Managing International Distribution Channel Partners: A Cross-Cultural Approach

Although the topic of conflict has been extensively studied in the distribution channels literature from a domestic perspective, there is relatively little published research examining the construct within the international distribution channels context. This is of particular concern because cross-national channel partnerships are on the rise, and divergent cultures may engender heightened conflict, which has a deleterious effect on channel performance. This article explores the extent to which different channel leadership styles, predicated on Hofstede's dimensions of national culture, can be effective strategies to manage conflict in international distribution channels. Specifically, the article examines whether the relationship between leadership style and conflict in international distribution channels is moderated by national culture. Additionally, the impact of manifest conflict on international channel partner performance is investigated. A conceptual model and research propositions are developed. The use of leadership styles to manage disagreements among international channel partners is argued to be culturally specific. International channel management implications and directions for future research are suggested.     

A cross‐cultural comparison of achievement and power orientation as leadership dimensions in three European countries: Britain, Ireland and Turkey

This paper compares attitudes towards achievement and power orientation as between Turkish, British and Irish managers and discusses the issue from a business ethics point of view. The concept of achievement and power orientation and its impacts on business ethics is discussed. This research is part of a larger cross‐cultural study that examines leadership styles and managerial attitudes in Britain, Turkey and Ireland. Intensive structured interviews were conducted for data gathering process. Results revealed that Irish and Turkish managers show a higher achievement orientation level than their British counterparts. On one hand this situation may give some advantages to Turkish and Irish managers in developing leadership qualities, on the other hand, it can also lead to some difficulties in ethical business practices. Therefore, corporate social responsibility becomes a more important issue to be pursued in Turkey and Ireland. British and Irish managers, however, showed a higher power orientation level than Turkish managers. The low level of power orientation of Turkish managers can be explained by cultural and historical conditions that still affect modern Turkish society. Previous cross‐cultural studies support the results of this paper.     

What Ethical Leadership Means to Me: Asian,American, and European Perspectives

Despite the increasingly multinational nature of the workplace, there have been few studies of the convergence and divergence in beliefs about ethics-based leadership across cultures. This study examines the meaning of ethical and unethical leadership held by managers in six societies with the goal of identifying areas of convergence and divergence across cultures. More specifically, qualitative research methods were used to identify the attributes and behaviors that managers from the People’s Republic of China (the PRC), Hong Kong, the Republic of China (Taiwan), the United States (the U.S.), Ireland, and Germany attribute to ethical and unethical leaders. Across societies, six ethical leadership themes and six unethical leadership themes emerged from a thematic analysis of the open-ended responses. Dominant themes for ethical and unethical leadership for each society are identified and examined within the context of the core cultural values and practices of that society. Implications for theory, research, and management practice are discussed.     

Leadership styles and corporate social responsibility management: Analysis from a gender perspective

Companies' perceptions of corporate social responsibility (CSR) have been only partially analyzed from an individual perspective that focuses on personal characteristics and professional backgrounds. However, a gap exists in the research on manager leadership styles and CSR perceptions from a gender perspective. Therefore, this article analyzes differences in attitudes toward various dimensions of CSR by focusing on the leadership styles—transformational, dominance, and dual perspectives—of male and female managers in Spain. A total of 391 respondents in top management positions in Spain were surveyed. The findings revealed similarities and differences between genders with respect to leadership styles and CSR perceptions by dimension using a univariate analysis. A causal model that employed structural equation modeling was also estimated. The findings suggest that for transformational and dual leadership styles, Spanish women may be more adaptable and effective at pursuing company sustainability than Spanish men. However, dominance leadership was found to be the worst leadership style for deploying a CSR strategy. A number of conclusions for business management can be drawn, and some directions for future research are provided.     

