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Hey everyone, and a huge welcome to this explainer for MGT 351 Managing Across Cultures. I am so incredibly thrilled to be guiding you through this Start Here module. Look, if you're wanting to understand exactly what you'll be doing
Overview of MGT 351 Managing Across Cultures course, covering structure, core project, grading, and key managerial skills over seven weeks.
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Key Takeaways
- The course emphasizes practical application over traditional exams.
- Students analyze one organization continuously to build a comprehensive improvement plan.
- Organizational culture is central to managing diverse workplaces effectively.
- Interactive simulations provide real-world managerial decision-making experience.
- Consistent weekly effort in forums and assignments is crucial for success.
What the video covers
- Introduction to MGT 351 Managing Across Cultures and course expectations.
- Explanation of the core project involving analysis of one organization throughout the course.
- Detailed seven-week roadmap including foundational concepts, application phases, and final project.
- Focus on organizational culture as a key concept influencing employee experience and outcomes.
- Hands-on learning through an AI-powered workplace management simulation in week two.
- Grading based entirely on applied coursework with no exams or multiple-choice tests.
- Point distribution: discussion forums (350 points), weekly assignments (480 points), final project (170 points).
- Immediate action plan for week one including forum participation, cultural profile assessment, and organization selection.
- Encouragement to become a proactive manager who designs workplace culture rather than just surviving it.
- Reflection on future trends like AI impacting workplace culture in the final week.
Chapters
- 00:00Welcome and Course Introduction
- 00:52Understanding Organizational Culture
- 01:53Core Project Overview
- 02:41Seven-Week Roadmap and Course Structure
- 03:39AI-Powered Simulation and Practical Application
- 04:08Grading and Assignments Breakdown
- 05:00Week One Action Plan and Getting Started
- 05:26Closing Thoughts and Course Motivation
Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown
Speaker A
over the next seven weeks, you are in the perfect place. We are going to set a really fantastic supportive tone for your whole journey, and by the end of this quick overview, you're going to have a crystal clear blueprint of
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everything you need to absolutely crush this course. To keep things moving, here is our roadmap for today. One, welcome to the course. Two, the core project. Three, your seven-week roadmap. Four, grading and assignments. And finally, five, ready to
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start? My main goal here is to just erase any of that typical first week anxiety and show you exactly what to expect. All right, section one, welcome to the course. Okay, let's dive into this because the reality of modern
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management is, well, it's a wild ride. It's fascinating, but it's also incredibly demanding. I really want to pose the central question directly to you right out of the gate. How do you manage an increasingly complex workplace? You know, today's organizations aren't just
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gears in a machine. They are shaped by vastly different communication styles, wildly different expectations, unique experiences, and diverse cultural perspectives. So, you aren't just managing tasks on a checklist. You are managing this rich dynamic tapestry of human differences.
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And really, that brings us to the foundational concept for this entire course, organizational culture. It's defined as the underlying assumptions, expectations, and behaviors that ultimately influence employee experiences, and of course, organizational outcomes.
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Navigating all those human differences thoughtfully while still actively driving toward organizational goals, keeping up with legal responsibilities, and boosting workplace effectiveness, that is exactly what you're going to master over these next few weeks.
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Moving on to section two, the core project. Honestly, I like to think of this as the secret weapon of the course's design. So, here's how your workload is structured and it's designed specifically to maximize your time. Step one, and this happens right now in week
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one, you must pick one organization. It can be a real organization from your own past or current job experience, or you can pick one from the 2026 Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For list.
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Then, step two, you're going to analyze this exact same company week after week. No switching allowed. And what that means is every single weekly assignment you do directly builds your foundation for step three, which is your final improvement plan in week six. So, the
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really crucial takeaway here, there is absolutely zero waste of effort in this course. Literally, every assignment is a stepping stone toward your final goal.
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All right, section three, your seven-week roadmap. Let's map out exactly how we're going to build up that managerial toolkit of yours. We're taking a really systematic approach. In week one, as you'd expect, you are laying down the foundations of
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organizational culture. Then, weeks two through five, that's a heavy application phase. We're moving way beyond abstract theories and diving straight into practical managerial reasoning. You'll analyze cross-cultural communication, leadership decisions, organizational responsibility, and workplace ethics.
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All of that hard work culminates in week six, where you'll submit that major organizational improvement project we just talked about. And finally, week seven gives us a breather to reflect on future trends, like how AI is impacting workplace culture. Now, what's really
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interesting here about this application phase is that we definitely aren't just relying on standard run-of-the-mill discussion forums. For instance, in week two, you're actually going to step into an AI-powered workplace management simulation. You'll be managing a project team that's completely stalled out due
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to communication issues. You'll actively conduct virtual interviews with employees, Sarah, Ahmed, and David to uncover the root of the conflict. And then, you'll have to report your action plan directly to the virtual HR director, Monica Rivera. It's such an
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incredible hands-on way to practice real managerial decision-making. Okay, section four, grading and assignments. Let's pivot to the mechanics of the course. Because I know, as a focused learner, you want to know exactly how you're actually going to be evaluated.
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Well, I am incredibly happy to announce that there are exactly zero objective assessments in this entire course. Yep, you heard me right. Zero final exams, zero multiple-choice tests. The whole shebang is based on applied, practical coursework. So, to put it into
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perspective, here is exactly where your efforts will go. There are a thousand total points up for grabs. Discussion forums make up 350 points, weekly written assignments make up 480 points, and your final project in week six is worth 170 points. This breakdown really
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just means that consistent week-to-week effort on those forums and assignments carries the absolute most weight in your final grade. Slow and steady wins the race here. Which brings us to section five. Ready to start? Here is your immediate action plan to just totally
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conquer week one. First things first, hop into the activity 1.1 introduction forum and have some fun with it. You'll need to pick just one word you would want employees to use when describing an organization's culture and one word that
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best describes you. Second, you're going to take the Harvard Business Review Cultural Profile. You'll find that right in your required readings. And then you'll reflect on your personalized results in that same intro post. And third, arguably the most important task,
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choose the one organization you're going to stick with and analyze for the next seven weeks.
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To wrap things up, I want to leave you with this provocative thought to carry into your reading this week. As organizations get more and more diverse and interconnected, will you be a manager who just survives workplace culture? Or one who intentionally
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designs it? The tools to become a true designer of incredible workplaces are all right here. Have an absolutely fantastic first week. Dive into those foundational concepts, and I am so, so excited to see the amazing work you're going to do in this course.
Topics:Managing Across CulturesOrganizational CultureCross-cultural ManagementWorkplace DiversityAI in ManagementManagerial SkillsCourse OverviewApplied LearningWorkplace EthicsOrganizational Improvement
