Modules

Core Module Information
Module title: Introduction to Intercultural Business Communications
SCQF level: 07:
SCQF credit value: 20.00
ECTS credit value: 10
Module code: IBC07102
Module leader: Jane Wilkinson
School The Business School
Subject area group: Tourism and Intercultural Business Communication
Prerequisites

There are no pre-requisites for this module to be added
Description of module content:

This module is designed to introduce you to core concepts and approaches in Intercultural Business Communication and to start preparing you for the complex communication and interpersonal tasks that you will encounter in today's linguistically and culturally diverse global work environment. You will acquire an understanding of perspectives with regard to intercultural communication and learn how to apply them to work environments. You will develop understandings of internal and external business communications, including intercultural (e.g. multinational work environments), digital (e.g. professional email), and mass communications (e.g. advertising). Assessment includes analytical tasks (e.g. analysing advertisements, marketing campaigns, or interactions and (cultural) misunderstandings) and practical tasks (e.g. designing tourism marketing campaigns for a specific audience). You will also learn to critically reflect on your learning in workplace settings. This module introduces you to a range of approaches, theories, topics and issues in the broad field of Intercultural Business Communication (IBC). Our focus will be on different understandings of ‘culture’ (culture = country, culture = complexity, and culture = diversity) and the ways in which these different understandings shape approaches to IBC. We will consider these in a range of contexts (including tourism, advertising, workplace interactions, higher education) and ‘texts’ (including tourism websites, TV and online adverts, films).
Learning Outcomes for module:

Upon completion of this module you will be able to

LO1: Acquire a broad understanding of how intercultural communication operates in business contexts.

LO2: Develop an awareness of intercultural communication issues and strategies specific to your current or intended workplace context.

LO3: Recognise effective internal and external business communication texts/practices, including mass communication.

LO4: Understand and produce different types of business communication texts in a range of formats.
Full Details of Teaching and Assessment
2025/6, Trimester 1, In Person, Edinburgh Napier University
VIEW FULL DETAILS
Occurrence: 001
Primary mode of delivery: In Person
Location of delivery: CRAIGLOCKHAR
Partner: Edinburgh Napier University
Member of staff responsible for delivering module: Jane Wilkinson
Module Organiser:


Student Activity (Notional Equivalent Study Hours (NESH))
Mode of activityLearning & Teaching ActivityNESH (Study Hours)NESH Description
Online Guided independent study 167 Guided independent study includes weekly readings and preparation for classes, preparation for assessments, and your own further study on topics of interesting. Teaching materials will be available to you via Moodle and the module reading list.
Face To Face Seminar 33 Weekly in-person sessions will introduce you to the key concepts and topics covered in the module. Interactive activities are designed to help you engage with those concepts by applying them to examples and case studies, and to prepare you for assessments.
Total Study Hours200
Expected Total Study Hours for Module200


Assessment
Type of Assessment Weighting % LOs covered Week due Length in Hours/Words Description
Oral Presentation 40 1~2~3~4 Week 10 HOURS= 15 minutes In pairs / small groups you will create an advert for a specific product or service designed to appeal to and communicate with a specific cultural group.
Report 60 1~2~3~4 Exam Period , WORDS= 1300-1500 words You will write a report in which you analyse examples of intercultural business communications using concepts / theories and approaches learned in the module. You will be able to choose which topic you consider in depth in your report. For example, if you arestudying Marketing, you might be interested in digital advertising and might choose to do an analysis of selected adverts. If you are studying Tourism you might analyse the discourse of travel brochures or review websites. If you are interested in intercultural business encounters more broadly, you might analyse, for instance, the language used in business meetings. In this way, you will demonstrate your learning by applying it to an area of interest and relevance for your current or future work context.
Component 1 subtotal: 40
Component 2 subtotal: 60
Module subtotal: 100

Indicative References and Reading List - URL:
IBC07102 Introduction to Intercultural Business Communications
 

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