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CULTURE, LEADERSHIP, AND ORGANIZATIONS: THE GLOBE STUDY OF 62 SOCIETIES House, R.J., Hanges, P.J., Javidan, M., Dorfman, P.W., & Gupta, V. (eds.). (2004). Culture, Leadership, and Organizations: the GLOBE Study of 62 Societies. Th ousand Oaks: Sage Publications. 818 pages.
As the title of Culture, Leadership, and Organizations: the GLOBE Study of 62 Societies (hereafter also referred to as CL and O or GLOBE), suggests, culture takes the place of primacy in this academic work on leadership. GLOBE is an acronym for the 'Global Leadership and Organizational Behaviour Effectiveness' research program. the program consists of three phases, and phases 1 and 2 are reported in CL and O.
CL and O examines culture as it relates to leadership in all the major regions of the world, with the added twist that the data came from organizational middle managers in three targeted industries: food processing, financial services, and telecommunication services. these industries were determined to be present in all countries of the world but to be systematically different from one another. these differences have important implications for organizational culture. For example, whereas the food-processing industry is relatively stable, the telecommunications and financial industries may be stable or unstable, depending on country and economic conditions.
CL and O is more than a summary, of data gathered from around the world. CL and O is also a statement: a foundational shift in leadership thinking from individual leadership theory (ILT) to cultural leadership theory (CLT). As such, it is a landmark work.
Enormity of Work
CL and O is staggering. On face value the information that is presented in the work is overwhelming. the GLOBE study describes how each of 62 societies in 10 regions of the world scores on 9 major dimensions of culture and 6 major behaviors of global leaders. By my count, the book contains 269 tables and 67 figures to accompany the 760 pages of text.
But not to worry. For if you persist, you will be rewarded with a dazzling array of profound insights, and you will come away feeling as if you can pound your chest with fistfuls of cross-cultural management muscle. When you acquaint yourself with CL and O's basics, you can have a field- day by exploring questions of interest....