Chapter 6

Effective Leadership in a Multicultural Environment

Multiple-Choice Questions

1. Globalization has presented several new challenges for effective leadership. Which of the following has not been identified as one of these challenges?
   1. The need to speak at least two languages
   2. The need to be able to influence people from different cultures
   3. Good cultural understanding to successfully persuade and influence
   4. The need to understand how leaders’ actions are viewed by others
2. Which of the following statements most accurately describes what leadership means in practice across different cultures?
   1. All cultures agree on what characteristics leaders must possess to be effective
   2. Some leadership characteristics are viewed as positive in most countries and some negative in most countries
   3. The meaning of leadership in practice is consistent across all cultures
   4. Not all cultures have leaders
3. Which of the following attributes of leadership are perceived as “bad” in many different cultures?
   1. Dictatorial and egocentric
   2. Dictatorial and ambitious
   3. Ruthless and individualistic
   4. Both a and c
4. Which of the following groups of leader attributes are most likely to be viewed differently across cultures?
   1. Honest, logical, and intelligent
   2. Logical, enthusiastic, and ambitious
   3. Sensitive, positive, and decisive
   4. Individualistic, intelligent, and trustworthy
5. Why might an expatriate manager be allowed more latitude in performing actions that counter typical cultural tendencies?
   1. Employees know the manager is a foreign national with different styles and norms
   2. Employees may be less open to a counterculture technique used by a foreign-national manager
   3. A familiar approach may be needed and may be more effective
   4. Employees may be less open to new approaches used by a foreign-national manager
6. Which of the following are examples of relationship-oriented behavior managers may demonstrate?
   1. Clarifying performance expectations
   2. Providing technical help
   3. Showing consideration toward subordinates
   4. Planning and scheduling
7. Relationship-oriented behavior includes which of the following?
   1. Showing concern for feelings, needs, and the well-being of subordinates
   2. Expressing empathy, warmth, encouragement, and consideration
   3. Expressing trust toward subordinates
   4. Showing a strong sense of autonomy
8. Which of the following are examples of task-oriented behavior managers demonstrate?
   1. Clarifying performance expectations and providing technical help
   2. Showing consideration toward subordinates
   3. Planning, scheduling, and setting specific goals
   4. Both a and c
9. A “paternalistic version” of relationship-oriented leadership behavior may produce positive reactions from employees in which of the following?
   1. India and the Middle East
   2. Parts of Latin America and Canada
   3. India, the Middle East, and parts of Latin America
   4. Both a and b
10. Which of the following is not a good example of how culture can be a driving force for the impact of leader behavior on employee performance?
    1. Criticism that Japanese managers often aim at subordinates would likely seem punitive to many Americans
    2. Americans are likely to use status symbols, such as a large office, to project authority
    3. Japanese managers often balance criticism with supportive behaviors and go to great lengths to minimize status symbols
    4. Japanese managers often go to great lengths to maximize status symbols
11. According to Likert’s “System 4” model, there are four basic systems of leadership. Which of the following explanations is correctly matched with the system given?
    1. System 1: exploitative
    2. System 2: consultative
    3. System 3: democratic
    4. System 4: authoritative
12. According to Likert’s “System 4” model, there are four basic systems of leadership. Which of the following explanations is correctly matched with the system given?
    1. System 1: decision making reserved for employees and unions
    2. System 2: autocratic, but managers are more paternalistic
    3. System 3: employees are not at all involved in communicating or decision making
    4. System 4: employees are minimally involved in decision making on important issues
13. Which of the following leadership issues are correctly paired with the expectations and attitudes for American and Mexican managers?
    1. Valued subordinate behaviors: American—initiative; Mexican—obedience
    2. Leadership style: American—formal; Mexican—informal
    3. Key to subordinate evaluation: American—personal loyalty; Mexican—performance
    4. Basis of discipline/justice: American—personal relationships; Mexican—uniform application of rules
14. The emotional bond formed with employees by a transformational leader is based on all of the following leadership characteristics except which one?
    1. Use of inspirational appeals
    2. Intellectual stimulation
    3. Gender and charisma
    4. Individualized consideration
15. While transformations leadership is said by some to be tailor-made for international business, there are reasons to be cautious with blanket application. Which of the following might argue against wholesale use of transformation leadership globally?
    1. Attributes such as risk-taking and ambition are not valued in all countries
    2. Regardless of the type of positive impacts, they are driven by different aspects of transformational leadership in different cultures
    3. The nature of the “positive impact” of transformational leadership is consistent from place to place and country to country
    4. There has been little research on transformational leadership
16. The leader behavior dimension of team orientation is most likely to be prevalent in which countries?
    1. Mexico and Canada
    2. Saudi Arabia and Egypt
    3. Mexico and Brazil
    4. Canada and the United States
17. The leader behavior dimension of humane orientation is least likely to be prevalent in which countries?
    1. Sweden and Denmark
    2. Korea and Japan
    3. China
    4. Norway and Italy
18. According to the path-goal leadership approach, which of the following is one of the four basic leadership styles?
    1. Authoritarian
    2. Supportive
    3. Transformational
    4. Transactional
19. Which of the following correctly matches the leadership style with its description?
    1. Directive: occurs when leader provides few rules for subordinates to follow when doing their jobs
    2. Supportive: leader focuses on subordinates’ needs and overall well-being to maintain positive relationships
    3. Supportive: leader focuses on the needs of superordinates and their well-being to maintain positive relationships
    4. Participative: leader consults with superordinates, solicits opinions, and otherwise involves them in decision making
20. How do leaders using the achievement-oriented leadership style maximize subordinate performance?
    1. Set easily attainable goals
    2. Provide few challenges
    3. Emphasize excellence
    4. Emphasize group achievements
21. Which of the following leadership styles are most compatible with a collectivist culture like Taiwan?
    1. Directive and supportive
    2. Supportive and achievement
    3. Directive and achievement
    4. Participative and achievement
22. Which of the following leadership styles are most compatible with a weak uncertainty avoidance culture such as England?
    1. Directive and supportive
    2. Participative and achievement
    3. Directive and achievement
    4. Supportive and participative
23. Which of the following most accurately describes a transnational manager’s skills?
    1. Becomes an expert on a single culture
    2. Able to adapt to living in a single foreign culture
    3. Uses cross-cultural interaction skills daily
    4. Views foreign assignments as a mechanism for getting a job done

