Modulbeschreibung

Students apply the practice-based theory taught in previous semesters in a real-life business situation. They work in a mixed team of exchange and Swiss students in a consulting project supporting a client (local, business, government, or NGO). Within this project, students conduct either a larger primary research study (e.g., market analyses, employee surveys, image and attractiveness analyses) or develop a management concept (e.g., development of a business case, development of management recommendations). The team properly plans and conducts the research tasks, collects, and analyses the data and draws appropriate conclusions. The findings are documented in a report (60 pages plus appendix) and are presented to the client in a final presentation.

After completing this project, students will be able to understand and apply the associated methods, tools, and techniques at a fundamental level, to carry out sound market research or to develop a rigorous management concept, to systematically document the results, and to develop corresponding management recommendations.

Additionally, students strengthen their intercultural competencies while cooperating in a multicultural team by applying the intercultural foundation taught in previous semesters. Intercultural competence is a key competence today that is increasingly in demand in practice. Working in multicultural teams, thus cooperating with people who are culturally different, is the order of the day in today's agile and interconnected business world, both online and offline.

Students learn to use the potential of a multicultural team to achieve their project goals, to find cross-cultural solutions and what it needs to thrive in a multicultural team in a respectful way.

For the intercultural part, the module builds on Intercultural Communication and Personal Development (ICPD) and is an application of it.

• presentation of a poster (60min) + discussion (30min)  (grade integrated in the assessment of project work)
• project work
• written assignments
• Final intercultural discussion/assessment 30min

Professional competences:

Participants can:

• apply the previously learned theory and methods to solve a specific practical problem,
• implement the formal requirements of a holistic, scientific conceptual work in within a real-life project,
• apply the basics of intercultural communication and competence (4 steps, cultural dimensions, communication styles) to their consulting project and hence work on the project become more effectively,
• utilise the diversity of their team to achieve better results,
• recognise and timely overcome intercultural challenges in their consulting project, and
• implement the knowledge gained on multicultural teams in their consulting project.

Methodological competences:

Participants can:

• meet the formal and scientific requirements of a rigorous consulting project involving secondary and primary research,
• plan and carry out a complex primary survey and report the survey results and/or develop an implementable management concept in a consistent and structured manner,
• apply advanced project management methods,
• document and present results in a manner appropriate to the target group,
• demonstrate the ability to think and work scientifically (e.g., research design, questionnaire design and coding, evaluation with statistical functions, qualitative data collection and analysis), and
• apply the taught intercultural instruments to practical multicultural team situations, especially the 4 steps method.

Self-competences:

Participants can:

• reflect and challenge their own judgement as well as the opinions of the team members
• familiarize themselves with a new topic in a short time,
• demonstrate flexibility, independence, and responsibility,
• work under pressure, show endurance and be able to take criticism,
• develop a sense for conflict potential and find constructive solutions,
• reflect on intercultural situations, analyze them and find solutions,
• demonstrate awareness of their own culture; in particular, they are aware of their own cultural imprint and its impact on working in their team,
• consider a particular situation from various cultural perspectives, and
• be open to and respect different styles of working and different mind-sets, and work with them in an unbiased way, i.e. use the potential of culture for the success of the project.

Social competences:

Participants can:

• demonstrate their communication, team, and leadership skills,
• develop their work experience as part of an international project team,
• show knowledge and demonstration of their readiness and openness towards other cultures and people, thus develop their intercultural sensitivity,
• collaborate and co-create effectively in a multicultural team, and
• strengthen their cross-cultural communication skills.

Topic area I: Market research / management concept

• Classes in research and consulting methods, market research, and project management
• Integration of preexisting know-how (previous and current semester) to conduct a systematic market research and/or to develop a management concept, resulting in management recommendations directly applicable by the client company
• Presentation and communication skills (customer meetings, final report, final presentation)
• Market study: research design, questionnaire design, statistical data analysis
• Management concept: scope statment, analysis of current situation, idea collection evaluation, concepualisation, development of recommendations

Topic area II: Intercultural competencies

• Kick-off training: Build the team (Code of conduct, team profile, get-together)
• Classes on multicultural teams and collaboration&co-creation
• Mid-project reflection per team: Reviewing and strengthening team collaboration
• Final reflection per team with the aim to gain insights of what has been learned and transferring it to a next project
• Support to overcome intercultural challenges, thus create opportunities
  Topic area III: Statistics
• Introduction to XLSTAT
• Data Analysis in XLSTAT

Group work, guided self-study, individual and group reflection, group coaching, experience-based learning.

Mandatory:

• Guide for International Consulting Projects
• ICP2 Moodle and PPRx-Servicecenter
• Project Draft from WTT/client
• Kickoffs with WTT, Project-Coach and client
• Further documents from client
• Intercultural communication materials

Optional:

• Secondary research

• Assessment by the project coach, client, intercultural coach and, if applicable, statistics coach (for quantitative market research), weighting according to the grading sheet
• Assessment of group work, no individual grade
• Assessment of
  
  • final presentation,
  • written assignments (according to PPRx handbook and intercultural mentoring), project work, and
  • project management during the semester.
• Assessment of the following aspects
  
  • Quality of the AS-IS Analysis
  • Conceptual achievements
  • Presentation of results and quality of scientific writing
  • Project organization and communication
  • Participation and reflection in intercultural training
  • Further details according to the grading sheet