Are leadership styles culturally linked?
The leadership styles are culturally linked. According to Jogulu (2010), the relationship between leadership and culture determines how leaders are viewed and welcomed in different cultural settings. The Asian collectivist cultures developed more ideas and worked more efficiently with a transformational leader than Caucasians. This shows that they are a linkage between culture and leadership since transformational leadership is more appreciated in the collectivist culture because the subordinates are likely to identify and be considered as part of the organizational structure of the transformational leadership of sharing common objectives and vision at the workplace (Jogulu 2010). Different cultures perceive leadership differently, based on reliance and generalization based on inadequate information, which creates important issues between leadership and culture. From a managerial standpoint, different leadership philosophies present complicated problems for organizations, particularly when they expand their activities globally (Jogulu, 2010). These corporations may frequently have to deal with varying cultural values, conventions, and behaviours under circumstances very dissimilar from those of the host nation. Hence, the relationship between culture and leadership is always linked.
Leaders must be prepared to lead in environments that are fast changing, have a diverse range of cultures and values, and have a difficult workforce (Çuhadar, 2022). Successful leaders must also be able to communicate with people from different cultures and in various languages. Based on the research done in Japanese and Singapore schools, they explain how the availability of transformational leadership is related to leadership effectiveness in collectivist cultures (Jogulu, 2010). The concepts are linked based on the challenges of the generalizability of leadership and culture. This generalization of leadership styles across cultures can be challenging since the differences in culture and individual differences significantly affect the perception of leadership in different countries. From the management perspective, different leadership philosophies present complicated problems for organizations, particularly when they expand their activities globally. These corporations may frequently have to deal with varying cultural values, conventions, and behaviours under circumstances very dissimilar from those of the host nation. The cultural-specific forces are emphasized arises the influence of examining the effects of culture-specific forces on different leadership styles. Therefore, the culture-specific details imply that the cultural forces are the determiner of the effective adoption of varying leadership styles (Jogulu, 2010). The connection between leadership styles and culture is determined by highlighting the shortage of research on cultural influences. In addition, it is determined by the existence of various leadership styles across nations, the difficulties associated with generalizing leadership styles, and the significance of researching leadership in different cultural situations. It emphasizes that cultural context significantly influences leadership styles and that these influences are not generally applicable.
Why is culture “the software of the mind?
Culture is considered the software of the mind since it is the programming of the reason that collectively distinguishes the member of a certain group from another (Hofstede et al., 2014). Culture is the civilization of the mind in most Western countries. Culture as the software of the mind corresponds to the wide use of different words used in sociology and anthropology (Hofstede et al., 2014). It is a common phenomenon among those who have experienced or have lived in the same social setting as the sensation was acquired, at least in part. Like most of the organization’s challenges, culture has a structural and human perspective. People of different cultures respond based on their mental software. Culture represents the universal identity in the software of the mind. It is a hereditary practice that determines how one associates with others.
Cultural values are implicit. They are categorized under the invisible software of the minds of humans. It may be difficult to discuss our matters due to the fear of questioning our motivation, feelings and taboos (Hofstede et al., 2014). While another culture is like the water we swim in, our own culture is like the air we inhale, and it takes specialized talents to survive in both. Relationships between cultures centre on that. Each nation must battle through reforms unique to it and tailored to the mental models of its population. This is because the economic systems are not immune from cultural influences, globalization by multinational firms, and supranational organizations like the World Bank encountering fierce local resistance. For over 50 years, organization sociologists have emphasized the importance of the soft element in organizations. It is practical to popularize these sociological ideas by referring to the shared mental software of the individuals within an organization as culture. The chance of the state playing a dominant role in the economy increases with the level of individualism in people’s mental software (Hofstede et al., 2014). Our minds’ software is shaped by culture. To communicate, we require a common piece of software. The things we share with others around us make up our culture. These regulations outline the general framework of the social environment rather than any specifics.
References
Çuhadar, S. (2022). Link Between National Culture And Leadership Styles Of Managers In Organizations. Network Intelligence Studies, (20), 111-119. https://seaopenresearch.eu/Journals/articles/NIS_20_3.pdf
Hofstede, G. H., Hofstede, G. J., Minkov, M., & Simonetti, A. P. (2014). Culture and organization. Software of the mind. https://e-edu.nbu.bg/pluginfile.php/900222/mod_resource/content/1/G.Hofstede_G.J.Hofstede_M.Minkov%20-%20Cultures%20and%20Organizations%20-%20Software%20of%20the%20Mind%203rd_edition%202010.pdf
Jogulu, U. D. (2010). Culturally‐linked leadership styles. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 31(8), 705-719.