During spring semester of 2020 I took INTB 2014 as an honors experience. INTB 2014 is an international business class focusing on cultural competency. As well as being an honors experience, this class was designed for Kolodzik Business Scholars, one of UC's three business honors programs. I have loved my KBS experience so far, and was really happy to take this class along with the friends I have met in KBS.
While a big part of INTB 2014 is a trip to Montreal during spring break, unfortunately all UC affiliated travel this spring was cancelled due to COVID-19. However, I am still very glad I was able to take INTB 2014 because this class taught me a lot about cultural competency. I learned that cultural competence is defined as “the sensitivity of the firm toward the surrounding societal and cultural changes, especially changes in customer values and behavior, and the ability to transfer this knowledge into meaningful business practices.” I had not considered the importance of cultural competence in the business world before taking this class because I did not realize it is so much more than just being aware of other cultures. Cultural competence means accepting other culture's values and incorporating them into your own business practices. For example, Chinese businesses have strict hierarchies and prioritize harmonious relationships over accomplishing tasks. Another country, such as Sweden, has the opposite priority and a very informal social structure. Since we live in a globalized economy, it can be very difficult for business from different cultures to work with one another, and many mergers fail as a result. I have attached my final paper for INTB 2014 as a sample of my work because it highlights issues of cultural competence in case studies, and as result shows how important cultural competence is.
While a big part of INTB 2014 is a trip to Montreal during spring break, unfortunately all UC affiliated travel this spring was cancelled due to COVID-19. However, I am still very glad I was able to take INTB 2014 because this class taught me a lot about cultural competency. I learned that cultural competence is defined as “the sensitivity of the firm toward the surrounding societal and cultural changes, especially changes in customer values and behavior, and the ability to transfer this knowledge into meaningful business practices.” I had not considered the importance of cultural competence in the business world before taking this class because I did not realize it is so much more than just being aware of other cultures. Cultural competence means accepting other culture's values and incorporating them into your own business practices. For example, Chinese businesses have strict hierarchies and prioritize harmonious relationships over accomplishing tasks. Another country, such as Sweden, has the opposite priority and a very informal social structure. Since we live in a globalized economy, it can be very difficult for business from different cultures to work with one another, and many mergers fail as a result. I have attached my final paper for INTB 2014 as a sample of my work because it highlights issues of cultural competence in case studies, and as result shows how important cultural competence is.