Intercultural project management “up close” 

MBAE cooperation project with the Reims Management School 

“I have never learned so much about working together in intercultural teams as in this transnational study project”, pronounced Tabea Kunze, Master Business Administration and Engineering student, about the 2^nd cross-cultural project conducted together with the Reims Management School.

Sponsored by the German-French Youth Work (DFJW) organization the Pforzheim Master program students worked in internationally mixed teams together with French students from the Reims Management School and exchange students from China, India and Australia on different issues relating to business and technology. This year the Schwäbisch Hall based company Würth Solar GmbH was involved in the project. This provided the students with the opportunity to work on realistic business matters. Monika Karolewiez, a Pforzheim alumnus who, after her MBAE studies, joined Würth Solar participated in the project and was able to contribute her experience of her postgraduate studies as well as her expert knowledge of the company to the project.

The kick-off meeting was in France. The issues discussed during the meeting dealt with cross-cultural management and strategy in the field of international sustainable company development and these formed the basis for the project work which took place in small groups. These groups continued to work together on their topics via telephone and video conferences. The projects were then discussed in more detail in the various team sessions during Pforzheim University project week. In addition the visit to Würth Solar also provided students with valuable insights which they could then integrate into potential solutions in their projects. A prize was awarded to Tabea Kunze and Franziska Friedmann’s group who together with the French students and two students from India presented a concept for operational improvements at Würth Solar GmbH.

The project was supervised from the Pforzheim University side by Professor Guy Fournier who has been involved in international student exchanges for many years. The Reims Management School was represented by Professor Catherine Aubier. Both professors were in agreement: “The project was a complete success. Our students had the opportunity to think outside the box and gained valuable experience of international project management”.

Text: Karoline Klett

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