Cultural Leadership Challanges

<img src="http://not.mannphoto.net/map.jpg" width="100%" alt="MAP"> You have read about leadership in different cultures, now you have the power to determine who the leader should be based on leadership traits and cultural differences. The GLOBE Studies identified ten regional clusters with nine cultural dimensions that are seen as more or less ideal based on the region. Through the case studies below you get to choose the leader that would best suit, in each there are three options - some might seem better than others, the end result is based primarily around the GLOBE Study Research. All of the case studies are factual, factual in that they are made up of facts which may be completely false or true. The names, details, and places may have been changed to protect the innocent - or because they are fictional. Feel free to make right choices or wrong choices, to go back and try again. There might be wrong answers, or all the answers may be right - it is entirely up to you. Most of all enjoy, if you have to read text on the screen try and have fun while you are doing it. If you want more information on any of the case studies or characters feel free to ask in the Chat. [[Parting out.]] [[Technical Ability?]] [[Customer Disservice?]] [[A drain on profits?]] [[Higher Education?]] [[Exit]]

<img src="http://not.mannphoto.net/Original_Equipment_Parts.jpg" width="100%" alt="Parts"> The company you work for has acquired a car parts manufacturer in Austria. This company manufactures parts for both European and North-American car makers. The company has struggled in recent years due to poor management decisions and high staffing turnover. There have been issues with production quality and several recalls in the past few years. This has caused several losses which has made the company an attractive purchase on paper. Your company is sure with the right leadership they can not only turn the company around, but also increase the hold your company has on the auto parts market. You have been asked to decide over the final candidates for the New General manager position. After an extensive search of external and internal candidates your company has decided on hiring managers from within the organization. The selection committee has narrowed the choice down to three possible hires. All three have excelled as managers and the selection committee is sure that either will do a great job as the new General manager. David – David has worked with your company since graduating from university and has risen from an entry position fifteen years ago to a department head in charge of hundreds of employees. David lives with his Wife and three children on a three-acre property outside of the city. He volunteers at the local school and with several community groups. His office is decorated with pictures of his children and his direct reports all praise him for his dedication to family and his fairness to all employees. He is known as being pragmatic and not rushing into decisions which has served him well over the past fifteen tears. David describes himself as a family man who would do anything for his family and a fair manager, above all he believes everyone has a chance to succeed and no-one should be put above anyone else. Paul – Paul is the youngest of all of the candidates. He has only been with the company for five years, however has quickly moved throughout the ranks. After graduating from university, he worked for a year in a junior position at another company then quit and returned to university and got his MBA in record time. Paul spent two years looking for the ‘right’ job before starting with your company. Paul lives alone, drives a Ferrari and is proud of the accomplishments he has made in the last five years. He is known as being ambitious and his staff all state that he works hard, however is often distant and cares more about his own position in the world. Paul is open about his intentions to retire by 45 and this General manager position would put him in a place to do so. Mark – Mark moved to your company from another company just a few years ago. He has years of experience in manufacturing and production and currently runs the largest of your company’s North American Production facilities. Mark is well loved by all his staff who describe him as a visionary who knows not only the management part of the business, he is also able to fix the smallest problems or tooling on the production line. Mark is often seen wondering the plant floor and spends time sharing his experience and knowledge with the junior staff on the plant floor. He has stated many times how he misses working on the plant floor and his administrative duties take him away from his love of manufacturing. Click to find out where the company is one year from now. Who would you choose? =><= [[David]] - [[Paul]] - [[Mark]]

<img src="http://not.mannphoto.net/1024px-Computer_sound_card01.jpg" width="100%" alt="Technical"> One of the technical offices your company owns in Western Malaysia has a VP that is leaving. You are part of the team choosing the replacement for the vice president and after a long and grueling interview process the team has come up with three choices. None of the three choices have ever lived in Malaysia or speak the language, however the core management team are multilingual. The technical office does well and provides essential technical support services to the north American arm of your company for a cost that cannot be met in North America. The final three candidates are all well experienced and know the technical side of the business well. Colten - Colton has been leading the on-site technical side of the business in North America as a Director for several years. He is described as being charismatic and inclusive. He has regular weekly meetings with all of his management team and rather than telling them how to run their departments he asks them for input on what they would change or how he could improve the workload for them. Colton is well known for taking into account the inputs from his team members before making important decisions. He actively encourages his direct reports to do the same. This has led him well in reaching the position he is in today. Aryan - Aryan is in a junior position compared with the other candidates yet has gained attention at the company with his charismatic, almost Midas like touch on every team he has worked. He is most well-known for using the phase ‘work hard, play hard’. His weekly routine includes a meeting with his direct reports where he encourages them for the work that they have done and reflects on how his own hard work has got him to where he is today. Aryan has only been with the company for a few years and some of the hiring team are concerned that he may be too arrogant for a position of this authority. When interviewing some of his direct reports they echo the sentiment, however also include that he always has their backs. Jeremy - Jeremy is currently working for a rival company and is being considered for the position based on several interviews and external references. He is the most qualified person on paper with a PHD in computer science and several years working in a Vice President role at the rival company. The HR profile created for you shows Jeremy as a charismatic leader who values those around him and rewards success. He is also proud of his accomplishments and actively lets others know of them. At his interview he described one of his reasons for success as his monthly gatherings he holds for his staff, this is an activity he has carried out for years, inviting his direct reports for a monthly barbeque or catered meal at his home. These are lavish affairs with plenty of food and drink for everyone, he also provides transportation to and from these events to avoid any risk of anyone having to drive after drinking, regardless if they are drinking or not. He spares no expense and openly shows his appreciation for his team during these events. Click to find out where the technical office is one year from now. Who would you choose? =><= [[Colten]] - [[Aryan]] - [[Jeremy]]

