A Cross-Cultural Study of Personality and Leadership

Abstract

Previous studies have indicated differences in managerial characteristics between supervisors from different nationalities and cultures. A compar ison of the personalities of Turkish and American first-line supervisors and their attitudes toward participative, considerate, and directive lead ership, and a comparison of the perceived leadership behavior of their superiors showed that the Turks were more authoritarian than the Americans and that the Americans had a slightly higher need for inde pendence than the Turks. The American managers (superiors), as per ceived by their subordinates, appeared to exercise more participative and considerate leadership than did the Turkish managers. The American supervisors demonstrated higher satisfaction with participative, consid erate, and directive superiors than did the Turks. The difference between the two groups with respect to satisfaction with participative and consid erate superiors can be explained partially by a difference in authoritar ianism and other cultural values.