ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the difference between diversity and multiculturalism, give some background on Australia's multicultural society and workforce, presents a short review of the literature on the relationship between job satisfaction and leadership. It considers the specific cultural diversity issue, the relationship between perceived leadership behaviour and subordinate job satisfaction in two different cultural groups. Future trends in multiculturalism in Australia are uncertain because, unlike America, which has growing African-American and Hispanic populations, Australia's population mix is a result mainly of immigration. A policy of multiculturalism has been endorsed by subsequent governments and replaces the previous official policies of exclusion and assimilation. Within the Australian cultural work group, both transformational and transactional leadership behaviours impact only on subordinate satisfaction with a leader and not with any other elements of job satisfaction such as extrinsic or intrinsic elements of work. Organizational skills include encouraging and accepting change, cross-cultural communication, equity in policy and practice, training and mentoring others, including cross-cultural team-building.
