The Function of Leader Acceptance in Leadership Theories - Essay Example

?Project 512666 Prof. Topic: The GLOBE project concluded that leader acceptance was a function of an interaction between culturally endorsed leadership theories and leader attributes and Behavior.(French p190) Leadership is a process and relates about competence. Some argued that this is genetic and stamped as a genealogic birthright. There were those who assailed that’s methodical and ergo transactional while others contend that leadership is transformative and can initiate revolution for change. Still others thought that in a world filled with conflict-situations, leaders ought to be conflict-managers and community peace-builders. These varying precepts esteem from the fact that the complexity of society provide multifaceted ideation of leadership. In this context, this essay will attempt to critically explicate the theory of Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness (The GLOBE) and its correlation to Human Resource Management in a business or entrepreneurial environment. As a rationale, GLOBE is a research program engaging about 17,000 managers coming from 951 organizations worldwide headed by Robert House (2004) whose findings were written into a series of books “Culture, Leadership, and Organizations.” Their study is an attempt to contribute to the development of experiential “cross-cultural leadership and organizational theory” by delving into the values of the society and organizations as well as some commonly adhered practices that are influencing leaders behavior, practices, effectiveness, and performance (Jacobson and Koch, 2004). They also conducted cross-cultural tests of structural contingency theory to investigate the relations of society, culture and organizational efficacy. Theoretically, House, et. al. (2004: 68) asserted that culture shape and influence leadership. It posits that a leaders plan, actions, decisions and style of management are determined by his cultural make-up. It assailed that “cultural values and practices also affect or impact to organizational culture and practices” (p. 68) and that these customary organizational practices influence broader societal culture. Such practices or customs are translated or integrated into leaders’ behaviors and styles. They concluded that “leader acceptance and effectiveness is a function of the interaction between strategic organizational contingencies (not shown) and leader attributes and behaviors (p. 68).” As such, they believe that the acceptance of the leader in the community, organization or society will prove his level of influence and effectiveness, as part of strategic organizational contingencies, to lead his/her people. They further contend that of six broad leadership dimensions, the most commonly approved leadership are those that practice the values of integrity, charisma, and team-oriented management. Furthermore, central to the theory of GLOBE is the precept that there is cultural influence in the exercise of leader’s power at all levels and the illustration of assertiveness are possibly related toward “intra-country conflict among labor and management” (p. 68) and to the possibility of nations to resort into” aggressive ethnic border conflicts and military actions (p. 68).” Taking a Hegelian analysis, theorist purveyed that assertiveness and humane orientation, such as human rights advocacy and lawfulness, relates to the degree of violent or unacceptable action experienced within cultures. An illustration of this is that the struggle for gender equalization which possibly relates to history of patriarchal abuses and women empowerment through education and participation in labor (Eagly, Karau, & Makhijani,1995). They further assert that leader’s performance and its regard to future outcomes are motivated or influenced by competitiveness and economic development. In managing a business, leaders are mandated by corporate policies to exercise power and control in managing human resources. Managers or directors, as leaders, perform corporate responsibilities in planning, organizing, direction, coordination and control (Fayol, 1916, pp 145-152) but are carefully threading to ensure that these processes will bring the company into competitive advantage in the production and marketing of products (Harris and Ogbonna, 2001). However, beyond policies, business leaders’ relations with employees are likely shaped by leaders’ adapted value system, customary beliefs and practices that are often confluence of one’s cultural consciousness. The manner on how their interactions transpire are still rooted from their cultural foundations. To motivate employees, business leaders undergo deep understanding of his employees’ social background, experiences, physiological needs, dreams, relations and needs. Such require communicative level that is contextualized on business