The current study investigated how individual level cultural values (horizontal individualism, horizontal collectivism, vertical individualism, vertical collectivism, power distance, masculinity/femininity, uncertainty avoidance, and long/short term orientation) relate to the perceived effectiveness of authentic leadership. To ensure cultural diversity, data was collected from participants via Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk).The participant pool included 184 participants from the United States, India, and 10 other countries around the world. Of these, 68 (37%) participants identified themselves as female and 116 (63%) identified themselves as male. In order to provide a sample that is more representative of a working population, all participants were employed for an average of at least 20 hours a week in a workplace outside of the home. Data was collected using an online survey. Participants completed measures for individual level cultural values (Horizontal and Vertical Individualism and Collectivism Scale, and Individual Cultural Value Scale), the perceived effectiveness of authentic leadership (modified Authentic Leadership Questionnaire), and demographics. Participants were compensated $0.65 on average for completing the survey.The perceived effectiveness of authentic leadership was found to have significant positive correlations with horizontal individualism, horizontal collectivism, and long/short term orientation and a negative correlation with power distance and masculinity. In a final hierarchical regression model, age, power distance, long term orientation, and horizontal individualism were found to significantly predict 34% of the variance in perceived effectiveness of authentic leadership. The results help to provide a better understanding of hierarchy perceptions in the workplace. They suggest that individuals who value self-expression, less status differences between leaders and follower, and internal perseverance are more likely to endorse an authentic leadership style as being effective in the workplace. These results imply that congruence between employee and supervisor values may be an important factor in determining whether or not authentic leadership is perceived as being effective in the workplace. Further, managers and organizations may want to consider hiring individuals with cultural values that best fit their own values and leadership style. In the future researchers could investigate individual level cultural values as moderators between leadership and workplace outcomes, such as job satisfaction.

The main objective of the thesis was to define and analyze key aspects of managerial work in multicultural environment, in one of the Shared Services Center department, of multinational company based in Prague, Czech Republic. Further thesis aimed to define essential competencies of the successful manager and leader driving performance of multicultural department and provides recommendations to improve managerial performance in key aspects of manager s work such as communication, motivation, performance management and cross-cultural leadership. It is argued that presence of intercultural interactions between managers and their subordinates, impacts effectiveness of the managerial performance. Thesis consists of theoretical and practical part. First part of the thesis explores theoretical concepts regarding culture, communication, motivation and leadership with respect to multicultural environment specifics. In the second part, used research methods, conducted research analysis and outcomes are presented. Further in practical part recommendation towards analyzed aspects of managerial work that would lead to higher overall department performance are defined.

This research aimed to explore how heads of departments at LNU manage cultural differences in their teams. The study addressed the main research question and two sub-questions to uncover effective strategies for navigating cultural disparities in team settings. An exploratory design was employed, utilizing qualitative methods such as interviews and content analysis. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a limited number of participants from diverse departments at LNU. Thematic analysis was used to identify key themes and findings. Several significant themes emerged from the analysis. The first theme highlighted the importance of recognizing and addressing cultural differences within teams through open dialogue, communication, building trust, and fostering inclusivity. The second theme emphasized the significance of cultivating cultural intelligence and competency as cross-cultural leaders, including the development of cultural competency and adapting communication styles to accommodate diverse team members. The third theme focused on effective communication, emphasizing the need to overcome language barriers and establish open channels for promoting understanding and inclusivity. The fourth theme highlighted the value of embracing cultural diversity, viewing it as an asset, and leveraging unique perspectives and strengths within teams. The fifth and final theme emphasized the continuous learning and development of cultural competency and cultural intelligence to effectively manage cultural disparities. This study contributes to our understanding of how heads of departments at LNU manage cultural differences in their teams. The findings underscore the importance of recognizing cultural differences, cultivating cultural intelligence, promoting effective communication, embracing cultural diversity, and fostering continuous learning and development. These strategies enhance the capacity of organizations to navigate cultural disparities and foster inclusivity in multicultural environments. The study was conducted within an academic setting, limiting generalizability to other organizations. The research relied on a limited number of interviews due to time constraints and non-responsiveness of some participants, therefore the complexity of the issue may not have been fully captured. This study fills a gap in the literature by exploring the strategies employed by heads of departments to manage cultural differences. It provides practical implications for organizations operating in multicultural environments and enhances our understanding of effective cross-cultural leadership.

