What Responsible Management

Competencies do

BA INTERKULTUREL

MARKEDSKOMMUNIKATION

Students Acquire?

This report was prepared by the CBS Office of Re-

sponsible Management Education and is part of our

engagement in the UN-backed Principles for Re-

sponsible Management Education (PRME).

Photos: Bjarke MacCarthy, Jakob Boserup

IntroductIon

This report highlights the role responsible manage-

ment education plays in the Interkulturel Markeds-

kommunikation (BA IMK) programme. Through the

Curriculum Development project, the CBS PRME office

has sought to explore which competencies related to

responsible management are acquired by BA IMK

students during their time in the programme. This

report presents results based on findings from stu-

dent focus groups as well as meetings and on-going

interaction with faculty members. The purpose is to

explicitly address how these IMK competencies are

integrated in different courses and to encourage a

coherent progression across the entire programme.

The BA IMK programme develops students’ language,

communication and marketing competencies pro-

gressively throughout each year of their programme.

During the programme, students are taught to under-

stand their own cultural background and communi-

cation style, as well as those of other cultures. They

learn to respect other people’s norms and values and

gain competencies in responsible communication.

Students are encouraged to critically analyse various

theories by understanding the environment in which

they operate and the actors with whom they cooper-

ate. Teaching students the importance of ‘respecting

the values of individuals and leveraging differences’

is the approach taken to management education in

the BA IMK programme.

competency profIleDiscussions with the members of the study board and faculty have identified the following competencies in

responsible management acquired by BA IMK students:

While all courses are naturally aimed at supporting the development of these competencies in BA IMK students,

they are addressed specifically in the flagship course Tværfaglig case 2: Responsible Management (6th semes-

ter) and further elaborated on in the following corner stone courses: Marketing Audit, Kultur- og Kommunika-

tionsteori (1st semester); Marketing Strategy, Kommunikationsplanlægning (2nd semester); Videnskabsteori,

Communicating across Cultures (3rd semester); Interdisciplinary Case 1: Brand Management and Corporate

Communication (4th semester). Overall, there is a coherent progression of responsible management education

in culture and communication throughout the entire programme.

Finally, we would like to express our gratitude to all those who contributed to this project. In particular, we

would like to thank Henriette Lungholt for all her help with the development of this report and for acting as an

ambassador for the BA IMK programme. We would also like to acknowledge the study board director, Mette

Skovgaard Andersen, for her continuous support.

• The ability to understand that the concept of responsibility is culturally contingent, and to under-

stand the communicative and marketing consequences of this contingency.

• The ability to understand the challenges for responsible communication involved in marketing

communication.

• The ability to work with intercultural marketing and communication strategies from a responsible

communication perspective, including from a product-oriented as well as a process perspective.

fIrst semester

responsIbIlIty day is the first opportunity for BA IMK students to re-

flect on business practices through the lens of their study programme.

During this day, responsible management is presented through a se-

lected case, which is then critically discussed by the students. Sine

Nørholm Just was the IMK faculty representative for Responsibility

Day in 2015, while Henriette Lungholt facilitated the Day in 2016.

The marketIng audIt course focuses on the analysis of a company’s

marketing strat-

egy, taking into account both internal and external aspects. Students are introduced to responsibility within

marketing, mainly through CSR as a marketing strategy. The positive and negative sides of CSR are also taught.

For example, students are introduced to the positive impact that CSR practices have on the world and the

environment, but also presented with the negative aspects of CSR, including how CSR can prove costly and

time-consuming for companies.

In the course kultur- og kommunIkatIonsteorI students are introduced to the theoretical foundations of the concept

of culture and the role it can play in communications. This basic understanding of different views and theories

of cultures is a prerequisite for becoming a responsible communicator.

semester revIew of responsIble management at ba Imk

second semester

The marketIng strategy course builds upon the Marketing Audit course

from the previous semester. Marketing Strategy introduces students

to the internal and external factors involved in a company’s marketing

strategy. CSR is a reoccurring theme within the course, where it is

presented through cases and examples such as the social marketing

of NGOs, CSR and the buyer-seller relationship.

In the course Kommunikationsplanlægning, students are familiarised

with the role of planning communication activities. The course intro-

duces students to academic skills of communication and the theories

and philosophies behind communication.

