Intercultural Communication for Global Business

Course overview

Today’s world is increasingly diverse as companies embrace globalization and respond to the shifting landscape of the pandemic. The ability to effectively interact, work and develop meaningful relationships with professionals across different cultures and social groups is essential in a global workforce.

Discover how VUCA (an environment that is volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous) represents a set of challenges that all businesses face, and how becoming culturally competent in a globalised, VUCA world can open new markets and networks, promote mutual enrichment, and improve productivity and efficiency.

Drawing on interdisciplinary research, this course will provide you with the necessary awareness, know-how and practical skills needed to become more effective at intercultural interactions. You will draw on various models to analyse your own experiences in order to develop a personal development plan to address effective interactions at work in the face of significant challenges.

What will I learn?

By the end of the course, you will be able to:

• assess the impact of VUCA on today’s workplace
• define culture and critique several cultural models
• explain the effect of cultural differences on interactions
• identify individual and cultural preferences for working practices and demonstrate the use of empathy when evaluating others
• define the culture adaptation process and develop a strategy to foster effective interactions at work
• assess the opportunities and challenges of using English as an international working language and develop strategies to use it in an effective and inclusive way
• apply inclusive teamwork and/or leadership skills to successfully complete tasks in a multicultural workplace
• evaluate and apply experience and knowledge to create a personal development action plan.

Who is this course for?

• Individuals working in organisations that span across cultures, languages or countries.
• Expatriates (expats), or those working in a non-native country and looking to develop their workplace communication skills.
• EDIB (Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging) professionals keen to learn more about building intercultural communication into their diversity and inclusion models.

Course delivery

Our certificated courses reflect the Cambridge experience and values, with low student to tutor ratios and academically rigorous standards. Our learning model is designed to help you advance your skills and specialise in emerging areas that address global challenges. We will help you build your network through an engaging and impactful learning journey that encourages collaboration. Courses are delivered in weekly modules, allowing you to plan your time effectively. The assessment criteria will be presented to you at the start of the course, so you can approach your studies with confidence and motivation, knowing what is expected of you and how to meet those expectations. 

Throughout your online learning experience, you will have access to your course tutor, who will help facilitate your learning and provide you with support and guidance during your studies. You can interact with your tutor through a range of media, such as live sessions, discussion forums, email or canvas messaging. 

Each course includes a balance of:

• interactive learning and real-world application so you can directly apply what you’re learning to your own context
• diverse teaching methods to enhance learning outcomes which will be delivered via learning activities such as University of Cambridge academic led videos, quizzes and group work  
• optional live sessions (1 hour) with University of Cambridge academics and tutors to deepen your understanding of the week's material. These sessions may include an informal Q&A, a short lecture or a breakout activity that builds on the content introduced that week. All sessions are recorded and made available to stream so you can catch up whenever suits you
• guided critical thinking via our reflective workbook so you can collect, structure and summarise information and your thoughts as you progress through the course. 

What will I get on completion?

Evidence your learning with a Certificate of Achievement from the University of Cambridge on successful completion.