An investigation into the relationship between the leadership competencies, emotional intelligence, and leadership styles of Russian managers working for MNCs

Abstract

The need for greater understanding of international leadership models has escalated in tandem with the globalization of trade and commerce. This dissertation presents the comparative-cultural study undertaken to address these two critical issues; employing the Russian Federation as the cultural context for the investigation. Cross-cultural research highlights a deficit of up-to-date comparative data on Russian organizational leadership, whilst practitioners articulate the demand for Russia-appropriate leadership development expertise.

Increasingly, scholars advocate the application of integrated theories for assessing organizational leadership; contributing to several scholars updating trait theory into competency terms (including emotional competencies). Recent studies in the UK have established linkages amongst the competencies required for effective leadership, executives’ emotional competencies, and the demonstrated leadership styles of managers. This research extends these UK findings, investigating the possible relationship between the leadership competencies, Emotional Intelligence (EI), and leadership styles of Russian managers working within domestic and foreign MNCs.

The researcher employed the Leadership Dimensions Questionnaire (LDQ) as the standardized measurement instrument for conducting this “etic” (comparative) study. The LDQ assesses managers based on 15 dimensions, representing cognitive (IQ), Emotional Intelligence (EQ), and managerial competencies (MQ); generating a leadership style “profile” based on the respondent’s scores. A combination of online and paper-based self-report versions of the LDQ (recently validated and utilized in several key UK studies) facilitated the data collection from the participating Russian managers (n = 152), over a 12- month period.

Major findings of this research include: the identification of a clear leadership style preference by the Russian manager-sample (“participative”); statistically significant differences between the Russian and UK samples – on 14 of the 15 dimensions; distinctive differences in the competencies required for senior versus junior managers; “communication” was predictive of Russian leader performance, whilst follower commitment was predicted by leaders’ levels of “sensitivity” and “communication”.

Contributions of this research to theory include: the identification of an up-to-date leadership profile of Russian managers, in competency terms, which can be compared with other cultures; a comparative cultural assessment of Russian managers’ based on EI; a comparison of Russian managers at different levels of large companies, with special attention to their similarities and differences. Implications of this research for practitioners include: the ability for organizations operating in Russia to identify/develop leaders based on their personal leadership profiles (executive training and development), as assessed by the LDQ; the potential for identifying and fostering competencies required of managers at higher levels within the organization (promotion; as roles and responsibilities differ at various levels within an organization); the opportunity for matching appropriate leadership styles to conform with organizational strategies and the surrounding business environment (strategic leadership style/context fit).