motivation leaders need to recognize people's diverse needs and motives, cultural foundations of motivation, and social mechanisms that determine motivation in teams. We emphasize that there is no “magic bullet” for motivation that works reliably and universally, we discuss motivation theories and frameworks that can greatly enhance international leaders’ ability to adapt their motivation efforts in intercultural contexts - both for individuals and for teams.
8 videos (Total 96 min), 2 readings, 1 quiz
8 videos
2. Content Theories13m
3. Process Theories - Part 1: Learned Needs Theory9m
4. Process Theories - Part 2: Expectancy Theory16m
5. CASE DISCUSSION - Applying Motivation Theories17m
6. Introduction to Team Motivation6m
7. FOCUS ON RESEARCH - How Sports Coaches Motivate Their Teams12m
8. Wrap Up12m
2 readings
SLIDES WEEK 410m
Links and Readings10m
1 practice exercise
Quiz 420m
4.7
50%
83%
21%
Top Reviews
By AY•Jan 7th 2017
I completed this course while working abroad and I loved it. The course helped be to have a better understanding and respect for different cultures in life and in the work environment.\n\nThank You!
By GC•Aug 13th 2018
Very interesting course. Alumni viewpoints, pop-up questions, and interactive dialogues all made the course more engaging. Each video was a good length for informational content and attentiveness.
Instructor
Franz Wohlgezogen
Assistant ProfessorDepartment of Management and Technology
About Università Bocconi
Our ambition is to develop students' potential and foster knowledge in Business, Economics and Law through innovative learning and research activities in a multicultural environment. Bocconi is a community that constantly innovates teaching and learning technologies and that strongly believes in the power of life-long learning and networking.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Once you enroll for a Certificate, you’ll have access to all videos, quizzes, and programming assignments (if applicable). Peer review assignments can only be submitted and reviewed once your session has begun. If you choose to explore the course without purchasing, you may not be able to access certain assignments.
What will I get if I purchase the Certificate?
When you purchase a Certificate you get access to all course materials, including graded assignments. Upon completing the course, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
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Is financial aid available?
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