“Mrs. Thielemann, what can you learn from your students?”

Every month, WU Vienna presents a “Researcher of the month” – which is Nadine Thielemann in May 2020, who is the head of WU’s Institute for Slavic Languages.  What can she learn from her students? Find out by watching this video. 

What’s the story behind?

Making mistakes at work, like failing to complete an assigned task to supervisors’ satisfaction, can create conflict. In a recent study, WU Professor Nadine Thielemann and her colleagues at the Department of Foreign Language Business Communication have investigated cultural differences in dealing with internal conflicts and expressing criticism in the workplace in different countries/cultures. Culture- and language-specific differences were particularly apparent in the level of directness used to address a team member’s misstep, the way speakers connect the problem itself with possible solutions, and the significance of the awareness of power structures and hierarchies.