The University of Texas at Dallas Summer (2nd six-week), 2005

Dr. Dachang Cong 972-883-2297

Office Hours: M & W10 AM-12 PM, GR 2.210 Dccong@utdallas.edu
Class Meeting Time: M & W: 1-5 PM

ISGS 4309/06M
DIVERSITY AND GLOBALIZATION

Course Description

The goal of this course is to decode a variety of economic systems, especially stock market capitalism
and welfare capitalism. The course also explores the interaction between culture and economy. In an
increasingly borderless world, the Internet, global finance, and multinational corporations continue to
weaken the power of nation states. At the same time, national and local cultures revise, resist, or
painfully accommodate foreign influence. The instructor and students examine economic pitfalls,
environmental crises, and societal collapses. They also study how various countries respond to
globalization reshaped by international business and powered by the digital revolution. To achieve the
learning objectives, the course presents a variety of business cultures (American, Chinese, French,
German, Italian, Japanese, Mexican, and South Korean). Topics also include cross-cultural
communication, conflict resolution, financial warfare, and global diversity management. Each student is
required to write a study report and complete a take-home exam. There are no prerequisites. Poor
attendance and late work will impact on the grade negatively.

Required Readings

Diamond, Jared.
Collapse (Viking).
Dore, Ronald.
Stock Market Capitalism:Welfare Capitalism (Oxford).
Fukuyama, Francis.
Trust (Free Press).

Method of Evaluation

1) study report 50% of final grade

2) take-home exam 50% of final grade
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Topics and Reading Assignments

I Orientation June 22
The Concept of Culture
Cross-Cultural Communication
American Business Culture

II Trust and Its Relevance to Economy June 27

Low-Trust Societies
Chinese Business Culture

Fukuyama, Trust, Part I and Part II

III High-Trust Societies July 29

French Business Culture

Fukuyama, Trust, Part III.

IV The Crisis of Trust in America July 6

Promoting Trust
German Business Culture

Fukuyama, Trust, Part IV and V

*prospectus for study report due

V The Two Capitalist Economies (1) July 11

Italian Business Culture

Dore, Stock Market Capitalism:Welfare Capitalism, Chapters 1-5.

VI The Two Capitalist Economies (2) July 13

The Nature of International Business
Mexican Business Culture

Dore, Stock Market Capitalism:Welfare Capitalism, Chapters 6-11.

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VII Human Societies: Choices and Consequences (1) July 18

Global Financial Warfare
South Korean Business Culture

Diamond, Collapse, Prologue and Chapters 1-3.

VIII Human Societies: Choices and Consequences (2) July 20

Conflict Resolution
Global Diversity Management
Japanese Business Culture

Diamond, Collapse, Chapters 4-7.

** Exam questions to be distributed

IX Human Societies: Choices and Consequences (3) July 25

U.S. and the Global System

Diamond, Collapse, Chapters 8-12.

X Human Societies: Choices and Consequences (4) July 27

The Internet and Global Digital Revolution

Diamond, Collapse, Chapters 13-16.

XI Study Report and Take-Home Exam Due July 29