| Description: | People from more than one culture increasingly have to work together, work side by side, or collaborate on international projects, both at home and abroad. How easy is it to step outside our own cultural expectations? This is an intercultural communication course aimed specifically at understanding intercultural interactions in business or in the workplace from both theoretical and practical standpoints. On a practical level, this course will involve the students' active participation in role play exercises, and will give practical advice on predicting and managing intercultural misunderstandings both in the workplace and in more informal social settings. Business practices in different countries, in particular Italy and the USA, and individual case studies will be assessed and discussed according to these frameworks. Students will investigate and observe Italian working practices while they are here in Italy as a means to exploring cross-cultural differences, using Italy and Florence and their own personal experiences back home as a source of raw data by which to apply the concepts learnt in class. |