Linking Linear/Nonlinear Thinking Style Balance and Managerial Ethical Decision-Making

This study presents the results of an empirical analysis of the relationship between managerial thinking style and ethical decision-making. Data from 200 managers across multiple organizations and industries demonstrated that managers predominantly adopt a utilitarian perspective when forming ethical intent across a series of business ethics vignettes. Consistent with expectations, managers utilizing a balanced linear/nonlinear thinking style demonstrated a greater overall willingness to provide ethical decisions across ethics vignettes compared to managers with a predominantly linear thinking style. However, results comparing the ethical decision-making of balanced thinking managers and nonlinear thinking managers were generally inconsistent across the ethics vignettes. Unexpectedly, managers utilizing a balanced linear/nonlinear thinking style were least likely to adopt an act utilitarian rationale for ethical decision-making across the vignettes, suggesting that balanced thinkers may be more likely to produce ethical decisions by considering a wider range of alternatives and ruling out those that are justified solely on the basis of their outcomes. Implications are discussed for future research and practice related to management education and development, and ethical decision-making theory. Kevin S. Groves is an Assistant Professor of Management and Director of the PepsiCo Leadership Center at California State University, Los Angles. His research interests include managerial thinking styles, ethical decision-making, executive leadership development and succession planning systems, charismatic leadership, and leader emotional intelligence. He teaches undergraduate, MBA, and doctoral-level classes across a range of management and leadership subjects, including management competency development, organizational behavior, business ethics, and organization development and change. Dr. Groves’ recent research has been published in such journals as the Journal of Management, Human Resource Development Quarterly, Journal of Management Development, Leadership and Organization Development Journal, Journal of Management Education, and the Academy of Management Learning & Education. He received a Ph.D. in Organizational Behaviour from Claremont Graduate University. Charles Vance teaches in the area of human resource management at Loyola Marymount University. He recently completed Senior Specialist and regular Fulbright appointments in Austria and China respectively. He is the author with Yongsun Paik of the new text, Managing a Global Workforce, (M.E. Sharpe, 2006). His nonlinear penchant is expressed quarterly in cartoons and other attempts at humor in the ending “Out of Whack” section of the Journal of Management Inquiry. Dr. Yongsun Paik is a professor of international business and management in the College of Business Administration, Loyola Marmount University. He holds a Ph. D. degree in International Business from University Washington. His primary research interests focus on international human resource management, global strategic alliances, and Asia Pacific business studies. He has recently published articles in such journals as Journal of World Business, Management International Review, Journal of International Managemtn, Business Horizons, International Journal of Human Resource Management, Journal of Management Inquiry, Human Resource Management Journal, among others.     

Differences in Marketing Managers' Decision Making Styles Within the Asia-Pacific Region

Abstract

Marketing managers around the world are being asked to work with foreign counterparts as never before, but with limited success. This requires integration of decision making styles. The purpose of this study is to apply a management style of decision making measurement technique to selected countries of the Asia-Pacific region to determine the extent of differences in decision-making style among marketing managers.

This study surveys marketing managers within Australia, Hong Kong, The Philippines, Vietnam, New Zealand, and China. Within each country different sampling processes and modes of data collection were used by locally-based associates of the researchers, as appropriate for the country.

The study results indicate that substantive differences do exist between marketing managers from different cultural/national backgrounds within the Asia-Pacific region and these managers differ in their decision-making styles from managers in other parts of the world. doi:10.1300/J042v21n01_06     

Impact of Personality on Sales Manager Leadership Style

ABSTRACT

Much research in sales management has examined the impact sales manager leadership styles have on salesperson work outcomes. What has not been investigated is what factors may lead an individual to adopt one leadership approach over an alternate. Theorists in organizational behavior posit that personality characteristics may be predictive of the leadership style an individual employs. This paper reports the results of a study that explored whether two key personality variables-extraversion and neuroticism-are related to three prominent leadership styles-laissez-faire, transaction-al, and charismatic. The findings support the overriding hypothesis that the two personality variables are strongly related to and account for a substantial portion of the variance in the three leadership styles. Implications for sales management practice and research are provided.     

Training corporate managers to adopt a more autonomy‐supportive motivating style toward employees: an intervention study

Management style is treated in a variety of ways across the training and development literature. Yet few studies have tested the training‐based malleability of management style in a for‐profit, authentic work context. The present research tested whether or not training intervention would help managers adopt a more autonomy‐supportive motivating style toward employees and whether or not the employees of these managers would, in turn, show greater autonomous motivation and workplace engagement. Using an intervention‐based experimental design, 25 managers from a Fortune 500 company received training consistent with self‐determination theory on how to support the autonomy of the 169 employees they supervised. Five weeks after the managers in the experimental group participated in the training, they displayed a significantly more autonomy‐supportive managerial style than did nontrained managers in a control group. Further, the employees they supervised showed, 5 weeks later, significantly more autonomous motivation and greater workplace engagement than did employees supervised by control‐group managers. We discuss the malleability of managers' motivating styles, the benefits to employees when managers become more autonomy supportive, and recommendations for future training interventions and research.     

