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Prof. Dr. Michelle Cummings-Koether

  • Intercultural Management
  • International Management
  • Diversity Management
  • Project Management
  • Soft Skills & Leadership
  • Argumentation and Negotiation

Faculty of European Campus Rottal-Inn

Professors

Professor

  • Professor for Intercultural Management
  • Co-Head of the DIT Institute for Transformation of Society (I-ETOS)
  • Coordinator of the DIT certificate of “Intercultural Competences”
  • Editor of the Journal of Applied Interdisciplinary Research (JAIR)
  • Editor of the Bavarian Journal of Applied Sciences (BJAS)
  • Coordinator of the ECRI Values Project

EC 2.06

0991/3615-8865

Bürozeiten

By appointment per mail

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Thesis
  • Michelle Cummings-Koether

Coming Home: International Assignments and Repatriation from an International Perspective.

Universität Salzburg Salzburg, Österreich Fachbereich Kommunikationswissenschaft

  • 2015 (2015)

show abstract

This dissertation states that both the psychological contract and cultural adjustment are determinates for the success or failure of an international assignment. To support this hypothesis, I consulted research covering the complete spectrum of international assignments, starting with the selection of potential candidates until completion of repatriation, to ascertain the effect of the psychological contract and cultural adjustment on each of these stages. Special focus was placed on repatriation, in order to explore the influence of this phase on the success of assignments as a whole. Each step is examined in detail and compared to the hypothesis, e.g. selection criteria, preparation, intercultural training, host-culture adjustment, culture shock and repatriation, including reverse culture shock and employee turnover. This research in the area of international assignments, spanning 40 years and five continents, was examined, and the findings were combined in order to provide a complete overview. To achieve this overview, a triangulation of quantitative, qualitative and narrative research was done. I conducted a correlating research study to examine international assignments from the perspective of both intercultural trainers and organizations. These results were then compared with the opinions of experts in the industry to provide an overview between industry and academic findings in the field. All findings were then used to create an Expectation Dependency Model. My review of the overall research on international assignments has shown that much of it has limited or sometimes contradictory data. Although not a central task of this paper, I did identify some of the most important areas in need further, detailed research, especially in the areas of repatriation, adjustment of the spouse and family during and after the assignment, as well as employee turnover after return to the home country.
BookEdited

Coming Home: International Assignments and Repatriation. Revised version.

  • Eds.:
  • Michelle Cummings-Koether

Südwestdeutscher Verlag für Hochschulschriften

  • (2016)

show abstract

"Who is sent abroad? (...) Based on analysis of current research, with its often contradictory results, Dr. Cummings-Koether's study spans 40 years and five continents. She conducted a very broadly conceived survey, developed her original 'Expectation Dependency Model' to illuminate the intricacies of international assignments, and derived concrete criteria for successful assignments.
Lecture
  • Michelle Cummings-Koether

Ist Standardisierung bei interkulturellen Trainings möglich? Ansätze für interkulturelle Trainings für Lehrende in MINT-Fächern..

In: Internationalisierung der Curricula in den MINT-Fächern

Technische Universität Berlin Berlin

  • 2018 (2018)
Journal article
  • Michelle Cummings-Koether

Psychological Contracts: Effect on International Assignments.

In: SIETAR España Knowledge Bite vol. 5

  • (2019)

Lecture
  • Michelle Cummings-Koether

The challenge of setting academic standards in the fluid environment of intercultural trainings.

In: Sietar Europa Congress

Leuven, Belgien

  • 30.05.-01.06.2019 (2019)
Lecture
  • Michelle Cummings-Koether

Setting academic standards in intercultural training at universities without losing the fluidity of culture: The ECRI as an example (overview of project). Panel-Co-Chair for: More culturally intelligent after a semester abroad? Intercultural trainings in Higher Education..

