Course Name Year Term Period Faculty / Graduate School All Instructors Credits
51565:[2025 Spring]International Corporate Culture (BA) 2025 Spring Fri1 College　Of　Business　Administration FAZEKAS BALAZS 2

Campus

OIC

Class Venue

AC341

Language

English
(Some occasional Japanese might be used to help understanding)

Course Outline and Method

In this advanced course, we will explore international corporate culture from three perspectives:

1. The Historical Evolution of Corporations
The first part of the course examines how corporations became central to our world. The lessons will provide a historical overview of the rise of corporations and the development of the values, norms, and ways of thinking that accompany them.

2. The Concept of Culture and Its Influence on Corporations
In the second part, we will delve into the concept of culture, exploring how corporations are shaped by larger national cultures, subcultures, and their own organizational values. We will study key cultural frameworks and read a few relevant texts.

3. Culture in the Workplace
Finally, we will discuss how culture impacts critical workplace dynamics, including communication, leadership, decision-making, conflict resolution, and human resource management.

In each part of the course, students will engage in lectures, give presentations on assigned short readings, and participate in discussions of key ideas.

Student Attainment Objectives

Students will have a deeper understanding of:
1. the historical evolution of the corporate system
2. national vs. organizational culture and how corporations are influenced by culture
3. work and culture

Recommended Preparatory Course

英語経営学入門

This course will be held in English. Therefore a certainly high level of command of English is required: This course targets students who have a minimum TOEFL®-ITP score of 520, or TOEFL®-iBT score of 68 or equivalent.

本科目の受講にあたっては、TOEFL iBT68/PBT520相当以上の英語力を保持していることを目安としています。

Course Schedule

Lecture/Instructor（When there are multiple instructors) Theme
Keyword, References and Supplementary Information
1.

Introduction: Before talking about culture...
【＋R- Jugyo】Please refer to manaba+R for details.

What is a corporation? How did we get here? What existed before the corporation? Hunting for values in classical times, in the middle ages, and in the age of the Industrial Revolution

2.

Work ethics and culture

Looking back in time: America and the Puritan work ethic
Merchant values in premodern Japan

3.

Capitalism, imperialism, and our global age

How did corporations evolve over time?
What values are necessary to sustain capitalist enterprises?
Why do historical divergences exist between countries?

4.

What is culture?

National cultures
Organizational cultures
Subcultures
Other manifestations of culture
Actual cases of cultural differences

5.

Frameworks of culture

A number of frameworks of culture
Analyzing culture
Country analysis
Comparative analysis

6.

Communicating across cultures

Communication challanges

7.

Differences in organization and leadership

Leadership and decision making differences

8.

Conflict resolution across cultures

Why does conflict occur?
How can conflict be successfully resolved?

9.

Human resource management and culture

Adjustment to overseas assignments
HR issues

10.

Culture in context 1.

Japanese corporate culture and the world

11.

Culture in context 2.

European examples

12.

Culture in context 3.

East-Asian examples

13.

Culture in context 4.

Managing diversity and culture in top companies

14.

Culture in context 5.

Melting pots and hybrid cultures

Class Format

We will hold in-person lessons unless otherwise specified beforehand.

Recommendations for Private Study

1. Students need to listen to lectures and take notes.
2. Students will recieve reading assignments in English that will have to be developed into presentations.
3. In order to be able to participate in discussions, students need to actively engage with the material and read group assignments.

Grade Evaluation Method

Kind Percentage Grading Criteria etc.
Final Examination (Written)

Report Examination
(A report to be submitted by the unified deadline)

Exams and/or Reports other than those stated above, and Continuous Assessment　
(Evaluation of Everyday Performance in Class)		 100

30% Lesson participation with a special attention to work in group discussions
70% Reading assignments and presentations

Grade Evaluation Method （Note）

Students will be assigned English readings, which must be developed into presentations. Presenters are also required to lead discussions within their study groups. Presentations will primarily be evaluated based on the depth of understanding of the readings and their key ideas, though effective delivery will also be considered.

Advice to Students on Study and Research Methods

Textbooks

Textbooks （Frequency of Use, Note）

Reference Books

Title Author Publisher ISBN Code Comment
Culture's Consequences Hofstede, Geert Sage Publications 9780803973244
Riding the Waves of Culture Trompenaars, Fons et al. McGraw-Hill 0639785302483
Organizational Culture and Leadership Schein, Edgar Jossey-Bass 9780787975975
The Puritan Gift: Reclaiming the American Dream Amidst Global Financial Chaos Kenneth Hopper, William Hopper ‎I.B. Tauris 9781845119867
The Culture Map: Breaking Through the Invisible Boundaries of Global Business Erin Meyer PublicAffairs 9781610392501

Reference Books （Frequency of Use, Note）

Web Pages for Reference

How to Communicate with the Instructor In and Out of Class(Including Instructor Contact Information)

Learning Management System （manaba+R）,Talk with Students

Other Comments

【留学帰国者（「留学終了届」が春学期授業開始日から4月末までに受理された学生）への課題】
出席できなかった授業回の授業内容を確認し、自学自習を行ってください。そのうえで、欠席1回について1つの課題が課されますので、それぞれA4用紙1枚以上にまとめて、5月末までに担当教員へ提出して下さい。課題については、担当教員に直接問い合わせてください。
【科目ナンバリング・カリキュラムマップはこちらから/Click here to see the Curriculum-Map and Course-Numbering】
URL:https://secure.ritsumei.ac.jp/students/pathways-future/course/curriculum.html/