Humanistic leadership: Lessons from Latin America

We review the psychological, sociological and historical explanations underlying leadership styles in Latin America. A fundamentally paternalistic style relies on social bonds based on reciprocity and stresses workers’ expectations. Transformations in leadership styles in Latin America require consideration of alternative theoretical approaches such as stakeholder management and cultural hybridism, beyond cross-cultural frameworks. Viewing employees as key stakeholders implies a legitimate concern for workers beyond the employment relationship. From a hybridism perspective, diversity is a critical concept that applies to organizational ownership arrangements, management practices, cultural backgrounds, and socio economic contextual changes surrounding leadership styles.     

A Hierarchical Model of Values,Leadership, Job Satisfaction and Commitment

Abstract

Using a structural equation modeling technique, we empirically tested a hypothetical hierarchical model where personal values leadership styles job satisfaction organizational commitment. Survey data (N = 205) were collected from retail managers of national retail chain store companies. Our exploratory study found that personal values influenced retail managers' leadership styles, which in turn influenced their intrinsic and extrinsic job satisfaction. Job satisfaction ultimately influenced organizational commitment. Theoretical and managerial implications for human resources management are discussed.     

How classical and entrepreneurial brand management increases the performance of internationalising SMEs?

Research is limited on how accumulated international experience and decision-making style propel internationalising SMEs toward brand orientation. Our study builds a model of the process on classical and entrepreneurial brand management principles plus the firm's applied experience and decision-making logics. An online survey of 235 internationalising SMEs found that adopted decision-making logic mediated the relationship between cumulative international experience and international brand orientation. We conclude that managers and planners must select the most appropriate approach to international brand management permitted by available international firm-specific experience if they are to achieve strong international brand orientation and superior financial performance.     

Champions of product innovations: defining,developing, and validating a measure of champion behavior

This research defined, developed, and validated a measure of champion behavior by collecting data from different samples in multiple stages. Using the act frequency method, a comprehensive set of 102 items reflective of champion behavior was developed based on a survey of middle managers and executives. Next, a different managerial sample rated the extent to which each of the 102 items was representative of champion behavior, and 29 were deemed to represent the core of the domain of championship. Finally, to evaluate the psychometric properties of the champion behavior measure, 47 product innovations in 13 firms were studied. Forty-seven nominated champions completed personality measures, 47 top division managers rated project performance, and 216 innovation team members rated champion behavior and leadership style. Results from principal components and confirmatory factor analyses yielded a 14-item champion behavior measure composed of three factors: expressing enthusiasm and confidence about the success of the innovation, persisting under adversity, and getting the right people involved. This measure showed acceptable reliability as well as convergent and discriminant validity. Preliminary evidence of criterion-related validity indicated that the champion behavior measure was also positively related to project performance. Together these analyses provided support for the construct validity of the champion behavior measure.     

Project management practices: Then and now

This article uses the results of a survey of 56 American construction project managers to identify some risks and improvement opportunities pertaining to the practice of effective project management. In the process, the most and least important project management variables are identified and ranked. Next, the extent of knowledge, extent of use, and extent of relevance to project success are examined for project managers with and without international project management experience. Results of these analyses suggest improvement opportunity for business and higher learning in terms of training and educating future project managers. Based on the results of this study, it is concluded that both higher learning and business must approach the art and practice of project management from a global open system perspective. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

基于R/S分析的股市风格分形特征研究

运用多重分形R/S分析法研究我国股票市场的风格分形结构特征,通过计算中信标普公司推出的6种纯风格资产指数在不同时间标度下的收益率序列Hurst指数与平均循环周期,发现我国股票市场风格存在统计自相似性、标度不变性、长记忆性,不同风格资产指数收益序列具有不同的平均循环周期等分形特征,这为基金公司、基金经理及时地把握股市风格的轮换规律,构建适度风格漂移策略以获取短期超额收益提供了决策参考与理论支持。     

Leadership Styles and CSR Practice: An Examination of Sensemaking,Institutional Drivers and CSR Leadership

