CH 14 Global and Cultural Aspects of Leadership

Social-category

Race, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical abilities

Eliciting ideas and giving critical feedback

Cultural norms about expressing ideas vary across cultures

Need to belong

the need to form and maintain strong, stable interpersonal relationships

French managers

work in strong culture of class-tend to behave in a superior, authoritarian, and bureaucratic manner

Social Identify Threat

On days when a conversation with a male colleague cued feelings of incompetence and a lack of acceptance Anxiety "I don't belong her" incompetence

Northern US vs Southern US Managers

Southern US managers are low key and interested in relationship building Northern US managers are brusque efficient and task-oriented

Inclusion

"the degree to which an employee perceives that he or she is an esteemed member of the work group through experiencing treatment that satisfies his or her needs for belongingness and uniqueness" (Shore et al., 2011)

Cultural intelligence

(1)cognitive (head), (2)physical (body), and (3)emotional/motivational (heart).

Valuing diversity

(1)hold managers accountable for diversity; (2)establish minority recruitment, retention, and mentoring programs; (3)conduct diversity training; conducting anti-bias training; (4)conduct cross-cultural training; (5)avoid group characteristics when hiring for person-organization fit; and (6)attain diversity among organizational leaders.

Cultural misunderstandings

(1)language differences, (2)religious differences, (3)work habits, (4)women's roles, and (5)personal appearance and behavior

Ten values that are different in cultures

(1)performance orientation, (2)assertiveness, (3)future orientation, (4)time orientation, (5)humane orientation, (6)in-group collectivism, (7)gender egalitarianism, (8)power distance (acceptance of formal authority), (9)uncertainty avoidance, and (10)work orientation.

Potential, ethical, and competitive advantage from leading and managing diversity

1. Cultural diversity can drive business development. 2. A company that does not welcome a diverse work force shrinks its supply of potential candidates. 3. Creative solutions to problems are more likely to be reached when a diverse group attacks a problem. 4. Many large companies take the diversity initiative of purchasing from local, minority, and female suppliers. 5. Cultural diversity can enhance team performance, often because diverse backgrounds are associated with diverse information, knowledge, and perspectives that can be used to solve problems.

Advantages of Managing Diversity

1. Managing diversity well offers a marketing advantage. 2. Companies with a favorable record in managing diversity are at a distinct advantage in recruiting and retaining talented people. 3. Heterogeneity in the work force may offer the company a creativity advantage, as well as improve its problem-solving and decision-making capability. 4. Diversity and inclusion programs help local economies thereby boosting social responsibility. 5. Enhancement of team performance.

Multicultural Leader

A leader with the skills and attitudes to relate effectively to and motivate people across race, gender, age, social attitudes, and lifestyles. To influence, motivate, and inspire culturally diverse people, the leader must be aware of overt and subtle cultural differences. Although such culturally based differences are generalizations, they function as starting points in the leader's attempt to lead a person from another culture. The essence of global leadership is the ability to influence people who are dissimilar to the leader and stem from different cultural backgrounds.

Malaysian managers

Act logically, decisively, and adopt a more formal diplomatic style

Cultural Sensitivity

An awareness of and a willingness to investigate the reasons why people of another culture act as they do 1. Recognition of nuances in customs. 2. Being a multicultural worker. 3. Recognizing potential problems of cultural misunderstanding. 4. Transgender employees 5. Flexibility in dealing with others 6. Eliciting ideas and giving critical feedback.

Multicultural worker

An individual who is convinced that all cultures are equally good and enjoys learning about other cultures

Differences in values or beliefs

Cultural background, ideological beliefs, personally differences, cognitive style, affective disposition, motivational factors

Diversity

Cultural diversity can enhance team performance Diverse backgrounds are associated with diverse information, knowledge, and perspectives that can be used to solve problems

Research on diversity is extensive but not conclusive

Diversity can have positive effects on creativity and performance Diversity can have negative effects on commitment, identification, engagement and performance Diversity can increase turnover, especially for women and people of color when they are in the minority Diversity can have no effects

Difference in knowledge or skill

Education, functional knowledge, information or expertise, training, experience, abilities

Value in equality approach

Emphasizes that differences will not be a barrier to advancement All employees are judged fairly based on merit

Social identification is a source of fulfillment of individual needs for

Esteem Uncertainty reduction Belongingness

Research in pointing to the importance of the team and organizational environment for diversity

Ethnic/racial representativeness in management at all organizational levels influences minority employee perceptions of the trustworthiness of management. Hispanics are more likely to quit when the proportion of ethnically dissimilar others in the unit is high. This does not occur when diversity climate is supportive. African-Americans are more likely to identify and commit to their organizations than other groups when diversity climate is supportive, regardless of race proportions.

Motivating and Inspiring Workers in Other Cultures

Expectancy theory provides the best general clue to motivating people in other cultures—figure out which rewards have high valence for them. Workers who lack basic necessities in life would rather be rewarded with a scooter or bicycle than a $500 luxury fountain pen or watch. In countries with high uncertainty avoidance such as Japan, Greece, and Mexico, security needs are among the most important. In countries that score high on nurturing characteristics such as Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, social needs are among the most important.

