Leadership style and leadership effectiveness: Does cultural intelligence moderate the relationship?

Anthony Solomon,Renier Steyn

doi:10.4102/ac.v17i1.453

Abstract

Orientation: In an age where subordinate cultural heterogeneity has become the norm, cultural intelligence might assist leaders to improve their effectiveness.Research purpose: This research investigated whether leader cultural intelligence moderated the relationship between leadership style (as represented by empowerment and direction) and leadership effectiveness.Motivation for the study: Although the literature on cultural intelligence has been increasing in quantity, there remained a gap in the understanding of the relationship between leader cultural intelligence, the empowering and directive leadership styles and leadership effectiveness.Research design, approach and method: A quantitative methodology with a cross-sectional survey design was followed. Data were obtained from 1140 staff members employed at 19 South African organisations. Factorial, correlational and moderated multiple regression analyses were performed.Main findings: Although leader cultural intelligence and its dimensions do not moderate the relationship between empowering leadership and leadership effectiveness, they do nonetheless negatively moderate the relationship between directive leadership and leadership effectiveness. This moderation was, however, assessed to be of no practical significance.Practical and managerial implications: As leader cultural intelligence did not act as an important influencer of the relationship between leadership style and leadership effectiveness, it appeared that effective leaders may have used their cultural intelligence to actually guide the selection of an effective leadership style in the first place.Contribution and value add: Being one of the first studies to explore the moderating effect of leader cultural intelligence on the relationship between leadership style and leadership effectiveness, this research has made a valuable contribution to building both the cultural intelligence and leadership knowledge bases.

Highlights

Leaders are central to organisational achievement (Araujo-Cabrera, Suarez-Acosta & AguiarQuintana 2016; Muchiri et al 2011; Murschetz 2005); it is vital that they be effective
The positive relationship that was found to exist between leader CQ and leadership effectiveness is in line with the findings of Rockstuhl et al (2011) that leader CQ was positively related to the effectiveness of cross-border leadership
The further finding that leader CQ acted as an important predictor of leadership effectiveness complements the results of Groves and Feyerherm (2011)

Summary

Introduction

Leaders are central to organisational achievement (Araujo-Cabrera, Suarez-Acosta & AguiarQuintana 2016; Muchiri et al 2011; Murschetz 2005); it is vital that they be effective. A lack of certainty prevails as to what is necessary for one to be an effective leader (Rosete & Ciarrochi 2005). This situation is exacerbated in that there is ‘neither a universally accepted approach to nor definition of’ leadership effectiveness (Mesterova et al 2015:109). Leadership effectiveness is manifested as a relative judgement predicated upon both description and evaluated characteristics (Oyinlade 2006). A particular challenge in the domain of leadership effectiveness has been the assessment thereof. This research addresses subordinate perceptions of leadership effectiveness

Objectives

Discussion

Conclusion