ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we contend that the mainstream leadership literature is too leader-centric and proposes an alternative view based on a non-Western – more specifically, East Asian – cognitive style. As indicated by psychological studies, Westerners are more likely to make reference to an individual’s disposition as a causal explanation than are East Asians. This Western cognitive style makes the mainstream literature “leader-centric” – that is, mainstream researchers have paid attention to the measurement of, and suggestions for, individual leaders’ effective behaviors. In contrast with Westerners, East Asians regard leadership as mutually influencing relationships that essentially depend on followers and the context, because of East Asians’ tendency to view the world as holistic, relational, and changing. Taking into consideration that the current research focus has shifted from the individual leader to an examination of relationships and social identity, we argue that the East Asian cognitive style has already begun to compete with the conventional Western cognitive style in leadership studies without our realizing it.
