Cross-Cultural Management and Global Leadership: Evolution and Adaptation

This paper provides an overview of cross-cultural management and global leadership in the light of the article “From cross-cultural management to global leadership: Evolution and adaptation” by the authors “Allan Bird and Mark E. Mendenhall”. It discusses the importance of cross-cultural communication and management, the emergence of global leadership, and the relationship between cross-cultural management and global leadership.

Running head: CROSS CULTURAL MANAGEMENT
Cross-Cultural Management
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Introduction
“Precision of communication is important, more important than ever, in our era of hair
trigger balances, when a false or misunderstood word may create as much disaster
as a sudden thoughtless act.”
The above quoted line of James Thurber clearly indicates the importance of
the concept of communication in the process of the conduct of business. The path of
globalization followed by most of the business organizations in the present times and
the “recent advancements in the field of innovations as well as technology” has given
rise to the concept of “cross cultural communication” (Kinloch and Metge 2014). It is
often seen that in the present times the various business organizations in the course
of the business dealings often come across individuals or business organizations
from different cultural as well as social backgrounds (Carbaugh 2013). It is precisely
here that the concept of “cross cultural communication” becomes very significant. It
is a reflection of this that the term “cross cultural management” has gained much
significance in the present times. In the opinion of authors Bird and Mendenhall
(2016), “‘Cross-cultural management’ has generally referred to accommodating
differences in cultural practices when managing outside of one’s home country and it
often takes a comparative perspective”. However, it is also significant to note that in
the opinion of many scholars the terms “cross cultural management” and “global
leadership” are coterminous with each other and are related in a much intricate
manner (Carbaugh 2013). The term global leadership, on the other hand, can be
defined as “the interdisciplinary study of the key elements that future leaders in all
realms of the personal experience should acquire to effectively familiarize
themselves with the psychological, physiological, geographical, geopolitical,
anthropological and sociological effects of globalization” (Asante, Miike and Yin
2013). This particular paper intends to provide an overview of these two terms in the
light of the article “From cross-cultural management to global leadership: Evolution
and adaptation” by the authors “Allan Bird and Mark E. Mendenhall”.
Cross cultural communication and management
The term communication can be defined as the process by means of which
relevant information or data is transferred from one individual to another. The

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process of communication requires the presence of three entities, namely, the
“sender, medium and the receiver” (Asante, Miike and Yin 2013). The term “cross
cultural communication” generally applies to the kind of communication which the
various business organizations or the individuals resort to when they are trying to
communicate with the business organizations or the individuals belonging to different
cultural or social backgrounds (Kinloch and Metge 2014). In other words, the term
“cross cultural communication” can be defined as the process whose “field of study
looks at how people from differing cultural backgrounds communicate, in similar and
different ways among themselves, and how they endeavour to communicate across
cultures” (Bird and Mendenhall 2016). It is generally seen that the various business
organizations often employ effective strategies as well as management policies for
the effective management of these “cross cultural communications” with the
business organizations or the individuals belonging to other cultural as well as social
backgrounds (Hurn and Tomalin 2013). Therefore, the term “cross cultural
management” can be defined as the field of management which deals with the
effective “study of the influence of societal culture on managers and management
practice as well as the study of the cultural orientations of individual managers and
organization members” (Mendenhall et al. 2017). Furthermore, in the opinion of other
scholars the concept of “cross cultural management” can be defined as the process
which “involves managing work teams in ways that considers the differences in
cultures, practices and preferences of consumers in a global or international
business context” (Hurn and Tomalin 2013). Thus, it becomes apparent that the
concepts of “cross cultural communication” as well as “cross cultural management”
are very important in the present day business world.
Global Leadership
Leadership can be defined as the “ability or the capability of the individuals to
lead individuals or business organizations towards the achievement of the goals or
the objectives set by the individuals or the business organizations concerned”
(Mobley, Wang and Li 2012). It is significant to note that the concept of leadership in
the genre of business has undergone much transformation in the last few decades
with the “advent of globalization and the advancements in the field of technology and
recent innovations” (Mobley, Wang and Li 2012). In the opinion of the author Mark E.

