The Managerial Skills for International Business (MSIB) programme demands active involvement in the multicultural environment that is created during the two weeks. We draw on a rich variety of teaching methods. A typical half-day session might use a short case, an exercise, role-playing and a series of short lectures or videos as catalysts for discussion and learning.

A particular feature of this programme is interest groups that are formed early in the two weeks around common areas of interest. These groups are not only a vehicle for practical learning and exchange of experience with participants and faculty – they are also laboratories for intercultural teamwork. They aree complemented by experience-exchange sessions during the evenings, and by sessions with a regional focus. Previous interest topics include “building cross-cultural and multi-functional teams”, “managing in Eastern Europe”, “managing the process of culture change”, “strategic partnerships” and “globalising leadership development”.

Personal adaptability

We work from the assumption that there is no “one-best-way-to-manage”. Skill development involves recognising one’s strengths and weaknesses, complementing these through teamwork with people who are different, and broadening one’s natural strengths so as to channel professional energies more productively. The programme aims to help each participant review his/her work and career in an internationally-oriented organisation, as well as the lifestyle dilemmas that accompany expatriation and MBTG (management-by-travelling-the-globe).

Cross-cultural understanding

Exercises in teams provide experience on how attitudes and values influence the handling of management problems in different countries. We will discuss cases based on business situations drawn mostly from Europe, Japan and Asia, and the United States. Short lectures introduce conceptual tools from cross-cultural research in management, and also provide information and ideas on recent developments in international management and organisation.

Management skills

Management today typically means the management of people with very diverse skills, attitudes and beliefs. Leadership, teambuilding, motivation and communication require an understanding of the cultural differences in people’s perceptions of management. Part of the programme is based on INSEAD research into the diversity of beliefs and practices in different cultures and nations.

Building the transnational network

We address the strategic, organisational and change problems of today’s company. From an initial focus on headquarter-subsidiary relations and the centralisation-decentralisation dilemma, we explore the challenges of business integration and global teamwork in the transnational network.

The metanational challenge