True or False Questions

1. Most of the leadership literature has been written in the last 40 years and most of it was conducted among and about leaders in the United States and Western Europe.
2. Within the last decade, attention to cultural influences on leadership behavior has expanded greatly.
3. Effective leadership in international companies requires openness, an appreciation of cultural differences, and the ability to bridge differences quickly.
4. Perspectives on leadership vary across cultures and countries, but views about what characteristics leaders must possess to be effective remain constant.
5. Relationship-oriented behavior includes showing concern for feelings, needs, and the well-being of subordinates as well as expressing empathy, warmth, encouragement, consideration, and trust toward subordinates.
6. A study comparing managers from the United States, UK, Japan, and Hong Kong found that there was agreement on basic aspects of leadership style and the specific expression of these behaviors was consistent across the four countries.
7. In collectivist, high-power-distance cultures such as Taiwan or Thailand, task-oriented behaviors may have a stronger positive impact on employees than in individualistic, low-power-distance cultures such as the United States.
8. The appeal of transformational leadership may be somewhat limited in collective cultures where group harmony is highly prized, for example, in countries such as South Korea and Indonesia.
9. The two frameworks that summarize the impact of culture on international leadership are the GLOBE approach and the path-goal leadership approach.
10. Participative leadership should work best in low-power-distance cultures, such as Canada, while directive leadership should work best in high-power-distance societies, such as the Philippines.
11. What makes for effective leadership in an international context can vary in quantitative ways, but not qualitative ways.
12. GLOBE researchers discovered that two leadership dimensions, charismatic/value-based and team oriented, were positive contributors to effectiveness while one dimension, self-protective, was generally negative.
13. The path-goal leadership approach predicts that leadership effectiveness is contingent on matching leadership style to a particular business situation, so a research and development division might require a different leader style than one focused on customer service.
14. A manager using a supportive leadership style focuses on subordinates’ needs and overall well-being, consults with their subordinates, solicits their opinions, and otherwise involves them in decision making.
15. The best option for multinationals may be training and development programs aimed at building international leadership skills throughout the corporation once aspiring international managers have been identified using valid and reliable methods.

Short-Answer Questions

1. Describe the key elements for each level of Likert’s System 4 approach.
2. What are the four basic leadership styles as described in the text?
3. List the six basic leadership dimensions that emerged from the GLOBE project and contribute to understanding leadership effectiveness.
4. Explain why participative leadership should work best in low-power-distance cultures, such as Canada, while directive leadership would work best in high-power-distance societies, such as the Philippines.
5. The increasing similarity of companies around the world in terms of structure, technology, and strategy might be expected to weaken or overcome cross-cultural differences. How might these convergent forces be offset by factors that continue to maintain, or even accentuate cultural differences?
6. Why is it becoming increasingly important for international managers to have a perspective on cultural issues that is not limited to a particular country or region?
7. How would a transnational manager and a traditional international manager be expected to differ in their worldview, ability to adapt, and culture knowledge?
8. How would a transnational manager and a traditional international manager be expected to differ in their approach to learning, foreign experience, and their collaboration skills?
9. List and briefly explain four of the five suggestions for individuals for developing transnational leadership skills.
10. List and briefly explain or describe two of the four suggestions presented for corporations interested in developing transnational leadership skills.

Essay Questions

1. Explain how different leader behaviors can have the same positive effects across cultures according to Likert’s System 4 approach to leadership. Provide examples from Mexico and the United States.
2. Explain why global managers may need to alter and adapt their leadership style to expectations in specific countries, comparing U.S. style to Japan, Mexico, or Hong Kong as an example.
3. Describe the four features associated with the leadership model known as transformational leadership.
4. How can corporations identify and develop managers with transnational leadership skills? What specific skills should a transnational manager possess?