Effective Leadership Behavior by Means of Acculturation: Cultural Differences and Learning Strategies

Abstract

Leadership behavior is acquired through acculturation from the earliest childhood and very stable over time. This first acculturation creates habits that are applied unconsciously throughout life and are hard to change. Different learning strategies have the potential to mitigate individual habits when individuals are confronted with an intercultural experience, for example as expatriates. We examine the role of imitation/vicarious learning, learning through cognitive reflection in a training program, and learning through changing the organizational structure on adapting leadership behavior. Imitation/vicarious learning showed cultural adjustment but did not improve a manager’s leadership effectiveness in the sample of German and US expatriates. Learning during a training program that focuses on self-reflection of personal behavior patterns can change the original acculturation and increase leadership effectiveness. The implementation of a matrix-structure during an organizational integration process challenged the diverse cultural habits and stimulated new acculturation within a company merger across cultures.