This article examines the explicit and implicit corporate social responsibility (CSR) framework and its implications for leadership style, in a major banking institution. Evidence for existence of the framework’s key concepts in relation to leadership styles was explored through the self-reported sensemaking of leaders charged with CSR programme introduction. Qualitative data analysis indicated that explicit CSR is linked to an autocratic leadership style, whereas implicit CSR is more closely aligned with emergent and authentic styles. Although our results reinforced key aspects of the explicit and implicit CSR framework, they demonstrated conflicting systems of both CSR and leadership within our case organisation and highlighted the difficulty in categorising such a complex concept as CSR according to specific frameworks. Overall, our data suggest that the leadership styles, needed to successfully implement explicit and implicit CSR programmes, are in conflict. Given our finding that these CSR systems can coincide within one organisation, we suggest that the debating style of transformational leadership may be the required linchpin.     

Management styles across Western European cultures

Management styles differ greatly across Europe although Europeans themselves may not always be aware of it. European executives usually deal with the countries closest to them and more distant countries are not as well known to them, whether linguistically, culturally, or geographically. As Europe 1993 makes executive transfers and recruitment easier than before across the European Community, it seems important to make managers aware of the variety of management styles across Western European countries. European managers frequently know more about American management and even Japanese management than they do about other European management styles. Their lack of understanding about European management styles may inhibit the emergence of a unified European management style in the future. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Comparative study of cognitive styles in Egypt,Greece, Hong Kong and the UK

Cognitive style has been described as consistent individual differences in the organising and processing of information. It is has been argued that it is an important factor in managerial learning and cognition. A number of authors have suggested that groups from different national cultures are likely to exhibit style differences and that this has important implications for management training and development. In the present study, which employed closely matched samples of business and management undergraduates from Egypt, Greece and the UK, there were no statistically significant differences in style. However, in post‐graduate samples from Egypt, Hong Kong and the UK that were less closely matched, statistically significant differences were observed. Comparison of these data with those from other studies suggests that amongst under‐graduates from a variety of national cultures there do not appear to be significant differences in style. Among post‐graduates and managers the picture that emerges was more equivocal and the extent to which any observed differences are artefacts of sampling and method remains unclear. The implications of the findings for style theory and management education, training and development are discussed.     

Strategic leadership across cultures: Current findings and future research directions

Research on strategic leadership has proliferated for a long time. However, very little work has been conducted to investigate this issue from a cross-cultural perspective. To fill this gap, we first review recent findings on strategic leadership in different cultural backgrounds. Then, based on the upper echelons theory, we summarize what researchers have found regarding the effects of personal characteristics of strategic leaders on firm performance in terms of observed personal experience, personality, values, cognitive style, and leadership behaviors. Furthermore, we generate some future research directions focusing on concepts, theories, and also methodological issues of strategic leadership across cultures. We consider how research across different cultures will enrich our understanding of strategic leadership and unfold the “black box” of why and how strategic leaders have positive effects on firm level performance. Finally, practical implications for managers are considered.     

Knowledge-oriented leadership and open innovation: Role of knowledge management capability in France-based multinationals

This paper discusses the links between knowledge-oriented leadership, open innovation and knowledge management in the international business context. Open innovation has become crucial for an increasing number of multinational enterprises (MNEs) to gain and maintain competitive advantage and become a market leader. Despite the recent proliferation of papers dealing with open innovation practices of MNEs, there is limited work investigating the role of knowledge management (KM) capability on the relationship between knowledge-oriented leadership and open innovation. Given MNEs’ growing interest in open innovation, the lack of research on knowledge-oriented leadership and KM capability in the open innovation context is a significant research gap in our knowledge. In response, we conducted a study on the mediating role of KM capability in the linkage between knowledge-oriented leadership and open innovation (inbound and outbound), using data collected from 172 subsidiaries of MNEs based in France. A structural equation modelling approach is employed to study the impact of the latent variables associated with knowledge-oriented leadership and KM capability on open innovation. The results indicate that higher levels of knowledge-oriented leadership can lead to enhanced KM capability and improved open innovation outcomes. That is, knowledge-oriented leadership has a direct, positive impact on KM capability and open innovation. Also, KM capability is found to mediate the linkage between knowledge-oriented leadership and open innovation. This study provides useful insights for managers who wish to enhance open innovation activities in MNEs, and offers useful guidance to international business scholars, encouraging further research in this area.