Leadership, Motivation, And Group Behavior Across Cultures
Leadership, Motivation, and
Group Behavior Across Cultures
There is probably no other topic generating more interest in business and
nonbusiness organizations than that of leadership. More books and
articles are published on this topic than on any other management topic, not
only in the United States but in nations as diverse as Poland, China, and
India. There are also countless educational and training programs devoted
to the topic of leadership. And there are endless discussions of the factors
that differentiate entrepreneurs starting their own businesses and executives
rising to top-level positions in large, multinational corporations. All this
frenzied activity is understandable given the obvious importance of the topic
to leaders, potential leaders, and organizations of all types.
We begin this chapter by focusing on leadership across cultures. Next,
we turn our attention to the related topic of motivation across cultures.
Specifically, what motivates managers and employees in different cultures,
and how is this topic related to leadership? In the final section of the chapter
we consider group behavior and the manner in which the dynamics of leadership
and motivation play out within this cross-cultural context.
Leadership
Paradox 3.1. Framing leadership: Is the essence
of leadership being stuck on the horns of a dilemma?
Before reading the analysis of Paradox 3.1, you may want to assess your
own theories and definitions of leadership. Briefly, how would you describe
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successful leaders in terms of specific characteristics, and what differentiates
them from unsuccessful leaders? Defining a metaphor as the use of one phenomenon
to describe another, what is your metaphor for leadership? Many
if not all of us theorize about leadership in one form or another either consciously
or unconsciously, and it doesn’t matter if you borrow your metaphor
and theory from others or develop it yourself....
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