Achievement-Nurturing

High achievement orientation -Assertiveness -Competitiveness -Materialism High nurturing orientation -Relationships -Others' well-being Japan high USA middle Sweden low

Power Distance

High power distance -Value obedience to authority -Comfortable receiving commands from superiors -Prefer formal rules and authority to resolve conflicts Low power distance -Expects relatively equal power sharing -View relationship with boss as interdependence, not dependence Malaysia scores high USA in the middle Israel low

Uncertainty Avoidance

High uncertainty avoidance -feel threatened by ambiguity and uncertainty -value structured situations and direct communication Low uncertainty avoidance -tolerate ambiguity and uncertainty Greece and Japan high USA middle Singapore low

Five Dimensions of Culture

Individualism-Collectivism Power Distance Uncertainty Avoidance Masculinity-Femininity Long-Term--Short-Term Orientation.

Recognizing potential problems of cultural misunderstanding

Language differences, religion, work habits, women's roles, acceptable personal appearance and behavior, generational differences.

Creativeness in genders

Men and women in opposite gender groups are more creative when experiencing high belongingness Men and women in opposite gender groups are more creative when experiencing high uniqueness

Conclusion

Our results suggest that work group inclusion is beneficial for gender diverse groups. Inclusion protects social identity when women or men are in the numerical minority resulting in more creativity. What next? -How important are leaders in creating inclusion within groups?

Value in difference approach

Promotes increasing awareness of differences and biases Suggests that these differences improve employee experiences and enhance profitability

Core Social IDs

Race/ethnicity identification Gender identification

Recognition of nuances in customs.

Recognize certain nuances in customs that will help build better relationships with work associates from another culture. Be tolerant of the subtle differences between and among cultures.

Optimal Distinctiveness Model-Brewer 1991

Satisfaction of the need to belong in a work group -Satisfaction of both needs concurrently Satisfaction of the need for uniqueness in a work group Inclusion

Culture

Shared assumptions about how the world works and what ideals are worth striving for Culture, education/skill levels, economic system, and political-legal system

Theories for the value of diversity

Some similar theories applied -Organizational demography -Value in diversity Common theoretical assumptions -Different perspectives and values can lead to positive group outcomes -Greater varieties of information will lead to enhanced learning, creativity, and decision making

Theories for the disruptive effects of diversity

Some similar theories applied -Social identity -Relational demography -Stereotypes -Discrimination -Stigmas -Similarity/Attraction Common theoretical assumptions -people prefer others like themselves -differences make people uncomfortable which leads to better treatment of similar others -similar demographics equate to deeper similarity (values, beliefs)

Individualism

The degree to which people value personal freedom, self-sufficiency, control over themselves, being appreciated for unique qualities USA scores high Taiwan scores low

Collectivism

The degree to which people value their group membership and harmonious relationships within the group Italy scores high with Taiwan USA scores low

Summary

The modern leader must be multicultural. Managing for diversity brings a competitive advantage to the firm. To influence, motivate, and inspire culturally diverse people, the leader must be aware of overt and subtle cultural differences. Differences in cultural values help explain differences among people. Cultural values influence leadership style as well as the behavior of other workers. Cultural sensitivity is essential for inspiring people from different cultures. Global leadership skills help improve a company's reputation and contribute to a sustainable competitive advantage. Top management commitment to valuing diversity is clearest when valuing diversity is embedded in organizational strategy.

Global and Diverse Business Environment

The reality is that most future careers will involve working in a diverse and global environment - Work force becoming more diverse - Business has also become increasingly global - Most manufactured goods contain components from more than one country - Global outsourcing has become a dominant trend

Cultural Diversity Frames

Two different ways in which diversity is framed: -Value in difference approach -Value in equality approach

Does gender composition of the work group affect inclusion experiences?

We posited that gender diversity in the workgroup would be associated with greater creativity when Belongingness or Uniqueness is high. Inclusion provides the environment needed to benefit from diversity.

Understanding Which Practices Function Well

What works well in one culture may not necessarily work well in another culture. For example: - In a culture that highly respects the authority of the boss, granting decision-making authority to the group may not be so effective. - An attempt at using open office space at a new innovation center in China was poorly received as open offices were unusual.

Differentiation

individual is not treated as an organizational insider but their unique characteristics are seen as valuable and required for group/organization success

Exclusion

individual is not treated as an organizational insider but there are other employees or groups who are insiders

Assimilation

individual is treated as an insider when they conform to organizational/dominant culture norms

A theme of social identity threat

Women and racial minorities perceive more mistreatment based on their sex or race than men or whites. ID threat is a core challenge when women and people of color are in the minority and when they do not perceive that their social group is valued by their team, leader or the organization Sample items: "If you worked at xxx, how often do you think that people would think about your gender when judging you?"; "If you worked at xxx, how often would you worry that people might judge you because of what they think of your gender?" Social identity threat is a core reason for low organizational identification, commitment, and engagement; and for high turnover.

Consistency Matters

Women and racioethnic minorities looked for consistency in the organization's philosophy and the leader's behavior related to diversity and inclusion Men and whites responded positively to leader inclusion even when diversity climate was low.

German managers

tend to avoid uncertainty, and are dispassionate, assertive, straightforward, and stern

Organizational-or community-status differences

tenure or length or service, title

Need for uniqueness

the need to maintain a distinctive and differentiated sense of self

Differences in social and network ties

work-related ties, friendship ties, community ties, in-group memberships