BUA 2102 - Multicultural Management

Credits: 4
Today project management in a diverse multicultural environment is at the heart of everyday business. Managing projects is also key in managing business change: all projects, in some way, result from and give rise to change.

Many project management publications focus on elements such as engineering or information technology, removing the focus from business needs. This course is designed to demonstrate the value of project management as an aid to international / multinational business in general, reflecting both the purpose of projects and the way that they are managed.

The course will provide students with a sound view on what project management is, why it matters, and how to achieve best practice in it:
   - A key feature of projects is that they differ from normal line management, often suffering a poor relationship with what is often referred to as ‘the day job’. The cause of this is explored, setting the scene for proposed remedies.
   - The provision of control is also introduced in terms of organization, interrelationships of multiple cultures (both national and organizational culture), risk management and finance.

This course is designed to provide students with a flexible, efficient process that provides planning without overkill and control without being cumbersome. Students will learn the proven basic project management tools and techniques to manage both short and long-term projects. Therefore, the course provides:
   - a definition of what project management is, how it differs from other management, and how it has evolved;
   - consideration of the key cultural issues which arise in business that must be dealt with when contemplating projects;
   - a (simple) structure for multicultural project management that is easy to follow, based on proven techniques.

This course explores the place of projects in business in all sectors. It discusses the myth that there are such things as ‘construction projects’ or ‘IT projects’ or ‘relocation projects’, building on real life experiences to demonstrate that all the functions of any organization need to work together, and that no single function can act without affecting the others.

Note: Offered at Budapest campus only.
McDaniel Plan: Multicultural European