goals and desired outcomes which are sensitive for growth and improvement (Quisenberry, 2006; pp 1-3). Somehow, GLOBE theory is evident in business’ management since it dealt with individual’s behavior and governing precept of what is right, acceptable, morally upright and socially acceptable in managing employees or human resources. GLOBE theory is also manifested in transformational leadership because it is trying to explore the individual and its behavior as transformative leader-- a practice which has profound impact to followers because they transcend self-interests as it is purpose-driven and goal-oriented (Bass,1985). Transformation leadership motivates followers’ performance by increasing employees’ job satisfaction through incentive and reward system but such management is sensitive too of company’s contribution toward social change. Transformative leadership theory (Shields, 2010) in business management may expand follower’s portfolio of needs; transform self-interest; increase confidence of followers; elevate expectations; heighten the value of the leader’s intended outcomes; encourage behavioral change and motivate higher levels of personal achievement (Maslow’s ‘self-actualisation’) (Bass & Avolio, 1994). It is about role modeling which subordinates want to identify and is founded in person’s quest for meaning. It is a theory that is orientated to long goals without disregarding values and principles (Yammarino, 1993). It is focused on strategies, mission and unleashes human potentials. It redesigns job and internal structures to make performance meaningful and to reinforce overarching values and goals based on adhered visions (Price, 2003). As a system, it stimulates leader and followers alike to think outside the box and look at issues in multi-pronged perspectives. Thus, GLOBE theory on leadership, which is contextualized on culture’s influence to a person’s behavior and trait, does not substantially alter the principles of transformative leadership theory since both illustrates desirable leadership behavior: charismatic, team-builder and motivator. GLOBE precepts are centered on the individual person about how culture influences his performance, transformative leadership on the other hand shows positive behavioral attributes for role modeling and to gain leverage in advancing organizational vision, mission and goals. Like GLOBE which claimed to be future-oriented, transformative leadership invest hope on what future could bring, too. Both theories wanted to bring out the best of its followers and confident in setting direction and effecting change. Both theories adhere to the principle that effective leadership requires vision, foresight, motivation, trustworthiness, dynamism, positiveness, and proactiveness. However, cultural adaptation on leadership styles may be based on vision but are communicated differently based on the distinctiveness of culture. REFERENCES Robert J. House, Paul J. Hanges, Mansour Javidan, Peter W. Dorfman, and Vipin Gupta, eds., Culture, Leadership, and Organizations (Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2004). Fayol, Henri (1916) (in French), Administration industrielle et generale; prevoyance, organisation, commandement, coordination, controle, Paris, H. Dunod et E. Pinat. William Quisenberry (2006) Organizational Behavior and Motivation: Psychological and sociological Insights. Helium Psychology. Andover, MA, USA http://www.helium.com/items/82955-organizational-behavior-and-motivation-psychological-and-sociological-insights. Accessed: March 10, 2011. Bass, B. (1985) Leadership and Performance Beyond Expectations. New York: Free Press. Bass, B.M.& Avolio, B.J. (1994) Improving organizational effectiveness through transformational leadership. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Marsha B. Jacobson and Walter Koch (2004). Organizational Behavior and Human Performance Volume 20, Issue 1, October 1977, Pages 149-157 Alice H. Eagly, Steven J. Karau, Mona G. Makhijani (1995). Gender and the Effectiveness of Leaders: A Meta-Analysis, Psychological Bulletin, Volume 117, Issue 1, January 1995, Pages 125-145 Lloyd C. Harris and Emmanuel Ogbonna (2001). Competitive advantage in the UK food retailing sector: past, present and future. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services Volume 8, Issue 3, May 2001, Pages 157-173 C.M. Shields (2010). Leadership: Transformative. International Encyclopedia of Education (Third Edition) May 2010; Pages 26-33 Francis J. Yammarino (1993). Transforming leadership studies: Bernard Bass' leadership and performance beyond expectations Original Research Article The Leadership Quarterly, Volume 4, Issues 3-4, 1993, Pages 379-382 Terry L. Price (2003). The ethics of authentic transformational leadership Original Research Article The Leadership Quarterly, Volume 14, Issue 1, February 2003, Pages 67-81 Read More