“The classroom became a dynamic unit of interactions, evaluations, and analysis. In addition, the guest speakers made it easier for us to understand the theoretical concepts by making them application oriented.”
The new full-time MBA intake started of their program with the Managing Cultural Diversity module. Devina Chandola, current full-time MBA student, was excited to begin her academic sessions. “The module made me quite inquisitive about how the upcoming week would unfold. When Dr. Stephanie Jones, Associate Professor of Organizational Behaviour, shared the pre-course assignments with the class, I felt assured that there were going to be some noteworthy and deeply stimulating conversations by the end of the week. It began with the exercises on understanding the self and individual in the larger discussion of Diversity and Inclusion. It established an understanding and placed the self not only, as an Indian girl in the globalized world, but in the macrocosmic cultural landscape of the business world. Through the self, the course navigated us through our national identities and helped us to understand the organizational behaviours and trends that we need to adhere to in dealing with predictable and unpredictable challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The biggest take-away for Devina is understanding the self, in the light of diversity and inclusion. “It would be too simplistic to call it an awakening but as the week unfolded, and we dived deeper into theories and practices, I became more self-aware. From locating our core competencies and matching them with our profiles to enabling a sense of acceptability, which finally concluded in placing oneself in the business world.
The stepwise movement made me more conscious of the choices that I am going to undertake when it comes to my career development, keeping in mind the relevance of my existing professional profile. As a prospective candidate who wishes to start an entrepreneurial venture, Dr. Jones’ classes fostered a discussion on areas where I can work on and specifically in terms of people skills, thereby paving an efficient way for my entrepreneurial ambitions.”
Devina included that it was great to be so involved and engaged in conversations focusing on one’s competencies but also in understanding the personality traits of the fellow classmates. “Dr. Jones became a moderator where she welcomed our observations and fine-tuned them through her skills, sometimes opening up new windows of discussion or even providing a refreshingly fresh take on our analysis.”
About the Managing Cultural Diversity module
This module focuses on managing cultural diversity in the international business context. It aims to provide participants with a conceptual and practical understanding of the role of national and organizational culture and issues of diversity in the achievement of an organization’s strategy, with specific attention to the complexity of managing people in a cross-cultural environment.
Participants are challenged to increase their knowledge and understanding of the relative contribution of cross-cultural expertise to management and business effectiveness. The module provides hands-on insights into the impact of cultural factors in management and business, intercultural communication, working with cross-cultural teams, and international HR management.
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