When multinational companies (MNCs) select leaders and managers, which bear responsibility across the organisation they are well advised to look for individuals with strong intercultural skills. Amongst those skills might be abilities to adopt their leadership style in order to achieve their results with individuals from different cultural backgrounds. In consequence, the MNC in total might find different leaderships styles being applied at the same time throughout their organisation. Autocratic, democratic, and visionary leadership styles might be amongst those most frequently executed alongside each other.
Table of Contents
Abstract
The Importance of Leadership
Identifying, Explaining, and Evaluating three Leadership Styles
Conclusions, Synthesis, and Interpretation
References
Research Objectives and Themes
The document examines the critical role of leadership within multinational companies, exploring how different leadership styles interact with organizational growth, ethical considerations, and cross-cultural challenges to achieve business success.
- The interdependence of leadership and management roles.
- Evaluation of autocratic, democratic, and visionary leadership styles.
- The impact of global and cultural contexts on leadership effectiveness.
- Leadership as a primary driver of organizational change and growth.
- Ethical responsibilities and the influence of leadership on corporate culture.
Excerpt from the Book
Autocratic Leadership
The autocratic or commanding leadership style is characterised by a (one) strong leader. He demands obedience from his employees, gives orders and wants them to be followed without questioning. Autocratic leaders can often be found in successful family companies in the national as well as the international context. Amongst famous companies with such leadership is C&A – a multinational business still owned and managed by the founder’s family (Nelsen-Minkenberg, 2016). In this case is was not only the founder of the company, the inventor of their business concept, who lead his company commanding. This leadership style is said to have also expanded into next generations and is still being practiced today despite a quite normal style of day-to-day business operation. Autocratic leadership can also work successfully in different countries – all of the mentioned companies have successful international operations. By the writer’s experience this can be due to a group of managers, transferring the autocratic demand of the proprietor into other leadership styles for the actual business which match the local culture - almost all of these companies have managers with apparently international backgrounds.
Autocratic leadership may be received differently in different cultures, being in some, as outlined earlier in this abstract, more acceptable than in others. One of the benefits of an autocratic leadership can lie in the management of change. Autocratic leaders can be very successful in times of crises or other situations where fast action and change is needed. It lies, however, in the nature of the style that it does not empower or involve people very much. Success can be instant but may also be limited to the time the pressure is brought to the employees. In comparison to other styles, autocratic leadership can be seen as one of the most natural (i.e. born) styles whereas e.g. democratic leadership can be judged as learned. Autocratic leaders strive for quick results and pressure when e.g. visionary leaders target a common goal with their employees.
Summary of Chapters
Abstract: Provides an overview of the necessity for intercultural skills in multinational leaders and introduces common leadership styles like autocratic, democratic, and visionary.
The Importance of Leadership: Analyzes the fundamental role of leadership in company profitability, organizational change, and the historical development of leadership theories.
Identifying, Explaining, and Evaluating three Leadership Styles: Critically evaluates the core characteristics, advantages, and limitations of autocratic, democratic, and visionary leadership models in diverse business contexts.
Conclusions, Synthesis, and Interpretation: Summarizes the findings and proposes the concept of multiple, complementary leadership styles within a single organization to navigate complex global environments.
Keywords
Leadership, Management, Multinational Companies, Autocratic Leadership, Democratic Leadership, Visionary Leadership, Organizational Growth, Corporate Culture, Cross-cultural Leadership, Ethics, Change Management, Leadership Styles, Global Business, Empowerment, Strategy
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this publication?
This work explores the various leadership styles required to effectively manage multinational companies and highlights how these styles influence organizational outcomes.
Which leadership styles are primarily analyzed?
The text focuses on the comparative evaluation of three specific styles: autocratic, democratic, and visionary leadership.
What is the main objective of the research?
The primary goal is to demonstrate that no single "correct" leadership style exists; instead, leaders should adapt their approach based on the specific situation, cultural context, and organizational needs.
Which scientific approach does the author employ?
The author utilizes a qualitative literature review, synthesizing existing management theories and academic models to analyze leadership dynamics.
What topics are covered in the main body of the text?
The main body examines the evolution of leadership, the distinction between leadership and management, the influence of organizational growth, the challenges of international versus national leadership, and the ethical dimensions of leading.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key concepts include leadership styles, multinational corporations, organizational growth, ethical leadership, and cross-cultural management.
How does the author view the relationship between leaders and managers?
The text suggests that while the roles are distinct, they are interdependent; companies often require both the vision of a leader and the operational expertise of a manager to succeed.
What specific challenge does the author highlight for visionary leaders?
While visionary leaders are effective at uniting people toward a common goal, they may sometimes lack the necessary focus on operational details, which can slow down decision-making or execution.
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- Dr. Heiko Filthuth (Autor:in), 2018, Leadership Styles for Multi-National Companies, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1001647