<img src="http://not.mannphoto.net/1024px-Call_Centre.jpg" width="100%" alt="Call-Centre"> A recent acquisition of a remote Costa Rica call centre has opened up the profitable airline that you work for with an even greater chance to increase profits. There is a desire by the board to move all of the out–sourced customer service work back in-house and the Costa Rica call centre to be the company’s flagship example of customer service. The airline has one local call centre that is predominantly used for escalations and out performs all of the out-sourced contact centers in every regard except cost. Currently there are complaints about the existing out-sourced call centres having long wait times, staff that are ineffective, as well as a cost point per call that your company believes can be halved. Despite the call centre being well established and having over four hundred staff the airline believes it needs a local manager to ensure that the high standards they are striving for are met and that the customer service levels do not drop even further. Abby - Abby manages and runs the local contact centre that employees over one hundred staff. She is known for being decisive and results oriented. Since she has taken on the leadership on the local call centre it has not only increased in probability, customer service satisfaction levels have never been higher. Abby has managers in each of the departments that report to her on a weekly basis. Interviews with Abby’s direct reports indicate she is very good at managing all aspects of the call centre, sometimes she tends to micro-manage, but it has always worked out well for them. Christina - Christina is the current management liaison between the airline and the existing third-party call centres. Despite all efforts she has not been able to get the third-party call centres to raise the customer service levels to what is required. Christina’s team describe her as charismatic and at team meetings she regularly reminds them of the airlines values and purpose and why striving to meet them together is a key goal. Despite the failure of the third-party call centres to meet the wants of the airline they are considering Christina as she has excelled in other roles and they feel that she has done as well as possible considering the circumstances. Lacey - Lacey is currently employed as an operations director for a two hundred seat call centre located in a rural area. During the interview process she identified her key assets as being supportive and compassionate. Lacey described herself as an individual who is a fast thinker and able to quickly make decisions based on the facts she is given. The current centre that Lacey runs is considered to be one of the best run call centres in the local area. Being able to run a successful call centre in a rural area gives Lacey an advantage in working in the isolated area the new centre in Costa Rica is located. Click to find out where the call centre is one year from now. Who would you choose? =><= [[Abby]] - [[Christina]] - [[Lacey]]

<img src="http://not.mannphoto.net/1024px-Water_Well_in_africa.jpg" width="100%" alt="Well"> A reasonably large non-profit organisation has hired the recruiting services of your company to replace the departing regional leadership in Zambia. From the over one hundred applicants your company has narrowed down the choice to three. The non-profit organisation works on water development and providing clean drinking water to regions where previously there was none. The person recruited will be working with local leaders from across the local regions and will need to be able to have local assistance to gain access to these areas for development of water supplies. Although the organisation has been working in the area for a long time there is a need to have someone in-place as soon as possible to keep the relationships with the locals intact. Erin - Erin has a Masters in water management and has been employed for the past 5 years as a researcher on water management with the federal government. She has two grown children that have moved away from home several years ago, this was something she brought up during the interview. Erin is looking for a role where she can provide more meaning to her life, she feels her current role is no longer providing that. When asked about what traits were important to a leader Erin stated a sense of purpose and someone who cares for others. Cynthia - Cynthia has a PHD in water management and has been working in the oil industry for the past fifteen years. She stated during the interview that she is someone who knows how to get things done and when she sets her sights on things they get done. When asked about what traits were important to a leader Cynthia stated that a good leader knows how to lead and control her followers. Amanda - Amanda has a Masters in water science and has been volunteering with local non-profit organisations in Africa for the past five years. During the interview process she was able to give detailed information on the local areas the organisation work in as well as where she thought the organisation should focus its efforts. When asked about what traits were important to a leader Amanda stated a good leader knows what needs to be done. =><= [[Erin]] - [[Cynthia]] - [[Amanda]]

