| Abstract [eng] |
Companies today have to be flexible, dynamic and able to quickly adjust to an ever changing business environment. Under such circumstances a leader has to be someone who motivates his followers, inspires teamwork and promotes innovation. Quite a lot of research has been made over the years on the topic of leadership. However, there is a relative lack of research on the perception of leadership from the followers’ perspective. This perspective is important as it has been shown that a leader is most influential and effective when he or she is closest to the expectations of the followers. Thus a leader who knows what is expected of him can adapt his leadership style accordingly and use this tool to work towards the goals of the company in a more effective manner. It is important to recognize the significant affect that culture has on the followers and the leader himself. Culture plays a leading role in much of the formation of the individuals within that culture and it plays a major part in shaping both the followers’ perception of a leader and the leader’s own behavior. In a multinational workplace a leader has to take into account all the different cultures present. Also noteworthy is that results of a research made in one country may not be applicable in another. Workforce diversity is one more factor that must be taken into account as differences in gender, age, education level and industry of work may result in different preferred leader behavior prototypes among individuals. The object of this research is the perception of a preferred leader behavior prototype among the workers in Lithuanian accommodation and food services companies. The two business segments were chosen for the research for a number of reasons. Together these make up a business sector that is one of the biggest and most problematic in Lithuania. This sector has been steadily growing even during the economic recession; coupled with high work force diversity it makes an ideal choice for a comprehensive research on preferred leader behavior. The problems facing this sector like high employee turnover and low level of employee motivation show that despite evident growth this sector is in need of leadership improvement. The goal of this research was to identify the preferred leader behavior prototype in Lithuanian accommodation and food services companies taking into account the context of culture and followers’ diversity. The objectives of this research were to highlight challenges faced by accommodation and food services companies in Lithuania and in the field of leadership research; to explore and present a model of the relationships between preferred leader behavior prototype, follower diversity and culture; to present the instrument used in the analysis; to find the preferred leader behavior prototype in Lithuanian accommodation and food services companies in the context of culture and follower diversity; and to give recommendations to leaders, human resource managers and personnel specialists of Lithuanian accommodation and food services companies based on the research. In conclusion, effective leaders are crucially important in the steadily growing and yet very problematic sector of accommodation and food services companies. A leader is most effective when his behavior is closest to a prototype preferred by followers. This leader behavior prototype depends on explicit cognitive categories, mental models, schemes and stereotypes held in the perceptions of followers and rooted in the native culture. A compilation of two widely approved questionnaires (LBDQ XII and VSM08) were used to find the preferred leader behavior prototype in Lithuanian accommodation and food services companies in the context of culture and follower diversity. The research showed that overall the two segments are homogenic. An ideal leader in the segments has to represent his or her fellow workers, demonstrate role assumption and initiate a vertical organization structure. Workers want the leader to share needed information and they prefer the management process to be based on trust and mentorship. Feminine traits (such as cooperation, modesty, empathy and caring) are preferred in a leader. Decisions should be reached through teamwork and tasks should be made clear and well defined in order to avoid ambiguity. These are conditions required for effective leadership overall. Specifically, in the accommodation business segment workers wish to feel free, enjoy life, and satisfy their needs, yet at the same time they are humble and obedient. On the other hand, leaders in the food services segment are expected to maintain good relations with managers of higher level and to have an impact on their decisions. The workers here value pride, honor and self respect. |