Title: Cross-Cultural Comparative Study of Entrepreneurial Leadership Traits Among Brazil and China in Small Businesses Authors: Ana Clara Mueller Meirinho and Li Mengting Level: Master Thesis, 30 hp Keywords: Entrepreneurial leadership, Leader traits, Hofstede’s 6D Model, Small Business, Cross-Cultural leadership, Brazil, China. Background: Entrepreneurship is important among all the countries for the growth and prosperity of nations due to movement of economic activities that they generate. To sustain a business, the character behind it, known as a leader, plays an important role since for guiding a business the entrepreneurs needs to provide a clear vision for the company. Entrepreneurial leaders can have different postures when leading business inside a country. Yet, when comparing between countries, their behaviors can be influenced by many aspects, mainly because of the culture of the nation. However, a study showed that appear to be a convergence of entrepreneurial leadership among the BRICS countries. Also, there have been a lack of studies of entrepreneurial leadership in emergent economies like the BRICS countries, and for that reason, Brazil and China were selected to be the main focus of this study. Furthermore, studies also lack measurements of entrepreneurial leadership traits and behaviors. Research Question: What are the predominant traits of entrepreneurial leaders of small business and which cultural aspect impact on the behaviour of leaders among Brazil and China? Sub research question: What are the similarities and differences on the way that leadership is conducted by entrepreneurs of small businesses among Brazil and China? Purpose: The purpose of this study is, therefore, to describe, explore and instigate predominant traits of leaders as entrepreneurs in small businesses that can lead to distinct behaviour, through investigations in Brazil and China. In addition, this study also verifies similarities and differences of leaders behaviour that can differ from one culture to another, due to cultural impact. This way, the authors developed a framework, to better visualize entrepreneurial leadership traits comparison between Brazil and China, giving the readers a better understanding of preferred traits in both countries, directing them to take right actions considering the cultural values. Method: A mixed method approach was used in this research. Qualitative semi-structured exploratory interviews with abductive approach were conducted with leaders who are entrepreneurs of small businesses in South Brazil and Urban China, which focuses on entrepreneurial leadership traits. Also, quantitative surveys were collected, aiming to measure cultural value and predominant traits of leaders, complementing the qualitative interview. Theoretical Framework: Articles used for this study were meticulously selected, focusing on reliable sources and quality content; also, it was given preferences to new data from well- known journals. This section covers subjects that are interesting and fit to the thematic, such as regarding of Entrepreneurial Leadership and Traits, Hofstede 6D Model, Importance of Micro and Small Businesses to Society, and economic and political facts about Brazil and China, alike as definitions and data of micro and small business characteristics in each nation, and the nations own beliefs. Particular information from the countries was brought from organizations and governmental related websites. Discussion and Conclusion: Based on the results of respondent’s surveys and the interpretation of interviews with entrepreneurs among south Brazil and China. The results are structured and analyzed in the same sequence as the surveys and interviews are designed using Hofstede 6D model, discussing first south Brazil and urban China and then a general overview about similarities and differences of both countries for each section. The study revealed that the preferred entrepreneurial leadership traits are divergence between two countries, while there appear to be a convergence of entrepreneurial leadership style that encompass more democratic, flexible, opportunity oriented yet still remaining the traits of paternalistic and authoritative leadership including directing, participative, consideration of subordinates in small businesses among both countries. Furthermore, the author presented an overview of similarities and different entrepreneurial leadership traits among two countries by categorized based on distal attributes, including personality, cognitive ability and motives values, as well as proximal attributes, including social appraisal skills, problem solving skills and expertise/tacit knowledge are shown in the end.

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Contemporary business leaders require suitable leadership strategies, skills, capabilities, and competencies to lead individuals with culturally diverse backgrounds effectively. Local retail business executives have experienced complex leadership challenges leading international and intercultural teams when expanding business operations into global markets. The objective of this multiple case study was to explore leadership strategies local retail business leaders used to lead a global workforce. The target population included 3 local retail business leaders from Minnesota who had 6 to 8 years of global leadership experience. The composite conceptual framework that grounded this study was leadership and transformational leadership. Data were collected from semistructured, face-to-face interviews and organizational documents. Member checking was used to ensure trustworthiness of findings. The data analysis followed Yin’s 5-phase process: compiling, disassembling, reassembling, interpreting, and concluding. Three themes emerged from the data analysis: cross-cultural awareness, cross-cultural challenges and competence, and cross-cultural leadership strategies. The findings from the study might contribute to positive social change by encouraging business leaders to explore business opportunities locally and globally, resulting in an understanding of cross-cultural differences, enhanced quality of cross-cultural work environments, increased job creation, and improved living standards for communities’ citizens.

