ABSTRACT
The purpose of this chapter is to consider leadership and how it may differ from one location to another. Specifically, the chapter will:
Define what is meant by leadership and how leadership relates to management, and people’s behavior in organizations;
Consider the importance of effective leadership in influencing people’s behavior and the overall performance of an organization;
Give an overview of different theories of leadership that have been developed through the twentieth century and on to today;
Explain the most prominent western-based theories of leadership and consider how effective they are likely to be in different contexts;
Examine the results of two streams of leadership research; namely, GLOBE and LEAD;
Consider some leadership research from African countries, Arab countries, India, and Japan;
Outline how four of Hofstede’s cultural dimensions might influence effective leadership.
