Playing Follow the Leader: Status-Determining Traits in Relation to Collective Efficacy across Cultures

Abstract

Increasing pressure on managing international teams has created a need for further understanding culturally relevant group processes. In this study, the cultural context of power distance is examined in relation to the status characteristics possessed by group members and their influence on group efficacy estimations and performance. Data obtained from 288 senior managers coming from England, France, Thailand, and the United States were used to test the hypothesis that power distance would moderate the influence of member status on collective decisions made by a group. Results demonstrate that in high power distance cultures, collective judgments of group capability are more strongly tied to higher rather than to lower status group members' personal judgments. In low power distance cultures, members appear to contribute comparably to collective efficacy judgments. The implications of the study are discussed in terms of status differentials and group decision making across cultures.