Cross-cultural Leadership

1 Cross-cultural Leadership Managing and directing people are vital activities leaders execute in different settings, including in organizations and the community. Managing people is challenging since they present with varied characteristics, interests, and expectations (Dhiman & Marques, 2020).

Further, different needs, motivations, and purposes make it hard to manage people. Culture is among the key factors that influence the characteristics presented by the people. Culture differs from one community to the other.

Many organizations experience cultural diversity since they recruit people from different cultures. Even organizations established in a specific community may have different cultures.

Therefore, organizational leaders must recognize the cultural differences in their organizations and the community to achieve success. Failure to acknowledge cultural differences generates conflicts, thus reducing performance and productivity (Tolstikov-Mast et al., 2020). This presentation explores cross-cultural leadership and its significance in organizations. Further, the presentation looks into cultural dimensions of leadership, including leadership behaviors accepted and rejected across cultures.

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2 Cross-Cultural Leadership This is a form of leadership whereby the leader employs unique tactics to allow members of diverse cultures to demonstrate their talents and ensure they are guided and directed toward a common eventuality (Demirtas, 2020). Understanding critical concepts of different cultures is vital since it generates knowledge leaders can apply to improve interpersonal relationships across the continuum. Notably, people have different interests, values, motivations, and expectations as their cultures dictate. Therefore, not everyone can adapt to certain leadership styles (Ospina et al., 2020). Understanding the cultural background of an employee enables the leader to demonstrate cultural sensitivity and customize leadership to suit individual and organizational needs.

Cultural Dimensions of Leadership Cultural dimensions related to leadership, including power distribution, uncertainty avoidance, assertiveness, humane orientation, gender egalitarianism, and in-group collectivism, may influence interactions, performance, productivity, and outcomes. Leaders apply these dimensions to create an organization that facilitates the performance and growth of employees from diverse cultures (Ṣāliḥ, 2022). For instance, the extent to which people accept or reject an unequal power distribution varies across cultures. Therefore, the leader must carefully exercise and distribute power among employees to reduce resistance.

Further, uncertainty avoidance which reflects the people’s level of comfort with risks, uncertainty, and ambiguity, varies across cultures (Tolstikov-Mast et al., 2020). Also, assertiveness reflects a person’s use of force, aggression, and confrontation to achieve tier goals.

Therefore, leaders must scrutinize followers' aggressiveness and risk-taking behaviors before imposing specific policies.

3 Cultural Influence on Acceptance or Rejection of Leadership Behaviors Culture shapes the values, interests, and preferences of individuals. People expect others to demonstrate behaviors that align with these attributes during interactions. For instance, in organizations, employees expect leaders to respect their values and guide them to achieve their expectations (Dhiman & Marques, 2020). Therefore, employees tend to accept leadership behaviors that demonstrate cultural sensitivity and influence interactions positively, thus helping employees progress in their careers. Moreover, employees embrace leadership styles that suit their cultures. For instance, employees may interact positively with leaders using less prescriptive management styles than authoritative ones. Also, employees tend to reject leadership behaviors that disrespect culture, values, and personal interests.

Leadership Behaviors Accepted Across Cultures Although leadership characteristics differ from one leader, some are common and accepted across cultures. For instance, different cultures prefer leaders with a strong sense of persistence (Tolstikov-Mast et al., 2020). This quality helps leaders remain focused until they achieve the projected goals. Cultural sensitivity is also acknowledged across cultures implying that leaders must demonstrate respect for values and other cultural attributes (Crede et al., 2020).

Moreover, confidence, effective communication, and problem-solving are acceptable across cultures.

Leadership Behaviors Rejected Across Cultures Some leaders have characteristics that are unacceptable across cultures. For instance, poor communication is considered a sign of poor leadership, irrespective of culture. Members of different cultures prefer leaders who communicate effectively and provide guidance, particularly during complex situations (Tolstikov-Mast et al., 2020). Indecisive behaviors and

4 unaccountability are also intolerable across cultures. Other poor leadership behaviors include a lack of integrity, ineffective listening skills, and unrealistic expectations.

Culture-Specific Leadership Characteristics Several leadership attributes are acceptable in some cultures and rejected by others. For instance, Asian cultures prefer humility and deference to authority, whereas Caucasians prefer leadership approaches centered on masculinity, charisma, and dictatorial styles. Further, leadership in Western communities is dominant and assertive, unlike Asian cultures, which prefer compassionate and caring leadership characteristics (Ly, 2020).

Conclusion Effective leadership entails applying appropriate behaviors and characteristics to guide people to accomplish organizational goals and objectives. Leaders utilize culturally sensitive characteristics to enhance inclusivity and create an environment that increases the performance of all employees. Further, employees prefer leadership behaviors that align with their cultural values. Leadership behaviors such as integrity, honesty, and effective communication are acceptable across cultures. However, unaccountability and cultural insensitivity are unacceptable irrespective of culture.

5 References Crede, M., Jong, J., & Harms, P. (2019). The generalizability of transformational leadership across cultures: A meta-analysis. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 34(1), 1-11 http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JMP-11-2018-0506 Demirtas, O., (2020). A handbook of leadership styles. Cambridge Scholars Publishing.

Dhiman, S., & Marques, J. (2020). New horizons in positive leadership and change: A practical guide for workplace transformation. Springer International Publishing.

Ly, N. B. (2020). Cultural influences on leadership: Western-dominated leadership and nonWestern conceptualizations of leadership. Sociology and Anthropology, 8(1), 1–12. http://DOI:10.13189/sa.2020.080101 Ospina, S., Foldy, E., Fairhurst, G., & Jackson, B. (2020). Collective dimensions of leadership: Connecting theory and method. Human Relations, 73(4), 441–463. https://doi.org/10.1177/0018726719899714 Ṣāliḥ, A. (2022). Cross-cultural leadership. Taylor & Francis Group.

Tolstikov-Mast, Y., Bieri, F., & Walker, J. (2022). Handbook of international and cross-cultural leadership research processes: Perspectives, practice, instruction. Routledge