MAN 5125 Cultural Understanding and Ethics in Security Management

MAN 5125 Cultural Understanding and Ethics in Security Management

Course code: 
MAN 5125
Department: 
Communication and Culture
Credits: 
15
Course coordinator: 
Kristian Alm
Course name in Norwegian: 
Kulturforståelse og etikk i sikkerhetsledelse
Product category: 
Executive
Portfolio: 
EMM - Security management and Cultural understanding, Specialisation
Semester: 
2022 Spring
Active status: 
Active
Level of study: 
Master
Teaching language: 
Norwegian
Course type: 
One semester
Introduction

This is a Master of Management course (15 ECTS), addressing cultural understanding and ethics in security management, designed for organizations working with security issues at national and international level. It constitutes a part of 5 in a 90 ECTS Executive Master of Management program specializing in Security and Cultural Understanding. 

This program is designed for those aspiring to leadership roles within security operations, both in the private, public and cicil society sectors, The objective of this EMM in cultural understanding and security is to prepare personnel for the communication complexity and cultural context involved in foreign affairs and multinational as well as national operations. In such operations, it is imperative to understand local context, ethical values and culture, and to collaborate with the locals on their terms. Local context may refer to one or more global or national regions experiencing crisis and conflict, with many stakeholders and a high level of complexity in security operations.

In this program we aim to utilize this experience to the greatest extent possible in interactive learning. We will therefore utilize a case based educational approach and "action-learning".
Our approach to intercultural understanding includes putting participants real life experiences into a bigger perspective, with the application of a theoretical framework and empirical studies that promote learning and increase competency.

​The purpose of the program is to help participants to be able to understand personal roles within a broader context, and to be able to independently make sound decisions, based on intercultural and ethical understanding. Consequently, appreciation of culturally specific ethics, morals, and understanding of our roles in an international and national negotiation situation are important.

Learning outcomes - Knowledge
  • Gaining knowledge about the theoretical frameworks and empirical studies within crisies communication within a cross cultural setting
  • Gaining knowledge about the complexity of the cultural and ethical context involved in international security operations
  • Gaining knowledge about negotiations in a cross-cultural context.
  • Gaining understanding of cyber security culture
  • Gaining familiarity and knowledge about central case studies
Learning outcomes - Skills
  • Establishing systems of cross-cultural communication and leadership ensuring public confidence and trust, in addition to developing confidence and self-understanding
  • Increased local and global cultural understanding, improving the participants skills in acting in and influencing international events of security policies
  • Being able to participate in cross-cultural negotiations according to professional and ethical standards
General Competence
  • Upon completion of the program, participants will be able to make decisions on an independent basis, and to make decisions in which crisis management and security issues are central
  • The participants will be able to take ethical responsibility for decisions made and be able to lead other people in an independent and a reflective way
  • The participants shall be aware of their capabilities and limitations in the course of the environment and the alternative courses of action available
  • The participants will be able to participate in international and cross-cultural negotiations independently following ethical standards
Course content

Collection 1
Multicultural consciousness, a theoretical framework
Multicultural understanding in a military and security context
Etnosentrism, liberalism and cultural relativism Understanding scandinavian culture and leadership and how we can use special Norwegian characteristics in communication

Case studies: ethical and cultural dilemma in operations in defence: insight into local life,
Norms and history Insight into empirical crosscultural studies

Collection 2
Communication, interaction and leadership in security situations
Culture and management models and contexts in a macro perspective
Case studies: Experiences from Kabul and the Naval Command The fundamentals of operations - influence and psychological operations
Challenges when the armed forces do civilian missions experiences

Collection 3
Negotiations in cross-cultural context: theory and exercises of Importance ethics, respect and ROE When we mistake "intergrity creep" intelligence in culturalized world

Teaching and learning activities

The programme is conducted through three modules, through a total of nine days of teaching (i.e. 3 x 3 days). 

Participants should expect to spend at least 400 hours of their time in study in total (which is normal for a 15 ECTS program). The teaching will be carried out over three modules, constituting of three days each loading 8 hours, a total of 72 hours of teaching. Furthermore, one study day at least once a week should also be invested in this program, in addition to extra hours for working on the term paper.

Please note that while attendance is not compulsory in all programs, it is the participants' own responsibility to obtain information provided in class that is not included on the course homepage/itslearning or other course materials. Project tutorials differ in each Executive Master of Management program. For this program, personal tutorials can be given in class. Generally the students may expect consulting tutorials, not evaluating tutorials.

 

In all BI Executive courses and programs, there is a mutual requirement for the student and the course responsible regarding the involvement of the student's experience in the planning and implementation of courses, modules and programmes. This means that the student has the right and duty to get involved with their own knowledge and practice relevance, through the active sharing of their relevant experience and knowledge.
 

Software tools
No specified computer-based tools are required.
Qualifications

Bachelor degree, corresponding to 180 credits from an accredited university, university college or similar educational institution
The applicant must be at least 25 years of age
At least four years of work experience. For applicants who have already completed a master’s degree, three years of work experience are required. (two years of work experience are required for applicants employed at The Norwegian Armed Forces)

 

Covid-19

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, there may be deviations in teaching and learning activities as well as exams, compared with what is described in this course description.

Assessments
Assessments
Exam category: 
Submission
Form of assessment: 
Written submission
Weight: 
60
Grouping: 
Group/Individual (1 - 3)
Duration: 
1 Semester(s)
Exam code: 
MAN 51251
Grading scale: 
ECTS
Resit: 
Examination when next scheduled course
Exam category: 
Submission
Form of assessment: 
Written submission
Weight: 
40
Grouping: 
Individual
Duration: 
72 Hour(s)
Exam code: 
MAN 51252
Grading scale: 
ECTS
Resit: 
Examination when next scheduled course
Type of Assessment: 
Ordinary examination
All exams must be passed to get a grade in this course.
Total weight: 
100
Student workload
ActivityDurationComment
Teaching
75 Hour(s)
Examination
75 Hour(s)
Examination
24 Hour(s)
Prepare for teaching
36 Hour(s)
Student's own work with learning resources
190 Hour(s)
Sum workload: 
400

A course of 1 ECTS credit corresponds to a workload of 26-30 hours. Therefore a course of 15 ECTS credit corresponds to a workload of at least 400 hours.