In: IACCM-IÉSEG Conference: Intercultural competencies for a disruptive VUCA world: Exploring creativity, innovation, resilience & resistance in intercultural research, training & management

Paris, France

  • 31.10.-02.11.2019 (2019)
Lecture
  • Michelle Cummings-Koether

Setting academic standards in intercultural training at universities without losing the fluidity of culture: The ECRI as an example (Peer-Review/Validation).

In: The IAFOR International Conference on Education in Hawaii (IICE) - IICEHawaii2020

The International Academic Forum Honolulu, Hawaii

  • 10.-12.01.2020 (2020)
Unknown
  • Michelle Cummings-Koether

Expert conference on transcultural competences in the 21st century (member of the expert panel). Zeppelin Universität Friedrichshafen.

Zeppelin Universität Friedrichshafen

  • 30.06.2020 (2020)
Contribution
  • Michelle Cummings-Koether
  • Oscar Blanco
  • J. Larson
  • A. Tocano Juanes

Exploring a Standardized Training Framework That Provides Individualized Student Experiences.

In: The Paris Conference on Education 2022 Official Conference Proceedings. pg. 1-15

  • Eds.:
  • The International Academic Forum

  • (2022)

DOI: 10.22492/issn.2758-0962.2022.24

show abstract

Since modern workplaces and universities are becoming increasingly diverse, there is mounting pressure for universities to provide intercultural competency training for students. Various approaches for teaching intercultural competencies exist and are reliant on intercultural experts. Not all universities can provide intercultural experts to deliver training internally. Meanwhile, outsourcing to external trainings may not adequately address context-specific theory or practice. To address this need, the UNIT FOUR framework was developed to provide a repeatable, standardized one-day workshop teaching intercultural competencies for university students. The modular framework’s combination of theory and practical components were designed to allow any qualified instructor to teach intercultural competencies and provide a regular positive educational experience while maintaining sufficient flexibility for individualized cultural experiences for students. The UNIT FOUR framework was intended to be taught virtually to accommodate modern teaching during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. This framework was implemented at one of the most internationally diverse campuses in Germany to explore instructors’ and students’ experiences. Students reacted positively to the UNIT FOUR framework in terms of learning new information and having an individualized cultural experience. Interculturally-trained and non-interculturally trained instructors reported varied experiences with this novel training format while students reported positive experiences with both types of instructors. This early exploration into a standardized training format hints at an effective and repeatable format to support instructors in a virtual teaching environment.
Lecture
  • Michelle Cummings-Koether

What does the term intercultural stand for? A workshop discussion about the term and what intercultural stands for, and no longer should stand for.. Conference Workshop.

In: SIETAR Europa Congress: Re-Thinking Interculturalism

Society for Intercultural Education, Training and Research Malta

  • 19.-21.05.2022 (2022)
Lecture
  • Michelle Cummings-Koether

Exploring a Standardized Training Framework That Provides Individualized Student Experience.

In: The Paris Conference on Education (PCE2022)

The International Academic Forum Paris, France

  • 16.-19.06.2022 (2022)
Lecture
  • Michelle Cummings-Koether

Continuing the Discussion About the Term “Intercultural“: Results from Malta and Further Discussion. Conference Workshop.

In: 2022 SIETAR USA National Conference

Society for Intercultural Education, Training and Research Omaha, NE, USA

  • 03.-06.11.2022 (2022)
Contribution
  • Michelle Cummings-Koether
  • Oscar Blanco

Literacy as an Access Method: How Terminologies as a Mechanism for Gatekeeping Influences Participation.

In: A Relational View on Cultural Complexity. (Relational Economics and Organization Governance) pg. 287-306

  • Eds.:
  • J. Wieland
  • J. Baumann Montecinos
  • T. Grünfelder

Springer International Publishing Cham

  • (2023)

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-27454-1_15

Contribution
  • Michelle Cummings-Koether

Framework for Filtering the Expectations of Common Behavior and Standards in a Highly Diverse Student Environment.

