Global Leadership: Homework (Assignment #2)

Global Leadership
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(March 22, 2013)
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Global Leadership
Global leadership has taken shape in the twenty first century where socialization and globalization is the order of the day (Northouse, 2003). There is a high need for the global leaders to be acquitted with physiological, psychological, geopolitical, geographical, sociological and anthropological effects that are brought about by globalization. It has been noted that global leadership takes effect when persons are involved in international matters involving multicultural societies in delivering a common mindset (Adler & Gundersen, 2007). There are a number of factors that influence global leadership identifying with the innovations, mass media, multicultural setups, business design in the international environment and the geopolitical paradigms shift (Gundling et al, 2011).
Global leaders are shaped by a number of competencies, it is important for the leaders to know that the world comprise people of different abilities, and in the same sense, people develop and interpret information in diverse ways (Gundling et al, 2011). Some of the competencies identifies with the understanding of complex languages, leadership attributes applicable in different parts of the world, socialization factors, physiological factors, factors influenced by the geographical attributes, anthropological factors, gender, sex, ethnicity factors, race factors, socio economical factors, religion factors and physical and mental disability factors among others (Adler & Gundersen, 2007).
Global leaders are expected to have comprehensive understandings of the technological aspects and how it influences global connections. Global organizations are complex, understanding of technology allows the global leaders to have an edge in the management of diverse levels of organizations, heading subsidiaries and multinational organizations, managing business chains along the globe, managing virtual organizations, using social networking in managing organizations, developing global infrastructure and allowing the usage of the computer mediated communication models (Gundling et al, 2011).
Global leaders are expected to communicate effectively along the cross cultural societies, this is critical in developing a competitive edge (Adler & Gundersen, 2007). Cross cultural competence gears at a thorough understanding of the personality characteristics and knowledge of people and the skills applicable to a particular set of people. Dealing with multicultural societies requires global leaders to engage inner willingness, openness, cognitive flexibility, management of emotions, uncertainty tolerance, empathy to the ethno-cultural issues and ability to deliver self efficacy (Gundling et al, 2011).
Surveys done by Geert Hofstede indicated that global leadership is highly understood from the concepts of power distance index (PDI), Masculinity (MAS), Individualism (IDV), Long term orientation (LTO) and Uncertainty avoidance index (UAI). Hofstede’s work geared at a comprehensive understanding of the multicultural aspects that shape the leadership style (Northouse, 2003). Surveys done by Hofstede grouped global cultures into ten identifying with Anglo cultures, Arab cultures, Latin America cultures, Confucian Asian cultures, Eastern Europe cultures, Latin Europe cultures, Germanic Europe cultures, Sub Sahara Africa cultures, Southern Asia cultures and the Nordic Europe cultures.
The Hofstede’s survey summarized that global leaders must overcome cultural aspects through: performance orientation, assertiveness orientation, future orientation, gender egalitarianism orientation, power distance orientation, human orientation, institutional collectivism, in group collectivism and through uncertainty avoidance orientation. It was noted that effective global leaders must portray value, charisma, team work, participative attitude, self protective, autonomous and portray human orientation (Adler & Gundersen, 2007). The twenty first century is characterized with change basing on the globalization and socialization. People are increasingly learning from one another, meaning that the leadersh...