Graduation Year
2023
Date of Submission
12-2022
Document Type
Open Access Senior Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Psychology
Reader 1
David Day
Terms of Use & License Information
Rights Information
2022 Karen D Almachi
Abstract
This literature review examines the influence of culture on an individual’s perception of a leader. Research on cultural influences and perceptions is taken to establish an interconnection between the two. The research is analyzed through the lens of two theoretical frameworks: the implicit leadership theory and the cultural dimensions theory. The frameworks are used to operationalize cultural differences and perceptions. The research establishes six dimensions that describe cultural differences between countries. To put into perspective, two culturally different countries are examined for their perception of leadership: the United States and Ecuador. The United States has a low power distance, individualistic, masculine, and low uncertainty avoidance culture while Ecuadorian culture is a high-power distance, collectivistic, masculine, and high uncertainty avoidance. The main findings suggest a relationship between culture type and leadership style. In western culture, an individual with traits aligned with their culture is more likely to be perceived as a successful leader while in Ecuadorian culture, there is a different perception of an ideal leader. Overall, culture influences a society’s perception of leaders in terms of the type of traits, characteristics, and behaviors that they should be exhibiting. Individuals who do not match the categorization would not be perceived as a leader by others.
Recommended Citation
Almachi, Karen, "Examining how the Cultural Differences Between Countries Influence Individual’s Perceptions of a Successful Leader" (2023). CMC Senior Theses. 3174.
https://scholarship.claremont.edu/cmc_theses/3174
