Soldiering. Out of Taylorism Came Fordism, Another Popular Scientific Management School of Thought, Fordism Is Credited with Introducing Taylorian Principles to...
Journal of International Business and Cultural Studies
THE CROSS-CULTURAL LEADER: THE APPLICATION OF SERVANT LEADERSHIP THEORY IN THE INTERNATIONAL CONTEXT
Maureen Hannay Troy University ABSTRACT Leadership theories have evolved from a focus on traits, to behaviors, to contingency theories, to more contemporary approaches including servant leadership theory. This paper provides an overview of the principles of servant leadership and identifies characteristics displayed by servant leaders in the workplace, with special emphasis on the importance of empowerment in defining a servant-leader. It also addresses the application of servant leadership in a cross-cultural context utilizing Hofstede’s five cultural dimensions as a framework. This paper concludes that servant leadership is best applied in a culture with low power distance, low to moderate individualism, low to moderate masculinity, low uncertainty avoidance and a moderate to high long-term orientation. Key Words: Servant Leadership, Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, cross-cultural management, empowerment, leadership styles
The Cross-Cultural Leader, Page 1
Journal of International Business and Cultural Studies
Introduction Leadership has been and continues to be a topic of considerable interest in the management literature. While there is no universal definition of leadership, there is agreement on the fact that leadership involves an influencing process between leaders and followers to ensure achievement of organizational goals. Early studies in the area of leadership focused mainly on trait theories in the hopes of identifying the personality characteristics of the ideal leader. When they proved unsuccessful, research moved on to the examination of behaviors that would differentiate leaders from followers. But again, researchers were unable to define a universal theory of leadership. Contingency theories, which essentially said that the most effective leadership style depended on the situation,
THE CROSS-CULTURAL LEADER: THE APPLICATION OF SERVANT LEADERSHIP THEORY IN THE INTERNATIONAL CONTEXT
Maureen Hannay Troy University ABSTRACT Leadership theories have evolved from a focus on traits, to behaviors, to contingency theories, to more contemporary approaches including servant leadership theory. This paper provides an overview of the principles of servant leadership and identifies characteristics displayed by servant leaders in the workplace, with special emphasis on the importance of empowerment in defining a servant-leader. It also addresses the application of servant leadership in a cross-cultural context utilizing Hofstede’s five cultural dimensions as a framework. This paper concludes that servant leadership is best applied in a culture with low power distance, low to moderate individualism, low to moderate masculinity, low uncertainty avoidance and a moderate to high long-term orientation. Key Words: Servant Leadership, Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, cross-cultural management, empowerment, leadership styles
The Cross-Cultural Leader, Page 1
Journal of International Business and Cultural Studies
Introduction Leadership has been and continues to be a topic of considerable interest in the management literature. While there is no universal definition of leadership, there is agreement on the fact that leadership involves an influencing process between leaders and followers to ensure achievement of organizational goals. Early studies in the area of leadership focused mainly on trait theories in the hopes of identifying the personality characteristics of the ideal leader. When they proved unsuccessful, research moved on to the examination of behaviors that would differentiate leaders from followers. But again, researchers were unable to define a universal theory of leadership. Contingency theories, which essentially said that the most effective leadership style depended on the situation,
References: Argyris, C. (1998). Empowerment: The emperor’s new clothes. Harvard Business Review, 76(3), 98-105. Bass, B.M. (1990). Bass and Stogdill’s Handbook of Leadership: Theory, Research, and Managerial Applications, 3rd ed. New York: John Wiley & Sons. Bass, B.M. (2000). The future of leadership in learning organizations. The Journal of Leadership Studies, 7(3), 19-40. Costigan, R.D., Ilter, S.S., & Berman, J.J. (1998). A multi-dimensional study of trust in organizations. Journal of Managerial Issues, 10(3), 39-52. Covey, S.R. (2006). Servant leadership: Use your voice to serve others. Leadership Excellence, 23(12), 5-6. De Pree, M. (1989). Leadership is an Art. New York: Dell Publishing. Ferch. S.R. (2004). Servant-leadership, forgiveness, and social justice. In Larry C. Spears and Michele Lawrence (Eds.), Practicing Servant Leadership: Succeeding Through Trust, Bravery, and Forgiveness. San Francisco: JosseyBass. Gibson, J.L, Ivancevich, J.M., Donnelly, J.H., & Konopaske, R. (2006). Organizations: Behavior, Structure and Processes. New York: McGraw-Hill. Greenleaf, R.K. (1977). Servant Leadership: A journey into the nature of legitimate power and greatness. Mahway, NJ: Paulist Press. Hofstede, G. (1983). Dimensions of National Cultures in Fifty Countris and Three Regions”. In J. Deregowski, S. Dziurawiec, and R.C. Annis (Eds.), Expectations in Cross-Cultural Psychology. Lisse, Netherlands: Swets and Zeitilinger. Hofstede, G. (1993). Cultural constraints in management theories. Academy of Management Executive, 7(1), 81-94. Kolp A., & Rea, P. (2006). Leading with Integrity. Cincinnati, OH: Atomic Dog Publishing. Manz, C.C. (1998). The Leadership Wisdom of Jesus: Practical Lessons for Today. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers. Oster, M.J. (1991). Vision-driven Leadership. San Bernardino, CA: Here’s Life Publishers. The Cross-Cultural Leader, Page 11 Journal of International Business and Cultural Studies Ouchi, W. (1981). Theory Z: How American Business Can Meet the Japanese Challenge. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley. Pollard, C.W. (1996). The Soul of the Firm. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing Pollard, C.W. (1997, September/October). The leader who serves. Strategy and Leadership, 49-51. Russell, R.F. (2001). The role of values in servant leadership. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 22(2), 76-83. Russell, R.F., & Stone, A.G. (2002). A review of servant leadership attributes: Developing a practical model. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 23(3), 145-157. Sanders, J.O. (1994). Spiritual Leadership. Chicago, IL: Moody Press Sendjaya, S., & Sarros, J.C. (2002). Servant leadership: Its origin, development, and application in organizations. Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 9(2), 57-64. Spears, L. (1996). Reflections on Robert K. Greenleaf and servant-leadership. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 17(7), 33-35. Stone, A.G., Russell, R.F., & Patterson, K. (2004). Transformational versus servant leadership: A difference in leader focus. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 25(4), 349-361. Walker, J. (2003). A new call to stewardship and servant leadership. Nonprofit World, 21(4), 25. Winston, B. (1999). Be a Manager for God’s Sake: Essays about the Perfect Manager. Virginia Beach, VA: Regent University School of Business The Cross-Cultural Leader, Page 12