IS THE GLOBE MODEL USEFUL FOR CROSS-CULTURAL LEADERSHIP RESEARCH?

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to study the validity of the Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness (GLOBE) cultural dimensions "As is" and its "Bands" as defined by House et al. (2004) in the prediction of leadership practices, measured by the Leadership Practices Inventory created by Kouzes and Posner (2003). Design/methodology/approach: In this paper we selected a quantitative approach. The data was collected from 1359 master students in management area in thirteen countries. We conducted correlation tests and comparison of means tests to analyze the data. Findings: The results of our study support the scientific perspective that transformational leadership is both a universal and a culturally contingent phenomenon. We found empirical evidence that In-Group Collectivism, Assertiveness and Uncertainty Avoidance are important contextual moderator factors for Encourage the Heart, Model the Way and Challenge the Process leadership practices. Our study also indicates that GLOBE's Bands are a valid tool to predict leadership practices. Practical Implications: This study provides evidence for external validation of GLOBE model, supports the idea that GLOBE model is a valid framework to predict leadership practices and suggests a new line for cross-cultural leadership research based on GLOBE's. Originality/Value: This paper tries to fulfill a gap in the literature related to the validation of GLOBE's Bands and provide information about countries that normally do not appear in the literature. It is also one of the biggest studies using GLOBE's cultural dimensions to predict leadership practices measured by the Leadership Practices Inventory.