Question

How would the definitions of leaders and effectiveness differ based on the different cultural values presented by Hofstede, Trompenaars, and the GLOBE findings?

Answer 1

This chapter considers the cultural context of leadership at the national, small group, and organizational levels. After defining culture, four models of national culture are presented: Hall’s high and low-context, Hofstede’s five dimensions, Trompenaars’s dimensions, and the Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness (GLOBE) research. The impact of group culture in terms of gender and diversity is considered and the causes and solutions to leadership differences based on gender and other small-group membership are presented. The concept of developing a cultural mindset is presented to provide leaders and organizations as a way of managing diversity.

1.    Definitions and Levels of Culture

a.Definitions and characteristics

Culture consists of the commonly held values within a group of people and includes norms, customs, values, and assumptions that guide behavior.                

b.Levels of culture

Three levels of culture are identified. These are: national, ethnic or other cultural groups within a nation, and organization culture (Figure 2.1).  

2.    Models of National Culture

a.Hall’s high-context and low-context cultural framework

Hall’s model is based on the communication context. Members of high context cultures rely on context, non-verbal cues, and situational factors to communicate. Those from low-context cultures focus on explicit messages. Examples of each type of culture are provided (Figure 2.2)

b.Hofstede’s five cultural dimensions

Hofstede’s model of culture classifies cultures based on five dimensions (Table 2.1). Harry Triandis further refined the model by adding the concept of tight and loose cultures, and the vertical and horizontal dimension to individual-collectivism (Table 2.2).

c.Trompenaars’s dimensions of culture

Trompenaars’s model focuses on cross-cultural organizational cultures (Figure 2.3).

d.GLOBE - Global leadership and organizational behavior effectiveness research

The GLOBE research is the most current most extensive research on cultural dimensions. It provides many refined dimensions to classify and understand cultures (Table 2.3)

Applying what you learn: Using culture to be effective outlines the key factors for managers to build the culture of their organization. They include: Clear definition of desired culture, sharing with employees, adjusting the reward system, attention to details, and “walking the talk.”

3.Group Culture: Gender and Diversity

Various dimensions of group culture are presented (Figure 2.4). Gender and leadership

a.Gender and leadership

b.Current state of women in organizations

c.Causes of gender differences in leadership

The causes of the poor representation of women in leadership are summarized (Table 2.4)

• Gender differences in style and effectiveness
• Women face challenges in balancing family and work
• Women are not well prepared and not as committed as men
• Discrimination
• Persistent stereotypes

Leading Change: Deloitte supports all its employees: Deloitte, one of the Big Four accounting firms is taking steps to increase the diversity of its employees who are 92% white. CEO Barry Salzberg has made diversity a major strategic focus. The company has broadened its recruiting base and has implemented a program called Mass Career Customization that provides all employees, not just women and minorities, with an opportunity to develop their own career path based on their needs and work-life balance. Deloitte has received much recognition for the program.

4.Developing a Cultural Mindset

To address the challenges of managing a diverse organization successfully, organizations have to create a hospitable climate and develop a way of thinking where culture is at the center. This approach is called having a cultural mindset.

It allows leaders and organizations to understand culture and take it into consideration in all levels of decision making. It involves both a way of thinking and behavior. Leaders play a key role in developing and implementing a cultural mindset that provides solutions to managing diversity,