<img src="http://not.mannphoto.net/Smart_classroom_of_SD_International_Public_School.jpg" width="100%" alt="School"> The Pasha School in Egypt is an international day school for students of the international community working in the country. The lower school is mostly staffed by teachers who came on a short term contract and decided to stay, the balance are teachers from the local community. The upper school teachers are highly qualified from various countries on short term contracts ranging from two to five years and all have been there for at least a year. Over the past five years the enrollment at the school had been steadily declining and the trustees asked the principal and staff for input on how it could be increased. Several meetings were held which were loud, confrontational and always ended with the principal yelling that the final decision was his alone. He thought that the only way to increase enrollment was to change to a national education program and open the school to the locals, but the staff did not want to lose their international status and wanted to explore other options. At the end of the year the trustees chose not to renew the principal’s contract as the discord had affected the daily operation of the school and some of the teachers were asking how they could be released from their contracts. No decision was made regarding the enrollment because the trustees now had to select a new principal. Three qualified individuals applied; Ammon, a local Egyptian man who had taught in the lower school for eight years, Kenton, an American who had taught English as a second language in China for the last six years and Erik, a Swede who had taught in an international school in Ethiopia for two years. Who would be the best fit to run the school and help bring consensus moving forward? =><= [[Ammon]] - [[Kenton]] - [[Erik]]

Thank you for taking the time to understand some of the aspects of cultural leadership. Please close your browser or returen [[home->Cultural Leadership]] This was produced using <a href=http://twinery.org>Twine</a> under open source licence. Created as an assignment for: =><= RCLP 1001 - Leadership Foundations. UNB, 2019 Cindy Woodworth Josee Tait Sarah Leech Elizabeth Kerwood-Folkins Micheal Mann

Hiring David for this position might not have been the best fit. His pragmatic approach does not fit well with the highest ranking Autonomous leadership trait as described in the Globe Studies (Northouse, p452). He was able to reduce staffing turnover through his approach of fairness and equality towards everyone, unfortunately this did not help fix the quality problems that have plagued the company. The company is no longer suffering losses but is not making the profits your company thought it would. =><= [[Back->Parting out.]] - [[Home->Cultural Leadership]]

Paul’s self-centered approach that moved him quickly into the position he previously held is not working well in the Germanic European culture. His fancy cars and distance were not liked by the existing management who were resistant to his changes. He has fired many of the previous management for what he considered incompetence and after hiring managers that fit more with his personal beliefs and cannot understand why staff turnover has increased. He has worked hard at improving the quality, however after a year the company is in a worse position than before and the board is wondering why you choose Paul for the position. The GLOBE studies state that leaders who are “status conscious or concerned with face saving” (Northhouse, p451) are less likely to succeed in the Germanic European culture. =><= [[Back->Parting out.]] - [[Home->Cultural Leadership]]

Mark is almost the perfect candidate for the position. His combination of visionary leadership and his hands-on approach to the manufacturing has worked well for the company. He still walks the plant floor and spends time with the front-line workers, who all call him ‘Mitspieler’ the German word for team mate. His time on the factory floor has improved quality and the staff turnover is almost nil due to his participative and team-oriented attitude. Mark is the textbook example of the perfect Germanic leadership profile according to the GLOBE studies (Northhouse, p451). You have been praised by the board for your decision, the company is making record profits despite a downturn in car sales. =><= [[Back->Parting out.]] - [[Home->Cultural Leadership]]

Hiring Colton for this position did not fit well with the Southern Asia leadership profile according to the GLOBE studies. Northouse (P451) states that the Southern Asian leadership profile “find participative leadership ineffective” and leaders that are “autocratic are more effective than those who lead by inviting others into the decision-making process”. Colten has insisted that his direct reports take on the leadership methods that have led to his success. This has led to confusion and a lack of respect form the direct reports. The confusion and lack of respect has flowed down the management chain resulting in a decrease in productivity which has increased the cost of providing the support from Malaysia. =><= [[Back->Technical Ability?]] - [[Home->Cultural Leadership]]

Although he may not have initially seemed like the best choice due to his inexperience, Aryan has thrived in the environment. His ‘arrogance’ is not seen the same way in Malaysia, and his weekly meetings reflecting on how he got to where he is show he is concerned with “status and face saving” as described by Northouse (p451) as an effective leadership trait. Under Aryan’s leadership the technical office is continuing to provide the support needed for your organization and Aryan has become a leadership example for the rest of the company. =><= [[Back->Technical Ability?]] - [[Home->Cultural Leadership]]

