Gender, Diversity & Cross Cultural Leadership

Gaurav Sehra
MHRM, IIT KHARAGPUR, 2015-17

Introduction

Globalization is central to the discussion of

culture and leadership (increased
interdependence (economic, social, political)

No unified theory, we can only discuss culture

and talk about its impact on leadership

Culture and Leadership (Globalization

challenge)
Globalization has created three challenges

Leaders must understand business, political, and cultural

environments worldwide.
Leaders must learn the perspectives, tastes, trends, and
technologies of many other cultures.
Leaders must be able to work simultaneously with people from
many cultures.
Leaders must be able to adapt to living and communicating in
other cultures.

Project GLOBE (Global Leadership and

Organizational Behavior Effectiveness)

GLOBE Study of 62
Societies.

Global Leadership
and Organizational
Behavioral
Effectiveness.

Responses of
17,000 managers in
950 organizations
representing 62
different cultures.

GLOBE

Not everything which has made us successful at home needs to be

unlearned in the new global environment.
Many core leadership attributes will set you in good stead anywhere
in the world (honesty etc)
Easy to fall into cultural stereotypes If you dont understand the
cultural environments of your team members.

GLOBE study

6 Tips to help you become multi-cultural

leader

Prepare yourself for the new role both intellectually

and emotionally

Preserve empathy for others by understanding their

needs and how they feel in different situations

Research, respect and understand the new cultural

values that you are working in

Dont substitute technology for the value of face-toface meetings.

Be brave of your own limitations. Being honest about

your strength and weakness

Take care of yourself, focus on your health and wellbeing as well as the job.

Diversity Defined
Diversity is defined as
acknowledging,
understanding, accepting,
valuing, and celebrating
differences among people
with respect to age, class,
gender, physical and
mental ability, race,
sexual orientation,
spiritual practice, and
public assistance status.

Diversity Benefits

Diversity has the potential of yielding

greater productivity and competitive
advantage.
Change will increase work performance
and customer service.
Diversity in a workplace can reduce
lawsuits and increase marketing
opportunities, recruitment, creativity, and
business image
Organizations have to develop new and
creative ways to manage diversity

Diversity Challenge

Managing diversity is simply more than

acknowledging differences in people.
Involves recognizing the value of
differences, combating discrimination, and
promoting inclusiveness.
Negative attitudes and behaviors can be
barriers to organizational diversity.
Prejudice, stereotyping, and
discrimination should never be used by
managers for hiring, retention and

Required Tools for Diversity

Management

Effective staff i.e. staff must understand discrimination and its

consequences.
Staff must recognize their own cultural biases and prejudices.
Mainly depends upon managers ability to understand what is best
for the organization based on teamwork and dynamics of workplace.
Manager should be self aware and staff need to be aware of their
personal prejudices.
Organizations need to develop, implement, and maintain diversity
practices.
Managing diversity is more than providing equal opportunities and
affirmative actions.
Safe places for associates to communicate i.e. social gatherings and
business meetings.

Managing diversity continued.

Fostering appreciation and tolerance

Providing equal opportunity

Identify biased beliefs and role expectations for

women and minorities

Promote understanding of different values and

beliefs

Encourage and support others who promote

tolerance of diversity

Gender & Leadership

The strong tendency to favor men over women in

filling high-level leadership positions has been
referred as glass ceiling.
Assumptions about inherent differences between
men and women (gender stereotype) & assumptions
about appropriate behavior for men and women
(role expectations).
For a long time it was assumed that effective
leaders must be confident, task-oriented,
competitive, objective, decisive, and assertive, all of

Gender and leadership (Barriers for women)

Lack of opportunities to gain experience and visibility in types

of positions that would facilitate advancement
Higher standards of performance for women than for men
Exclusion of women from informal networks that aid
advancement
Lack of opportunities for effective mentoring
lack of strong efforts to gain access to leadership positions
Difficulties created by competing family demands
Bias to select and promote individuals who are similar to the
managers who make decisions.

Theories of feminine advantage

Women are more likely than men to possess the

values and skills necessary for effective
leadership in modern organizations

Feminine advantage theory contend that

women are more concerned with consensus
building, inclusiveness and interpersonal
relations

Women are believed to have more empathy, rely

more on intuition, and be more sensitive to
feelings and the quality of relationships

Feminine values are compassion, kindness,

nurturing and sharing

Thank you !