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Mendenhall, “In the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s the rapid emergence of
technologies that allowed businesses to conduct business globally with more ease,
speed, and accuracy spawned the era of globalization”(Mendenhall et al. 2017).
Furthermore, the authors “Allan Bird and Mark E. Mendenhall” say that it was at this
particular point of time the various leaders related to the diverse business
organizations found that they were unable to cope up with the changing goals as well
as the needs and the requirements of the business organizations they served. This
particular change has generally being ascribed to the change in the status quo of the
world after the “advent of globalization and the advancements in the field of
technology and recent innovations”. Therefore, the various business leaders related
to the diverse business organizations felt the need to develop the skills which they
traditionally have used for the purpose of leading the various business organizations
(Osland 2013). Furthermore, the opinion of Mark E. Mendenhall is significant to note
here when he says that “Leaders found that the skills they had developed were
inadequate to meet the demands of globalization, and organizations began to
confront and try to solve the challenge of finding and developing leaders who could
operate successfully in the global context” (Mendenhall et al. 2017). It is a reflection
of this the concept of global leadership emerged at this particular point of time.
Therefore, in the present times it is generally seen that the leaders related to the
various business organizations take the help of various innovative strategies as well
as policies to lead the business organizations concerned “towards the achievement
of their desired goals and objectives” (Osland 2013). Moreover, the various global
leaders in the present times are also required to “familiarize themselves with the
psychological, physiological, geographical, geopolitical, anthropological and
sociological effects of globalization” (Mendenhall et al. 2017). Therefore, it would be
apt to say that the genre of leadership in the present times has become much more
diversified than it was before the “advent of globalization and the recent
developments in the field of technology and innovations” (Warren 2017).
Cross cultural management and global leadership
The article “From cross-cultural management to global leadership: Evolution
and adaptation” by the authors “Allan Bird and Mark E. Mendenhall” intends to study
the concept of global leadership in the light of the concept of “cross cultural

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management”. This particular article traces the changes in the concept of leadership
since the advent of the globalization in the 1960s to the present times (Bird and
Mendenhall 2016). In the opinion of the authors the main focus of their in this
particular article was to “conceptually map an overall trajectory of the field of global
leadership, discussing the nature of its origins in the field of cross-cultural
management” (Bird and Mendenhall 2016). Thus, the authors are of the viewpoint
that the recent changes in the field of “cross cultural management” has been one of
the major reasons for the recent changes in the field of leadership (Bird and
Mendenhall 2016). It is a reflection of this that the present day leaders in the various
business organizations need to take into consideration the impact of culture as well
as the social background on the overall prospects of the business organization
(Merkin, Taras and Steel 2014). Furthermore, the expansion of the businesses of the
business organizations in the various unchartered territories has the concept of
communication one of prominent significance. It is a reflection of this that the
concept of effective communication has gained popularity in the recent times and
thus the various business organizations emphasis that the various leaders related to
their business organization should have effective communication skills (Bochner
2013). The opinion of James Humes becomes very significant to note in particular
context when he says that “The art of communication is the language of leadership”.
Furthermore, it is significant to note that in the present times the various workplaces
of the business organizations have become much more diversified with the influx of
the people from the various diverse cultural as well as social backgrounds and
therefore an effective leader needs to communicate his or her messages clearly to
these diverse entities of the workplace (Bochner 2013). It is here that the concept of
“cross cultural communication” gains its special prominence. Therefore, in the
opinion of L. B. Belker, “Leaders who make it a practice to draw out the thoughts and
ideas of their subordinates and who are receptive even to bad news will be properly
informed. Communicate downward to subordinates with at least the same care and
attention as you communicate upward to superiors”. Furthermore, it is significant to
note that in the present times, the leaders belonging to a particular business
organization not only needs to deliver “the aims as well as the objectives of the
business organizations to the individual employees so that the goals and the
objectives of the individual employees are in synchronization with the goals and the
objectives of the individual employees” but also to communicate in an effective

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manner with the various shareholders and the stakeholders of the business
organization (Piller 2013). In addition to this, the leader is also required to
communicate with the various customers or the end users of the services provided
by the concerned business organization in the most effective manner. It is often seen
that the various customers of a particular business organization are from diverse
cultural as well as social backgrounds and therefore an effective leader needs to
take into consideration the cultural parameter in his or her communication with these
customers. Therefore, it would be apt to say that the concept of leadership has
undergone much transformation in the present times in the backdrop of the concept
of “cross cultural management”.
Conclusion
To conclude, it becomes apparent that the concept of leadership has
undergone much transformation in the present times. This is generally seen as a
reflection of the advent of the process of globalization and the recent changes in the
field of technology as well as innovation. Furthermore, the various leaders in the
present times also need to take into consideration the various precepts of the
concept of “cross cultural communication” for the process of effective communication
with the various shareholders, stakeholders, customers and also the individual
employees of the concerned business organization. Therefore, it would be apt to say
that the concept of leadership has undergone much changes in the recent times in
the present times in a bid to accommodate the changing needs as well as the
requirements of the business world.

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References
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