Syfte: Syftet med denna studie är att belysa hur svenska ledare bemöter kulturella skillnader i Kina samt på vilket sätt de anpassar sig till en kinesisk arbetsplats. Vidare syftar studien till att identifiera eventuella utmaningar som kan uppkomma för svenska ledare på en kinesisk arbetsplats.    Metod: Forskningen tillämpar en kvalitativ metod som utgår ifrån en deduktiv forskingsanstas. Studien använder sig av en komparativ forskningsdesign och implementerar semistrukturerade intervjuer för att utforska kulturella skillnader som svenska ledare upplever i Kina.   Empiri och analys: I det empiriska avsnittet sammanförs en sammanfattning av de insamlade intervjusvaren som är indelade i tre huvudteman (kultur, ledarskap och kommunikation). Senare analyseras det empiriska materialet utifrån den teoretiska referensramen.   Slutsatser: Slutsatserna som kan dras utifrån analysen av det empiriska materialet är att svenska ledare upplever olika typer av problem i form av ledarskap, kommunikation och kulturella koder. För att kunna handskas med dessa kulturella skillnader anpassar sig svenska ledare till den kinesiska företagskulturen. Dessutom anpassar svenska ledare en del av sitt egna ledarskap på arbetsplatsen, i samband med att kinesiska medarbetare anpassar sig till det svenska ledarskapet. Det uppstår alltså en ömsesidig anpassning. / Purpose: The purpose of this study is to highlight how Swedish leaders encounter cultural differences in China and how they adapt to the Chinese workplace. Moreover, the study aims to identify any challenges that may arise for a Swedish leader in a Chinese workplace.   Method: The research implements a qualitative method, based on a deductive research approach. The study uses a comparative research design and implements semi-structured interviews in order to study the cultural differences experienced by a Swedish leader in China.   Empirical findings and Analysis: The empirical part presents a summary of the collected interview data separated into three main themes (culture, leadership and communication). Thereafter, the empirical material is analyzed using the theoretical reference frame.   Conclusions: The conclusions that can be drawn from the analysis of the empirical material is that Swedish leaders experience different forms of complications regarding leadership, communication and cultural indications. To be able to deal with these cultural differences, Swedish leaders adapt to the Chinese corporate culture. In addition, Swedish leaders adopt a part of their own leadership in the workplace, in order for Chinese employees to adapt to the Swedish leadership. Therefore, a mutual adjustment from both sides appears.

What constitutes the best leadership is a topic of much debate, with differing opinions on various types of leadership styles and success factors among leaders and countries. Over time, we have observed both informal and formal leaders who have taken on the role of leading a group of people through both difficult and easy situations, which has led to attempts to understand what truly is the best leadership and what characteristics such a person possesses. Leading a group of employees can look different depending on the country one works in, given the different cultures that characterize each country. But what does leadership look like within a group that exists in two different countries? How does leadership appear within an organization that operates in a cross-cultural environment? To be able to motivate your employees, it is required that you as a leader have the same goals within your own role, that you pay attention to the individual in order to then develop the group you are responsible for in the best possible way. This study provides an insight into how to work with different leadership models and by using the identified key factors that are fundamental to being the best leader in the workplace, to be able to develop oneself and help others to develop to achieve a good working environment where everyone thrives, finds engagement, trust, understanding, and where communication functions well. The study also demonstrates an understanding of the cultures that exist within organizations, which allows for connecting them and extracting the most important aspects from each culture. This leads to the inclusion of all individuals and the development of autonomy. The study's results partly support what previous research has claimed about leadership. It is possible to see that many of the characteristics between the countries are found both in theory and in the results, such as communication styles, organizational structure, and decision-making. Seven key factors have been identified for each country that are required for successful leadership, where the majority of these are directly related to developmental leadership, which are role models, personal care, inspiration and motivation, demands and rewards, and control. In addition to these, balance, transparency, and competence are identified, which are not directly related to developmental leadership, with the latter two being unique to each country. The study also suggests that there are challenges to leading an organization within a cross-cultural environment, but there is feasibility and the possibility to adapt one's leadership to the prevailing situation by taking into account what is required from the leader. The results can be valuable for companies and organizations striving to improve their leadership and create a positive work environment for their employees as well as for companies operating within different cultures. / Vilket som är det bästa ledarskapet finns det många olika åsikter om, där synen på olika typer av ledarskapsstilar och framgångsfaktorer skiljer sig mellan ledare och länder. Genom tiden har vi kunnat följa både informella och formella ledare som tagit sig an rollen att leda en grupp människor genom både svåra och lätta situationer, vilket har lett till att försöka förstå sig på vad som egentligen är det bästa ledarskapet, och vilka egenskaper en sådan person innehar. Att leda en grupp medarbetare kan se olika ut beroende på vilket land man arbetar inom, givet de olika kulturerna som präglar länderna var för sig. Men hur ser det egentligen ut med ledarskapet som verkar i en grupp som finns i två olika länder? Hur ser ledarskapet ut inom en organisation som arbetar inom en tvärkulturell miljö? För att kunna motivera sina medarbetare krävs det att du som ledare själv har samma mål inom din egen roll, att du ser till individen för att sedan kunna utveckla den grupp du ansvarar över på bästa möjliga sätt. Genom denna studie ges en inblick i hur man kan arbeta med de olika ledarskapsmodellerna och genom att ta hjälp av de identifierade nyckelfaktorerna som ligger till grund för att vara den bästa ledaren på arbetsplatsen, för att kunna utveckla sig själv och hjälpa andra att utvecklas till att nå en bra arbetsmiljö där alla trivs, finner engagemang, tillit, förståelse och där kommunikationen fungerar på ett bra sätt. Studien visar också på förståelsen av de kulturer som existerar inom organisationer, vilket möjliggör att koppla samman dem och dra ut det viktigaste från varje kultur. Detta leder till att alla individer kan involveras och att autonomi kan utvecklas.  Studiens resultat visar delvis på vad tidigare forskning har påstått om ledarskap. Det går att se att många av karaktärsdragen mellan länderna återfinns både i teorin och resultatet, exempelvis kommunikationsstilar, organisationsstruktur och beslutsfattande. Det har identifierats 7 nyckelfaktorer för respektive land som krävs för ett framgångsrikt ledarskap där majoriteten av dessa är direkt relaterade till det utvecklande ledarskapet, vilka är föredöme, personlig omtanke, inspiration och motivation, +krav och belöning och +kontroll. Utöver dessa identifieras balans, transparens och kompetens som inte är direkt relaterade till det utvecklande ledarskapet där de två sistnämnda är unika för respektive land. Studien menar även att det finns hinder att leda en organisation inom en tvärkulturell miljö, men där det finns överkomlighet och möjlighet till att kunna anpassa sitt ledarskap till rådande situation genom att ta till beaktning vad det är som krävs utifrån ledaren. Resultaten kan vara värdefulla för företag och organisationer som strävar efter att förbättra sitt ledarskap och skapa en positiv arbetsmiljö för sina anställda samt för företag som verkar inom olika kulturer.