In: Proceedings of The Paris Conference on Education (PCE) 2023.

  • (2023)

DOI: 10.22492/issn.2758-0962.2023.18

show abstract

The European Campus Rottal-Inn (ECRI), which is a part of the Deggendorf Institute of Technology, is considered to be one of the most culturally diverse campuses, with one of the highest international student populations, in Germany. The highly diverse and international environment of the campus, which is set in a rural area of Bavaria, offers an exceptional opportunity to study in a diverse and intercultural setting. However, it also means that the students, staff, and the local community often have differing expectations of behavior, interaction, and tolerance. The Group Expectations Framework, a framework for determining common expectations, was developed through various workshops and surveys that were conducted with the students, staff, and local community participants. The framework allowed for responses from the participants of differing interest groups to be analyzed and to determine how these fit into the of the different categories of subcategory of expectations, their norming or forming character, and if the expectations were seen as voluntary behavior or were seen as a code of conduct with a regulatory character.
Journal article
  • Michelle Cummings-Koether
  • R. Koether

How can German universities address the increasing rates of mental health problems for students and focus on the problems that international students face in particular?.

In: mondial SIETAR Journal für Interkulturelle Perspektiven, 2023- Campus Edition vol. 29 pg. 8-11

  • 2023 (2023)

show abstract

When looking at international students worldwide, research has shown that international students are more suspectable to mental health problems than their domestic counterparts (Alharbi & Smith 2018). Research has also shown that the level of acculturation stress of international students can be predicative of later depression symptoms, but that this effect can vary, depending on the origin culture (Constantine et al. 2004).
Lecture
  • Michelle Cummings-Koether
  • Manuela Krawagna-Nöbauer
  • Franziska Durner

Unit Four. Posterpräsentation.

In: 10. Tag der Forschung der THD 2023

Technische Hochschule Deggendorf Deggendorf

  • 23.03.2023 (2023)
Lecture
  • Michelle Cummings-Koether

W.E.I.R.D. Research.

In: Forum der Society for Intercultural Education, Training and Research (SIETAR)

Hochschule Furtwangen University Furtwangen

  • 18.-21.05.2023 (2023)
Lecture
  • Michelle Cummings-Koether
  • Franziska Durner
  • Ayelen Tocano Juanes

Framework for Filtering the Expectations of Common Behavior and Standards in a Highly Diverse Student Environment.

In: The Paris Conference on Education (PCE2023)

The International Academic Forum Paris, France

  • 16.-19.06.2023 (2023)
Lecture
  • Michelle Cummings-Koether

Framework for determining values of different cultures: The ECRI Values Project and the goal of defining and determining common values for a culturally diverse international campus.

In: IAIR Biannual Conference

International Academy for Intercultural Research Philadelphia, PA, USA

  • 23.-27.07.2023 (2023)
Lecture
  • K. Yngve
  • Michelle Cummings-Koether
  • P. Malidor Coleman

Making structural racism visible – A comparative conversation between the US and Europe and beyond.

In: SIETAR EUROPA Kongress: Ecosystems of Interculturalism

Lille, France; Online

  • 05.-08.06.2024 (2024)
Lecture
  • Michelle Cummings-Koether
  • Matthias Hümmer

Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Societal Transformation: The Role of Individuals, Culture, Politics, and Technology.

In: SIETAR Global Virtual AI Symposium 2025 - AI Meets Intercultural Competence: Ethics, Practice, and Collaboration

Online

  • 09.-11.04.2025 (2025)
Lecture
  • Michelle Cummings-Koether
  • Matthias Hümmer
  • Franziska Durner

The Influence of AI on Culture and Culture on AI During Problem Solving Processes in an Academic Environment-A Pilot Study: Results “Culture”.

In: International Academy of Intercultural Research Biennial Conference and the International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology Regional Congress

International Academy for Intercultural Research Brisbane, Australia; Online

  • 29.06.2025 (2025)