High-Commitment Leadership: A Study of Iranian Executives

This study tests Conger-Kanungo hypothesis that employee empowerment can help build a strong positive attitude among subordinates. The findings on Iranian executives and managers point to the conclusion that encouraging employee participation, setting motivational goals, removing bureaucratic barriers and rewarding performance lead towards building a loyal workforce

CEO Transformational Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility

The overall purpose of this study is to apply transformational leadership theory to improve our understanding of the potential role of CEOs in determining the extent to which their firms engage in corporate social responsibility (CSR). We generate a theoretical argument for the existence of relationships between aspects of transformational leadership and CSR, which we test using data from 56 U.S. and Canadian firms. CEO intellectual stimulation (but not CEO charismatic leadership) is found to be positively associated with the propensity of the firm to engage in "strategic" CSR, or those CSR activities that are most likely to be related to the firm's corporate and business-level strategies. Thus, studies that ignore the role of leadership in CSR may generate imprecise conclusions regarding the antecedents and consequences of these activities. We conclude that there is a need for additional multidisciplinary research bridging micro- and macro-level conceptualizations of the role of leadership in CSR.

East Meets West: A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Charismatic Leadership Among Canadian and Iranian Executives

This study first develops an empirically based Western charismatic leadership profile. Using confirmatory factor analysis, the profile is compared with a profile of Iranian managers. The results demonstrate that despite major cultural differences in the two countries, there are core similarities in the profiles across the two cultures. The Canadian charismatic profile of vision, tenacity, intellectual challenge, self-sacrifice, and eloquence is substantially confirmed within the Iranian sample. But we also show that Iranian managers' ratings are significantly lower than those of the Canadian managers, indicating potentially different behavioural manifestations. The paper speculates that while the differences are probably due to cultural differences, the similarities may be due to universal intrinsic human desire for morality, autonomy, and achievement. Copyright Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2004.

Are there unique leadership models in Asia? Exploring uncharted territory

Leadership Quarterly2611-

Southern Asia cluster: where the old meets the new?

The GLOBE southern Asia cluster consists of India, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Philippines, and Thailand. The cluster has a total population of almost 1.5 billion and a gross domestic product of almost U.S.$1 trillion. The hallmark of the cluster is its high power distance and group and family collectivism practices. In terms of values, it aspires for a much stronger future orientation and performance orientation, and much lower levels of power distance. The cluster highly values charismatic, team oriented, and humane leadership. The managerial implications of GLOBE findings are discussed in the paper.