Semester 1Semester 1

Semester 2

Professionel mundtlig kommunikation

Marketing Audit

Erhvervsøkonomi 1

Kultur- og kommunikationsteori

Tekstforståelse

Marketing Strategy

Erhvervsøkonomi 2

Kommunikationsplanlægning

thIrd semester

The course vIdenskabsteorI presents students with the challenges in-

volved in the scientific search for truth. Students gain insights into

interdisciplinary theoretical and analytical approaches to science.

Questions about the relationship between science and other forms of

knowledge, perceptions of sound science, objectivity, and truth are

central. By the end of the course, students are expected to have an

understanding of the possible effects that methodological choices can

have in communicating scientific analysis, including, for example, the difference between quantitative and

qualitative research. A particular focus is placed on issues, paradigms and methodological considerations in

the communication sciences. The use of cases such as The Lomborg case and ‘CSR – science theory set’ further

reinforce their understanding of these issues. In The Lomborg case, students are asked to reflect on issues of

public knowledge management in democratic societies with a free press. They also analyse how non-scientific

mass media selects crucial scientific research information to be communicated to the public and political sphere

for discussion. The case also teaches students about dealing with responsible knowledge management in the

conflict between scientific knowing and economic, political and religious knowing. The case, entitled ‘Paradigms

in Economic Theory’, reflects on the difference between classical and ecological economy, and specifically on

how and why ecological responsibility (sustainability) is lacking in the neoclassical paradigm of economics.

The course communIcatIng across cultures creates awareness among students of individual intercultural value

differences and the challenges involved in intercultural communication. Specifically, the course aims to teach

students how to adapt their communication in different cultures. Simultaneously, they are taught to build aware-

ness and avoid miscommunication in relation to impoliteness, over-formality or informality of language, incorrect

forms of address and similar aspects. Students are further taught how to leverage differences in cultures by

employing practical methods to adapt communication to target audiences.

Semester 3

Tekster i organisationen

Videnskabsteori

Communicating Across Cultures

Metode

fourth semester

InterdIscIplInary case 1: brand management introduces students to a ho-

listic approach to brand management. The course is focused on corpo-

rate branding and as such it looks in-depth at corporate values, vision,

culture and identity. The course presents the idea that brands are most

effective when brand values are reflected across the organisation and

are an integral part of the business decision processes. Many of the

cases used in this course are Nordic and thus reflect a Nordic approach

to managing brands.

corporate communIcatIon introduces concepts of responsibility through case studies and curricula. Students are

introduced to Porter and Kramer’s (2011) Creating Shared Value theory to develop their understanding of the in-

terplay of creating economic and societal value at the same time. Students are also presented with stakeholder

theory and the implications and ethical discussions that surround this theory. They are introduced to a variety

of cases, such as the Starbucks case, where they are encouraged to discuss and reflect upon the practical

application of these theories.

Semester 4

Interkulturelle markedsføringstekster

International handelsret

Interdisciplinary Case 1: Brand Management

Corporate Communication

fIfth semester

The 5th semester is dedicated to an exchange, elective courses or an

internship within a company. Of the 134 electives available to the BA

IMK programme, 6 directly address responsible management, includ-

ing Introduction to Sustainable Business and, Scandinavian Sustain-

ability and Corporate Social Responsibility.

sIxth semester

The final course, tværfaglIg case 2: responsIble management, enables

students to explore and discuss the correlation between intercultural

market communication and responsible management. This includes

analysing and solving empirical cases, as well as suggestions on how

to transform strategy into concrete communication products. Given

its placement in the 6th semester, the course has the opportunity of

creating coherence with earlier courses addressing responsible man-

agement education, which is also strengthened by this course’s inter-

disciplinary nature. The focus on responsible management education

has been increased as a result of the Curriculum Development project.

This is the flagship course of the BA IMK programme in terms of re-

sponsible management education.