Since taking over the call centre results are no better than they were when being handled by the third-party call centres. Abby’ tendency for micro-managing in a one hundred seat call centre continued in Costa Rica with disastrous results. Her Autonomous Leadership style was not accepted, based on the GLOBE Study it is the least favourable (Northhouse, p447) leadership style in Latin America. Attrition rates have risen, costing more in training and leaving less qualified staff working, creating even worse customer service than the previous third-party centres. Due to the high cost of hiring and training the call centre is almost as expensive as the Local call centre with poorer results. =><= [[Back->Customer Disservice?]] - [[Home->Cultural Leadership]]

Taking over the role was a huge change for Christina, previously she was working between the call centre and the company, now she is running the call centre. Her approach to the new role was to focus on the key goals of the airline and working to instill these goals in the four hundred plus staff she now had to look after. She started each work day with meetings with the leaders of departments sharing the values and purpose of the airline and what customer service should look like. Her charismatic approach towards leadership worked well with the staff of the centre. The GLOBE study lists the leadership profile for Latin America as on that would “place the most importance on charismatic/value-based, team-oriented, and self-protective leadership” (Northouse, p447). Her team based charismatic leadership has led the Costa Rica call centre to become the airlines flagship. =><= [[Back->Customer Disservice?]] - [[Home->Cultural Leadership]]

Lacey’s “Autonomous Leadership” style as described by Northouse (p446), does not work well in the Latin American region according to the GLOBE studies (Northouse, p447). That combined with her “Humane-oriented leadership” style caused problems for her in running the call centre. The differences between the rural centre Lacey used to run and the remote centre in Costa Rica are so significant that Lacy is not sure where to begin. Costs have started to rise in hiring and re-training and the airline is now considering returning to the previous third-party call centre. =><= [[Back->Customer Disservice?]] - [[Home->Cultural Leadership]]

Erin is the obvious choice for this job. Her answer of ‘someone who cares for others’ is the almost perfect answer based on the GLOBE studies for Sub-Saharan Africa. Northouse states “the Sub-Saharan profile characterizes effective leadership as caring leadership” (p450). Under Erin’s caring leadership the organization is doing well in the region and has expanded the operations. =><= [[Back->A drain on profits?]] - [[Home->Cultural Leadership]]

Cynthia has ruled the regional leadership in the area with an iron fist, isolating the organisation from the local leadership and reducing the ability to work in the region. Although the most qualified (on paper) of all of the candidates, Cynthia’s answers tend towards Autonomous leadership. This is the least favourable trait and based on the GLOBE studies and Northouse (P450) “Leaders who act autonomously are seen as ineffective in Sub-Saharan Africa countries”. =><= [[Back->A drain on profits?]] - [[Home->Cultural Leadership]]

Under Amanda’s leadership the organisation has flourished in select areas, however is not meeting the mandate or vision to provide clean water across the region. Amanda has experience in the region as a volunteer with other organisations. Her answers on leadership were not clear, her statement that a good leader knows what needs to be done is very non-explicit, one of the eight leadership attributes considered to be “universally viewed as obstacles to effective leadership” (Northouse, p453) The other alarm set off is that Amanda indicated where the organisation should work and focus its efforts also indicate a tendency towards autonomous behaviour which is seen as an ineffective leadership trait in the region based on the GLOBE studies (Northouse, p450). =><= [[Back->A drain on profits?]] - [[Home->Cultural Leadership]]

Ammon has a great reputation at the school; he shows genuine interest in his students’ lives but shows preference to the boys. He lives a short distance from the school and always knows who to hire when there is a maintenance issue. His loyalty to the school would make him an acceptable candidate if there were no others available because the Middle Eastern cultural cluster, to which he belongs, scores high for in-group collectivism which would help bring back consensus in the school. Unfortunately they score low in future orientation and uncertainty avoidance which will hinder him from actively participating in the planning to increase enrollment in the school. =><= [[Back->Higher Education?]] - [[Home->Cultural Leadership]]

Although Kenton has a great deal of experience working in China he is not the best fit for this school. As an American he is part of the Anglo cultural cluster which scores high in performance orientation but low in in-group collectivism. If the school was trying to increase their exam scores he might be the right person for the job, but in this situation the trustees are trying to regain consensus and the low in-group collectivism will hinder that. =><= [[Back->Higher Education?]] - [[Home->Cultural Leadership]]

Erik has only two years experience in an international school but has additional teaching experience in Sweden. His recommendation letter stated that he was calm, orderly and treated everyone with respect. A member of the Nordic European cultural cluster who score high for future orientation, uncertainty avoidance and institutional collectivism he will look for input from the staff and together help them make decisions for the future good of the school. This will help regain the consensus in the school and plan for the future. The trustees feel that Erik is the best fit for the job and offer him the position of Principal. =><= [[Back->Higher Education?]] - [[Home->Cultural Leadership]]