Peter W. Dorfman

Understanding cultures and implicit leadership theories across the globe: an introduction to project GLOBE

GLOBE (Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness) is a research program focusing on culture and leadership in 61 nations. National cultures are examined in terms of nine dimensions: performance orientation, future orientation, assertiveness, power distance, humane orientation, institutional collectivism, in-group collectivism, uncertainty avoidance, and gender egalitarianism. In a survey of thousands of middle managers in food processing, finance, and telecommunications industries in these countries, GLOBE compares their cultures and attributes of effective leadership. Six global leadership attributes are identified and discussed.

Does Cultural Socialization Predict Multiple Bases and Foci of Commitment

Some organizational commitment theorists have proposed that culture is an important antecedent to organizational commitment (Meyer & Allen, 1991; Wiener, 1982). This study tests whether individualized measures of power distance, collectivism, uncertainty avoidance, and masculinity are related to an employee’s level of commitment. A nine-factor model of commitment is postulated with three bases (affective, continuance, and normative commitment) and three foci (organization, supervisor, and workgroup) of commitment. Confirmatory factor analysis provides support for the commitment model embodying all bases and foci of commitment. Hierarchical regression analysis results also suggest that cultural dimensions are significant predictors of multiple bases and foci of commitment. Specific significant results include: (1) Power distance is related to normative commitment across all foci; (2) Uncertainty avoidance is related to continuance commitment across all foci; and (3) Collectivism is related to workgroup commitment across all bases of commitment.

Cultural clusters: methodology and findings

There has been almost a half century of effort to identify clusters of societies using the analysis of international-level data. Using the data collected on cultural values and beliefs from 61 nations, GLOBE proposed 10 a priori clusters and used discriminant analysis to confirm the clusters in a split half sample. Cross-validation was performed on the hold out sample. The results provide strong support to the existence of 10 cultural clusters: South Asia, Anglo, Arab, Germanic Europe, Latin Europe, Eastern Europe, Confucian Asia, Latin America, Sub-Sahara Africa, and Nordic Europe.

Leadership in Western and Asian countries: Commonalities and differences in effective leadership processes across cultures

Abstract While the phenomenon of leadership is widely considered to be universal across cultures, the way in which it is operationalized is usually viewed as culturally specific. Conflicting viewpoints exist in the leadership literature concerning the transferability of specific leader behaviors and processes across cultures. This study explored these conflicting views for managers and professional workers by empirically testing specific hypotheses which addressed the generalizability of leadership behaviors and processes across five nations in North America and Asia. Confirmatory factor analyses provided evidence for conceptual and measurement equivalence for all six leader behaviors employed in the study. The findings showed cultural universality for three leader behaviors (supportive, contingent reward, and charismatic), and cultural specificity for the remaining three leader behaviors (directive, participative, and contingent punishment).

Project GLOBE: An Introduction

Le projet GLOBE est decrit dans cet article, avec ses bases conceptuelle et methodologique. Une introduction est indispensable puisque les travaux presentes dans ce numero relevent de ce projet qui est une etude exceptionnelle de 61 pays sous divers aspects et a partir de plusieurs methodes; il porte sur la vaste question de la culture, du leadership et des pratiques organisationnelles. Plus de 150 specialistes du management et des sciences sociales des 61 pays y ont contribue. L’objectif global du projet est le developpement d’une theorie empirique destinee a decrire, comprendre et predire l’impact de variables culturelles specifiques sur le leadership, les processus organisationnels et leur efficience. L’article survole differents aspects de ce projet et peut etre utilise pour se reperer dans les autres contributions.

Measurement and Meaning of Recreation Satisfaction: A Case Study in Camping

The purpose of this research was to empirically verify the assumption that psychological processes related to recreation satisfaction include these individual difference variables. The relationship between alternative conceptualizations and measurement of user satisfaction were also objects of study. Three independent samples of campers indicated their perceptions, preferences, expectations, importance, and satisfaction levels on a number of factors related to camping satisfaction and dissatisfaction. Alternative conceptualizations of user satisfaction employing individual difference variables were operationally defined and compared to each other. Results indicated that satisfaction measures obtained by using individual difference measures are only moderately related to each other. There may be no single best way to measure recreational satisfaction, as each measure incorporates different psychological processes. Although the research population in the present study consisted of campers, the various conceptualizations and operational definitions of satisfaction will generalize to all types of recreation and should prove useful to both recreation managers and researchers.

Problems with detecting moderators in leadership research using moderated multiple regression

Abstract A number of recent leadership studies have questioned whether situational variables are important moderators of leadership effectiveness. Pessimistic conclusions from these studies regarding situational modifiers challenge the foundations of path–goal and substitutes for leadership theories. However, analysis of this research reveals questionable methodological practices that cast doubt on the validity of these conclusions. This article discusses two methodological issues, elucidates specific flaws in methods used in recent leadership studies, and makes recommendations for the use of moderated multiple regression (MMR) in leadership studies. We argue that low power to detect moderators and inappropriate use of regression methods can account for the lack of confirmatory findings regarding moderators. Comparative analysis using a previously published data set provides strong support for major arguments presented in this article. We conclude that situational variables are important moderators of leadership effectiveness and are detectable using appropriate procedures.

The Effects of Group Performance on Cognitions, Satisfaction, and Behavior: A Process Model

A model was developed and tested that traces the process by which group task performance influences individual cognitive and affective responses and the ways that these factors in turn influence subsequent effort and performance. The results indicated that initial performance influences attributions which in turn affect effort-reward expectancies. It was also found that attributions and expectancies had direct influences on satisfaction and indirect influences on subsequent effort and performance. With regard to intragroup processes it was found that high-cohesive groups outperformed low-cohesive groups. Individuals shared credit for success with their teammates while blaming members of opposing teams for their failures.

The mutability of charisma in leadership research

This article reveals the mutability of charisma by tracing changes in the conceptualization of charisma throughout the history of leadership research. Religious, societal, and organizational phases in the conceptualization of charisma are identified. The mutability of charisma has extended charismatic leadership theory from the domain of theology to multiple facets of the organizational sciences. Shifting conceptualizations of charisma that emphasize different elements have facilitated the study of leader traits, leader behaviors, situational contingencies, leader and organizational communications, and organizational cultures. These pluralistic conceptualizations of leadership and charisma have broadened our understanding of charismatic leadership. Yet, we must acknowledge that the breadth of knowledge we have gained has been at the expense of a more profound understanding of any one particular conceptualization of charisma.

Culture and Leadership: A Connectionist Information Processing Model

In this paper, we discuss a new information processing model of culture and leadership (Hanges, Lord, & Dickson, 2000). First, we review the older cognitive categorization approach that has been used to explain the relationships between culture, preferred leadership attributes and follower behavior. Then we present a new model based on the connectionist theory of information processing. This model focuses on the connections between concepts in a cognitive network, rather than discrete schemas. Finally, we use the new model to suggest strategies that managers might use to manage a diverse workforce.