Semester 5

Semester 6

Elective Courses, Exchange or Internship

Akademisk sprog

Tværfaglig case 2: Responsible Management

Bachelorprojekt

Sem

este

r Ov

ervi

ew: B

A IM

Kre

spon

sIbI

lIty

day

sem

este

r 1

sem

este

r 2

sem

este

r 3

sem

este

r 4

sem

este

r 5

sem

este

r 6

2016

Henr

iett

e Lu

ngho

lt

Prof

essi

onel

mun

dtlig

ko

mm

unik

atio

n

Kare

n Ho

by S

kann

ing

(MSC

)

Teks

tfor

ståe

lse

Lill

Ings

tad

(MSC

)

Teks

ter

i org

anis

atio

nen

Lill

Ings

tad

(MSC

)

Inte

rnat

iona

le m

arke

ds-

føri

ngst

ekst

er -

eng

elsk

Lill

Ings

tad

(MSC

)

Elec

tive

Cour

ses,

Ex

chan

ge o

r In

tern

ship

Akad

emis

k sp

rog

Lill

Ings

tad

(MSC

)N

iels

Esk

esta

d (M

SC)

2012

- 2

015

Sine

Nør

holm

Jus

t

Mar

ketin

g Au

dit

Dian

a St

orm

(M

ARKT

G)

Mar

ketin

g St

rate

gy

Dian

a St

orm

(M

ARKT

G)

Vide

nska

bste

ori

Søre

n Br

ier (

MSC

)

Inte

rnat

iona

l han

dels

ret

Pete

r Arn

t N

iels

en (

LAW

)

Tvæ

rfag

lig c

ase

2:

Resp

onsi

ble

Man

agem

ent

Esbe

n Ra

hbek

Gje

rdru

m

Pede

rsen

(M

SC)

Erhv

ervs

økon

omi 1

Vict

or L

und

(OM

)

Erhv

ervs

økon

omi 2

Vict

or L

und

(OM

)

Com

mun

icat

ing

Acro

ss

Cultu

res

Min

na P

auno

va (

MSC

)

Inte

rdis

cipl

inar

y Ca

se 1

: Br

and

Man

agem

ent

Rich

ard

Jone

s (M

ARKT

G)

Bach

elor

proj

ekt

Dian

a St

orm

(M

ARKT

G)

Kultu

r- o

g ko

mm

unik

atio

nste

ori

Thom

as B

urø

(MSC

)

Kom

mun

ikat

ions

plan

lægn

-in

g

Henr

iett

e Lu

ngho

lt (M

SC)

Met

ode

Søre

n Br

ier (

MSC

)

Corp

orat

e Co

mm

unic

atio

n

Henr

iett

e Lu

ngho

lt (M

SC)

Flag

ship

Cou

rse

Flag

ship

cou

rses

act

as

anch

ors

in t

he p

rogr

amm

e an

d pl

ay a

cen

tral

role

in c

oord

inat

ing

the

gene

ratio

n of

resp

onsi

ble

man

agem

ent

com

pete

ncie

s.

Corn

er S

tone

Cou

rse

Corn

er s

tone

cou

rses

act

as

bind

ing

bloc

ks b

etw

een

the

sem

este

rs a

nd e

nsur

e a

syst

emat

ic p

rogr

essi

on o

f con

tent

and

com

pete

ncie

s re

late

d to

resp

onsi

ble

man

agem

ent.

contacts and resources

Below we have a list of the key people associated with BA IMK, which you may find useful:

Imk programme manager

Imk study dIrector

Lavinia Iosif-Lazar is responsible for the Cur-

riculum Development project. Please send any

suggestions for amendments to her.

prme project manager

Professor Kai Hockerts is the Academic Director

of the Curriculum Development project.

prme academIc dIrector

Kai Hockerts: Tel: 3815 3175

E-mail: kho.msc@cbs.dk

cc: mmms.edu@cbs.dk

Lavinia Iosif-Lazar: Tel: 3815 3123

E-mail: li.msc@cbs.dk

Imk ambassador

Henriette Lungholt has agreed to be the am-bassador for the BA IMK programme. Please feel free to contact her if you have questions regarding responsible management education within the programme.

Jacob Kofoed serves as the programme manager for the BA IMK programme.

Mette Skovgaard Andersen serves as the study director for the BA IMK programme.

Henriette Lungholt: E-mail: hlu.msc@cbs.dk

Mette Skovgaard Andersen: Tel: 3815 3265

E-mail: msa.msc@cbs.dk

Jacob Kofoed: Tel: 3815 3304

E-mail: jfk.stu@cbs.dk

This report refers to the Autumn semester, 2016.