A Cross-Cultural Study of
Leadership Attitudes in Three
Baltic Sea Region Countries
Dr.Audra I.Mockaitis
Laura Šalčiuvienė
Vilnius University Department of
Marketing
Kaunas University of Technology
Department of Marketing
Email: [email protected]
Email: [email protected]
1
Aims of the Study
Comparison of leadership attitudes in Lithuania,
Estonia and Poland
– Aspects: Supervision and Control, View toward
Authority, Commitment, Conflict Avoidance,
Decision Making, Leadership Styles and Initiative
– Question: Are there differences in attitudes among
respondents in three seemingly ‘close’ countries?
The relationship between national cultural values
and leadership dimensions
– Question: Do cultural values influence attitudes
toward leadership in these countries? If yes, to what
extent?
2
Methodology
Cross-cultural methodology ‘rules’:
–
–
–
–
Sampling strategy
Etic dimensions
Reliability analysis
Isolation of variables
Variables
– Independent: Hofstede’s cultural dimensions
– Dependent: Leadership dimensions (22 items on 10
dimensions)
3
Results
Lithuania
Estonia
Poland
Control
4.50
3.74
4.94
Supervision
3.32
2.92
3.51
View toward Authority
3.77
3.78
4.50
Commitment
3.92
3.92
4.17
Conflict Avoidance
3.35
3.34
4.22
Decision Type
3.91
4.56
3.88
Participation in Decisions
4.38
4.30
4.30
Initiative
5.14
5.26
4.54
Task vs.Relations
Orientation
1.71
1.95
1.35
Leadership Style
2.89
3.63
2.66
4
Results
F1
F2
18.770***
17.079***
1.877
6.313*
13.187***
14.570***
5.020*
4.749*
Conflict Avoidance
19.418***
20.129***
Decision Type
10.727***
7.736**
0.061
0.014
Initiative
18.009***
18.151***
Task vs.Relations
Orientation
22.295***
26.332***
Leadership Style
27.144***
30.966***
Control
Supervision
View toward Authority
Commitment
Participation in Decisions
***, p<.001 **, p=.001 *, p<.01
5
Conclusions
Culture matters even in apparently ‘similar’
countries
Culture is the main explanatory factor for
attitudes
Hofstede’s dimensions are useful for
predicting attitudinal differences and
similarities
6
Indices on Hofstede’s dimensions
IDV
PDI
UAI
MAS
Lithuania
Estonia
Poland
50
60
60
45
40
68
67
60
93
65
30
64
Highest index score
in Hofstede’s
database
91
104
112
110
Lowest index score
in Hofstede’s
database
6
11
8
5
7
Factor Solution of Leadership Aspects
Factor and Items
Control ( = 0.86)
Clear Job
Leader Clarifies
Leader Instructs
Participation in Decisions ( = 0.43)
More participation
Participative Decisions Better
Loadings
Factor and Items
Loadings
.772
.768
.766
Commitment ( = 0.62)
Accept Group Decision
Group Incentives
Orgztnl Commitment
.766
.746
.738
.812
.767
Initiative ( = 0.73)
Personal Success
Organizational Success
.842
.773
Supervision ( = 0.63)
Supervision Necessary
Need for Instructions
Supervision Favorable
.687
.665
.399
View twd Authority ( = 0.67)
Top Mgmt Control
Privileges Acceptable
Manager is Expert
Superior Knowledge
.808
.687
.603
.412
Decision Type ( = 0.76)
Intuitive Decision Maker
Intuitive Decisions
.840
.787
8