Leadership and Hofstede’s Six Dimensions Professor Hofstede has studies that show how values in the workplace are influenced by culture. Today’s leaders often encounter employees and peers that come from different cultures. Looking into these studies helps find valuable information that can be used for effective leadership. Recognizing, accepting, and altering leadership styles based on these differences will make everyone’s job easier and mostly importantly the company will thrive.
Six Dimensions of National Culture Power Distance Index is the degree less powerful ones in an organization expect and accept that power is distributed unequally. Authoritarian leaders maintain most of the power and want little input or advice from staff. In this environment, employees may feel they have less power in their organization. On the other hand, participative leaders set a collaborative tone and welcome open communication. How employees view the organization can have an impact on their production. Masculinity vs. Femininity is whether the culture is deemed assertive and competitive which is depicted as masculine. Or it seems more cooperating and modest which is depicted as feminine. In a masculine environment trying transactional leadership could be beneficial, which rewards outcomes. This means the team is motivated to perform by getting tangible rewards such as money when the goal is achieved or possibly punishment if certain rules aren’t adhered to. Employees
When analyzing leadership characteristics and styles, there are considerable differences in gender characteristics that are identified. Men are considered to have “masculine” traits, such as being
Managers in today’s world are important assets to the multicultural organisations. Leadership styles of managers are highly important in terms of managing the team of followers, which has a correlation to the productivity and results that the team would achieve in the future. By having good management, it contributes to the success of the organisation. Hence, it is vital to identify the different leadership styles especially in different cultures to suit the working environment and culture of the organization. In the present multicultural global business industry, cultural differences can come in the way of the success of project completion (Anbari, Khilkhanova, Romanova, & Umpleby , 2009) . It has been claimed that rigid leadership does not promote motivation and creativity, therefore, managers should lead by flexible leadership and be culturally sensitive, adapting to different cultures, for the team to be able to move forward and reach their goals (Anabri et al. 2009). The way a manager’s leadership takes place also affect’s the experience of the employees at work and the relationship between the manager and the employee. Jariya (2012, p66) states that ‘different cultures differ in the values they endorse, people from these cultures often interpret the same managerial practices
I feel that we have a low power distance, because though we all have our specific roles, some holding more power than others, we all collectively voice our options and have a collective decision making process. We all work together and we all trust each other to do well.
Kouzes and Posner contend, “Leadership is not simply about your own values. It’s also about the values of your constituents” (p. 57). In other words, a good leader will sense the values of others around him. By realizing the values of others around him, a leader can enjoy a heartier level of commitment from them. A leader is foolish to ignore the values of others within the organization. Hans Finzel (2007) defines culture as, “the shared values and behavior that knit a community together” (p. 156). In other words, the values of those within an organization make up the culture of the organization. A prudent leader will be aware of the company’s culture if he desires to bring lasting change. Furthermore, Finzel argues, “It is impossible to initiate change in an organization without first understanding its culture” (p. 175). The basis for Finzel’s argument is that without a leader’s discernment of the shared values of the organization, change will not
Masculinity-femininity measurement is tended to as a society, not an individual's trademark and alludes to the conveyance of qualities between the sexual orientation. Masculinity is the inverse of femininity; together, they form one of the measurements of national societies. The Masculinity side of this dimension represents a preference in society for achievement, heroism, assertiveness and material rewards for success. Society at large is more competitive (Geert-hofstede.com, 2010). Masculine cultures have a tendency to be goal-oriented and need to exceed expectations. In masculine societies, men are relied upon to be competitive. A society is called feminine when there is not a solid separation between the sexual orientations for passionate
Masculinity and femininity are concepts that typically relate to the social organization (Elsesser & Lever, 2011). A society is considered masculine if its characteristics are labeled as male. Such traits are more often than not conveyed as boldness, egoism, strength, and supremacy in the community. Therefore, the traits have similar effects in organizational aspects of society.
They are generally goal-oriented and direct, set strong boundaries, assign clear responsibilities, and seek to “weed out” the weak performers in the organization (David, 2006). Men are also more apt to promote themselves for leadership positions and negotiate their way into positions higher up on the corporate or organizational ladder (Bowles & McGinn, 2005). Additionally, men in leadership roles are more probable to request something that they want from an organization or business (Northouse, 2016). Men have a tendency to be more successful in positions in which the leadership role requires the perception of masculinity, such as the military (Northouse,
Leadership is perceived and defined in many ways, but in the end, every concept of leadership is brought back on the focus of people. Followers’ reaction towards a leader decides the effectiveness of his or her specific style of governance. Because of the importance of the subordinate, leaders must treat everyone they manage with dignity and respect. To achieve this feat, the leader must understand the meaning of culture and other aspects which stem from it and social perceptions and biases which lead to schema and ultimately unjust stereotypes. In the leadership textbook Preparing to Lead: Introduction to Leadership and Development written by LCDR Litchford, USN and LT Bryant, USN, it defines culture as “the totality of learned socially transmitted
Culture influences leadership in many ways, so it is helpful to first understand what culture is. According to our text culture is defined as the learned beliefs, values, rules, norms, symbols, and traditions that are common to a group of people (Northouse, 2016). Culture is the way of life, customs, and script of a group of people. Different cultures have different ideas about what they want from their leaders, but by understanding cultural differences leaders can become more empathetic and accurate in their communication with others. It is clear that different culture groups desire different leadership behaviors when they are looking for an effective leader. Surprisingly there were effective leadership attributes that was identified as universal characteristics. Positive leader attributes include being trustworthy, positive,
In terms of leadership style, gender stereotypes in management positions indicated that women place more emphasis on communication, emotional cooperation, affiliation, and nurturing while men leaders are more active,
If I were the CEO of a multinational corporation in the 21st century, it would be critical for me to develop and employ a cross cultural approach to the leadership in consultation with Hofstede's Five Cultural Dimensions. Though I have prior knowledge of management theories and other examples of Hofstede's work, "Cultural Constraints in Management Theories" (1993) was a welcomed shock and surprise. One of the aspects of the article that struck me the most was the clear demonstration of the singularity of the American style, perspective, and application of management in the workplace. This fact made it abundantly clear to me, that as the CEO of a hypothetical multinational corporation, that it is imperative for the sake of my financial success, professional reputation, and for the sake of all my employees, I must not implement the American style of management as part of the leadership practice.
Leadership must now be earned; it is no longer bestowed. Effective leaders grasp this cultural shift and its implications for them. They evidence servant attitudes and focus on building people as the way to missional effectiveness. (McNeal p.83) He then expounded = further on culture by giving three task that are required for a leader to know his culture. They consist of: knowing where he comes from, knowing where he stands, knowing where he wants to go and take others with him. The leader’s historical, social, and environmental influences help determine his leadership development. This can involve shaping by the leader’s family and early life; the leader’s current position in life and its surrounding circumstances; and a strong sense of mission.
Hofstede conducted a study on how values in the work environment, are impacted by employee culture. He defined culture as “the collective programming of the mind distinguishing the members of one group or category of people from others.”
Next to it to evaluate the relationship between leadership style and diverse cultural dimensions, we will use Geert Hofstede’s five dimensions of culture and will explain how it can affect our group members’ leadership styles from the perspective of New Zealand culture. Our group consists of four members, from which three hold the nationality of India and one holds of Nepal.
PD is the degree to which a society accepts the fact that there is unequal power distribution in institutions and organizations. The concept of power distance based upon the measure of the social power and influence between a subordinate and superior. (Hofstede 's Cultural Dimensions n.d.).Consequently, less powerful members perceive that control within an organization is unevenly distributed. In addition,