Text in German, summaries in German and English / In dieser Forschungsarbeit wird die dienende und interkulturelle Leiterschaft aus schriftlichen Quellen ausgearbeitet, um zu überprüfen, ob die dienende Leiterschaft in einem interkulturellen Kontext, in dem Leiterschaft stattfindet, anwendbar ist. Aus dieser erarbeiteten Lage und dem Versuch ihrer Implementierung wird dann auf mögliche Spannungen hingewiesen, die in der Anwendung der dienenden Leiterschaft im interkulturellen Kontext vorkommen können. In einer Fallstudie wird die Geschichte der MBG Volendam unter dem Aspekt „Leiterschaft und interkulturelle missionarische Arbeit“ dargestellt. In dieser Fallstudie wird weiter aufgezeigt, wie dienende Leiterschaft in der Gemeinde und ihrer missionarischen Tätigkeit implementiert wurde. Diese Umsetzung der dienenden Leiterschaft in Gemeinde- und interkulturellen Kontext wird dann anhand ausgewählter Interviews überprüft. Anhand dieser Darstellung aus Literatur und der Fallstudie und ihrer Auswertung werden umsetzbare Richtlinien für die Anwendung der dienenden Leiterschaft im interkulturellen Kontext aufgeführt. Diese Forschungsarbeit will einen Beitrag zur Einsetzung der dienenden Leiterschaft im interkulturellen Kontext leisten. Gleichzeitig zeigt sie auf, wie dieses im christlichen Gemeindekontext und in ihrer interkulturellen Mission funktioniert hat. / This research defines a servant and intercultural leadership. Written materials has been gathered, studied and compared, so that they prove their mutual compatibility. From this developed position and their comparison, some possible tensions have been appointed that occur in a cross-cultural context which may be implicated in a servant and intercultural leadership. In the case study, the history of the MBG Volendam is displayed under the aspects of leadership and cross-cultural missionary work. This case study shows how the servant leadership was implemented in a church and its missionary activity. Finally, this implementation of a servant leadership in church and in an intercultural context was evaluated. Based on this research in literature, the case study and its evaluation, some guidelines have been listed for the application of a servant leadership in an intercultural context. This research aims to contribute to establish a servant leadership in an intercultural context. At the same time it shows how this has worked in the context of a Christian community and their intercultural mission. / Practical Theology / M. Th. (Theological ethics (Christian leadership))