Assignment
Most of what is written about leadership has been written by western scholars and practitioners-mostly from the United States. Thus, what we have studied in this module so far reflects western assumptions and values about how to improve leadership performance.
But leadership quality, we know, is mostly about perception. If the followers perceive that a person is a leader, that person will be treated with respect and the followers will grant him the power and authority to guide their actions. These perceptions can vary across cultures, and successful global leaders know that leadership is viewed differently in different cultures and modify their behaviors to align with culturally diverse expectations. This is what is called Cultural Intelligence.
(If this is a topic that particularly interests you and you would like to increase your capacity for cultural intelligence, you are encouraged to enroll in LED520: Cross-Cultural Communication and Leadership. This course can serve as an elective in several degree programs.)
Required Reading
The following reading discusses the importance of cultural awareness in increasing organizational effectiveness:
O'Reilly, C. (2013). Why is cultural intelligence important? Retrieved fromhttps://www.trainingzone.co.uk/topic/soft-skills/why-cultuiral-intelligence-important/181942
Assignment
In this exercise, there are two sets of quizzes (A & B) that you will participate in.
1. Select either the Cross Cultural Work Scenarios or Working Globally Across Cultures quiz from https://www.commisceo-global.com/quizzes/cultural-awareness-quizzes?view=qcategory&cat_id=39
2. Choose any one of the country quizzes at https://www.commisceo-global.com/quizzes/cultural-awareness-quizzes?view=qcategory&cat_id=41 that looks interesting to you.
After completing the quizzes, address the following questions in a 2- to 3-page essay:
• Which quizzes did you take?
• Include your actual results in an Appendix at the end of your paper.
• Were you surprised at your score?
• What strengths do you think you have in the area of inter-cultural awareness?
• What weaknesses are you able to identify?
• If there were gaps between your assessment results and your own thoughts about your level of cultural awareness, why do these gaps exist?
• Create a plan of specific, concrete actions you can take to build on your strengths and improve areas of weakness so that you improve your cultural awareness.
• Why is it important for managers to increase their levels of cultural awareness?
Background Reading...
Eveland, J. D. (n.d.) Leadership.
Fiedler's Contingency Theory (2013). Leadership-central. Retrieved from https://www.leadership-central.com/fiedler%27s-contingency-theory.html#axzz3OemkTtoM
Path-goal Theory of Leadership (n.d.) In Encyclopedia of Group Processes & Intergroup Relations. Retrieved fromhttps://www.uk.sagepub.com/northouse6e/study/materials/reference/reference7.2.pdf
Vroom-Yetton-Jago Decision-making Model of Leadership (2013). Leadership-central. Retrieved from https://www.leadership-central.com/Vroom-Yetton-Jago-decision-making-model-of-leadership.html#axzz3OjpF9lI8
TED (2010) Simon Sinek: How great leaders inspire action. Retrieved fromhttps://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action
Center for Creative Leadership Website. (2015). Retrieved from https://www.ccl.org/index.shtml
McNamara, C. (1999) all about Leadership. In Free Management Library. Retrieved fromhttps://managementhelp.org/leadership/
If you need additional guidance on the use of APA Style in the proper formatting of papers, visit the Purdue OWL website: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/media/pdf/20090212013008_560.pdf
You also may find the following YouTube video helpful: APA Formatting: The Basics. Retrieved fromhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdAfIqRt60c&list=PL8F43A67F38DE3D5D