Cross National Comparison Essay

A Cross-National Comparison of Effective Leadership and Teamwork: Toward a
Global Workforce
Linda M Raudenbush. Human Resource Development Quarterly. San Francisco:
Summer 2000. Vol. 11, Iss. 2, p. 207-208 (2 pp.)

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Document 1 of 1
A Cross-National Comparison of Effective Leadership and Teamwork: Toward a
Global Workforce
Linda M Raudenbush. Human Resource Development Quarterly. San Francisco:
Summer 2000. Vol. 11, Iss. 2, p. 207-208 (2 pp.)

***** Abstract
(Summary) *****
A Cross-National Comparison of Effective Leadership and Teamwork: Toward a
Global Workforce, by Jean Brittain Leslie and Ellen Van Velsor, is reviewed.
***** Full Text *****
(740 words)

Copyright Jossey-Bass, Incorporated Summer 2000

A Cross-National Comparison of Effective Leadership and Teamwork: Toward a
Global Workforce, by Jean Brittain Leslie and Ellen Van Velsor. (1998).
Greensboro, NC: Center for Creative Leadership. 53 pp., $15.00 paperback.

A Cross-National Comparison of Effective Leadership and Teamwork is a report on research jointly conducted by the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) and
SYMLOG Consulting Group. The research uses an assessment instrument, SYMLOG
(System for Multiple Level Observation of Groups), developed by Robert E Bales, who is a social psychologist and professor emeritus at Harvard University. The study respondents are managers from the United States (U.S.) and the European
Union (E.U.), specifically Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the
United Kingdom (U.K.). Research findings support previous research conclusions that managers in some E.U. countries perceive unique value patterns in effective leaders. In addition, this research offers new results, showing a consensus of traits required for team leaders and members of cross
national groups in the European Union.

The purpose of this research report is to identify similarities and differences in perceptions of effective leadership and teamwork between U.S.
managers and those from the six E.U. countries. The research questions explored three themes: E.U. and U.S. perceptions of effective leadership; E.U. and U.S. comparison of effective leaders to team members; and E.U. country comparisons of effective leadership in Europe.

The book is organized into four major sections. The first provides a summary of recent research on how value differences relate to perceptions of effective leadership across nations and cultures. As a reference, Appendix A presents earlier research on culturally based attitude and value differences.

The second section discusses the study 's research methods, sample, and procedures. The respondents were middle- and upper-level English-speaking
European (N = 1,108) and U.S. (N = 793) managers. The managers worked for national and multinational Fortune 500 companies representing diverse industries. The respondents completed the SYMLOG instrument by rating twenty- six items about values associated with effective group leadership and membership. The final two areas describe the research results in detail, and then
present general discussion points and conclusions. Leslie and Van Velsor conclude that managers in the countries surveyed all value moderate amounts of dominance, friendliness, and acceptance of authority in effective group leaders and members. The SYMLOG results also indicate subtle culturally based differences in the E.U. managers ' perceptions of the same three dimensions. Based on their research, the authors advise U.S. and E.U. managers to unify cross-national work teams through friendliness and task orientation. The leader should emphasize cooperation, group cohesiveness, and task orientation. Effective cross-national teamwork does not require extensive value changes, but simply an emphasis on existing understanding of how to work effectively together.

A Cross-National Comparison of Effective Leadership and Teamwork cannot be criticized for its research, data analysis and presentation, and conclusions.
However, the notion is not new in the human resource development and management fields that to interact successfully with people of other countries, cultures must be carefully considered (Marquardt, 1984). Nor is it unique to the fields to realize that managers in certain European countries have minor yet unique culturally based value differences regarding work groups (Robbins, 1991).
Finally, much useful guidance has already been given U.S. managers on how to adapt their behaviors in other cultures for positive results (Hofstede, 1980;
Adler, 1986). Specifically in the field of human resource development, there are references for practitioners that reveal the complexities of how to work in diverse cultures (Reynolds 6E Nadler, 1993). Thus, the nature of this particular research study adds little to the existing body of literature.

Perhaps the most valuable contribution of A Cross-National Comparison of
Effective Leadership and Teamwork is its use of an instrument that was not designed to measure the cultural value dimensions revealed in the prior work of cultural researchers. Rather, SYMLOG provides a value-based model of effective leadership, which reveals any differences in respondents ' perceptions of leader and member behavior. Future research using SYMLOG with respondents of less- well-known culturally based value differences would provide a more useful contribution to the human resource development and management fields.

[Reference]

References

[Reference]

Adler, N. J. (1986). International dimensions of organizational behavior.
Belmont, CA: PWS-Kent.

Marquardt, M. J. (1984). Working internationally. In L. Nadler (Ed.), Handbook of human resource development (pp. 23.1-23.30). New York: Wiley.

Reynolds, A., 6t Nadler, L. (1993). The global HRD consultant 's and practitioner 's handbook. Amherst, MA: HRD Press.

Robbins, S. P. (1991). Management. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

[Author Affiliation]

REVIEWED BY

LINDA M. RAUDENBUSH

COLUMBIA, MD

***** Indexing (document details) *****
Subjects: Effectiveness, Leadership, Teamwork, Book reviews, Comparative analysis

Classification Codes 9175, 9190, 2200

Locations: United States, US, Europe

Author(s): Linda M Raudenbush

Author Affiliation: REVIEWED BY LINDA M. RAUDENBUSH COLUMBIA, MD

Document types: Book Review-No Opinion

Publication title: Human Resource Development Quarterly. San Francisco: Summer 2000. Vol. 11, Iss. 2; pg. 207, 2 pgs

Source type: Periodical

ISSN: 10448004

ProQuest document 55351783
ID:

Text Word Count 740

Document URL: http://proquest.umi.com/ pqdweb?did=55351783&Fmt=3&clientId=69739&RQT=309&VName=PQD