Cross-cultural comparison of cultural mythologies and leadership patterns

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore leadership styles and patterns in India, Indonesia, Pakistan, and the USA in order to contribute to a greater understanding of global leadership. Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses cultural mythologies as a lens (Kessler and Wong-MingJi, 2009a) to extract the most favored leadership traits within selected countries. In doing so, the paper explores historical trajectories and core values of each country to identify their distinctive characteristics. Additionally, leadership styles of well-known business leaders in each culture are examined to develop a comparative discussion of global leadership patterns and styles. Findings – The paper finds that leaders may share same characteristics across countries, however, their behavioral expressions tend to unfold differently within each context. The paper argues that without context, meanings embedded in cultural mythologies and behaviors often become lost. The paper concludes that a comparative analysis of selected countries reveals a more complex and rich array of cultural meanings, thus offering support to a contextual view of leadership. Research limitations/implications – Examination of cultural mythologies on leadership makes important theoretical contributions by illustrating that cultural mythologies indeed shape the values, behaviors, and attitudes of global leaders, and provide three important functions that are identified as: cultural bridging, meaning making, and contextual nuancing. Practical implications – Understanding comparative leadership patterns is critical in international business. The paper offers cultural mythologies as a tool for leaders who seek to cross-cultural boundaries in developing long term and high-quality productive international business relationships. Originality/value – The value of the study lies in developing a comparative analysis of leadership patterns in three Southeast Asian countries and the USA with the help of cultural mythologies. The paper urges that scholars to move beyond quantification of cultural dimensions to a more contextualized understanding of leadership.

Modeling teachers’ quality of work life: a partial least square approach

“…Apart from other dimensions, the collectivism closely resembles the Pakistan society. People try to meet and greet, and share information by developing networks that help them to generate social support to perform work and non-work activities (Wong-MingJi et al, 2014). The stronger the social support available, the better are the Modeling teachers' quality of work life performance results that may be reaped (Hussain et al, 2017).…”

The Workforce in Indonesian Organizations: An Analysis Based Upon the Cultural Dimensions of Hofstede’s Model

“…This score shows that seniority and status or rank play a role in society or a community. Orientation hierarchy in Indonesia tends to status, power, and age (Wong-Mingji et al, 2014). Older people are usually more respected and valued in their environment (Mangundjaya, 2013).…”

“…They believe that they live in a world not alone and will always need the help of others, so they maintain mutual relations with their relatives (Mangundjaya, 2013). These collectivist values will ultimately work relations between leaders and family-oriented employees (Wong-Mingji et al, 2014). For example, when an employee has a family who dies on a workday it is incumbent on the employee to attend the funeral service.…”

Dimensions of the Javanese culture and the role of Parents in instilling values in creative industry entrepreneurship

“…The philosophy of Javanese culture that is full of moral values are taught between generations heritage value and is a mystery whether they are the ideal inspiration for the next generation of family business owners or not. It plays an important role in shaping the way people see the world, influences the direction to moral conduct, as well as impacts the behavior in maintaining social order and business (7). Entrepreneurial learning will happen intentionally or unintentionally, where people are naturally inclined to imitate, explore, take and internalize the social role, knowledge, skill and practice that end up in the planting of the cultural values in it.…”

“…On the cultural linkages and entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship is a major driver in developing the economy although a developing economy's culture may be an inhibitor (6). The history of research that analyses the relationship between cultures with different concepts, in addition to entrepreneurship in different countries and crosscountry comparisons have been conducted (4,7). Research on Javanese cultural transformation in the family business focusing on the next generation is very noteworthy to be analyzed.…”