doi: 10.56294/saludcyt2023401

 

ORIGINAL

 

Leadership styles: a study in Latin America, the United States and Europe

 

Estilos de liderazgo: un estudio en Latinoamérica, Estados Unidos y Europa

 

Rolando Eslava Zapata¹  *, Jesús Alfonso Omaña Guerrero²  *, Francisco Javier Sierra Narváez³  *, Johanna Milena Mogrovejo Andrade⁴   *

 

¹Universidad Libre Colombia Seccional Cúcuta, Facultad de Ciencias Económicas, Administrativas y Contables. Cúcuta, Colombia.

²Universidad de Kansas. Lawrence, Estados Unidos.

³Universidad Libre Colombia Seccional Cúcuta, Facultad de Ciencias Económicas, Administrativas y Contables. Cúcuta, Colombia.

⁴Universidad Libre Colombia Seccional Cúcuta, Facultad de Ciencias Económicas, Administrativas y Contables. Cúcuta, Colombia.

 

Cite as: Eslava Zapata R, Omaña Guerrero JA, Sierra Narváez FJ, Mogrovejo Andrade JM. Estilos de liderazgo: un estudio en Latinoamérica, Estados Unidos y Europa. Salud, Ciencia y Tecnología. 2023;3:401. https://doi.org/10.56294/saludcyt2023401  

 

Submitted: 05-04-2023                          Revised: 12-04-2023                             Accepted: 29-05-2023                            Published: 30-05-2023

 

Editor: Dr. William Castillo González

 

ABSTRACT

 

Introduction: leadership styles vary in organizations due to multiple factors, such as policies or organizational culture. Today’s globalized world and post-pandemic times require a leader capable of integrating people and motivating them to achieve objectives.

Objective: the aim of this study was to analyze leadership styles in organizations in Latin America, the United States and Europe.

Method: a sample of eighty-one leaders were administered a questionnaire composed of twenty-one items, in order to evaluate the leadership style with the Blake and Mouton test, in order to identify whether leaders are people-oriented or task-oriented.

Results: once the test was applied to the leaders of the study sample, it was found that 1,23 % are social leaders, 4,94 % are authoritarian leaders and 93,83 % are team leaders.

Conclusions: today’s society demands an integrative leadership style that helps transform the work team. Research on leadership identifies multiple factors that can lead to the selection of a leadership style. In this regard, the results obtained revealed that the team leadership style is the one most used by leaders.

 

Keywords: Leadership Styles; Outsider Leader; Authoritarian Leader; Team Leadership; Social Leader; Organizational Management.

 

RESUMEN

 

Introducción: los estilos de liderazgo varían en las organizaciones debido a múltiples factores, tales como las políticas o la cultura organizacional. El mundo globalizado actual y los tiempos postpandemia, requieren de un líder capaz de integrar a las personas y motivarlas al logro de los objetivos.

Objetivo: el trabajo tuvo por objetivo analizar los estilos de liderazgo en organizaciones de Latinoamérica, Estados Unidos y Europa.

Método: a una muestra de ochenta y un líderes se les aplicó un cuestionario integrado por veintiún ítems, a fin de evaluar el estilo de liderazgo con el test de Blake and Mouton, de cara a identificar si los líderes se orientan hacia las personas o hacia las tareas.

Resultado: una vez aplicado el test a los líderes de la muestra de estudio, se comprobó que 1,23 % son lideres sociales, 4,94 % son líderes autoritarios y 93,83 % son líderes de equipo.

Conclusiones: la sociedad actual demanda de un estilo de liderazgo integrador que ayude a transformar el equipo de trabajo. Las investigaciones realizadas sobre liderazgo, identifican múltiples factores que pueden llevar a seleccionar algún estilo de liderazgo, al respecto, los resultados obtenidos, revelaron que el estilo de liderazgo en equipo, es el más usado por los líderes.

 

Palabras clave: Estilos de Liderazgo; Líder Ajeno; Líder Autoritario; Liderazgo de Equipo; Líder Social; Gestión Organizacional.

 

 

 

INTRODUCTION

Leadership is related to an individual's attitudes towards influencing others.^(1,2) Leadership styles employed in organizations vary and depend on various variables such as organizational culture or internal policies.^(3,4) It is worth noting that currently, after the pandemic, leaders have shifted towards team leadership in order to influence people towards achieving objectives. The study of leadership and its styles has been addressed in various research studies over time, where leadership has been associated with various factors, making it clear that leadership style influences the achievement of positive outcomes.^(5,6,7) Leadership, more than a relationship between a boss and subordinates, involves working with the team's social network structure to influence its members and achieve better performance.^(8,9,10)

Leaders today have faced various challenges in order to strengthen the participation of individuals regardless of their gender, ethnicity, religion, nationality, sexual orientation, education, or economic situation. There is evidence of a shift in thinking towards integrating the entire team of collaborators to work together towards a common goal and in support of organizational success.^(11,12) Globalization has made the leader a crucial component of organizations since there are societal expectations regarding the visibility of diversity.⁽¹³⁾ Therefore, leader stereotypes and leadership styles can significantly influence how a workgroup is managed in order to achieve effective leadership.^(14,15)

Despite the efforts of some organizations to promote inclusive leaders, others prefer task-oriented leaders, which ultimately affects the support that should be provided to individuals in the performance of their duties and their involvement in processes.⁽¹⁶⁾ However, sidelining individuals restricts their development opportunities and affects the organizational climate.^(17,18) Skills such as communication and conflict resolution demand a creative, persuasive, empathetic, and assertive leader with the ability to motivate people to perform at work beyond their expectations. In this regard, the objective of this study was to analyze leadership styles in organizations in Latin America, the United States, and Europe.

 

METHODS

The study is quantitative in nature as it revealed values that allow us to understand the type of leadership and identify the trend of leadership styles in Latin America, the United States, and Europe. The study was conducted in public and private organizations in the countries of interest during the years 2022 and 2023. Given the magnitude and diversity of organizations, as well as the available time for the study, a non-probabilistic intentional sampling method was chosen⁽¹⁹⁾ for convenience and accessibility to information.⁽²⁰⁾ The sample consisted of 81 companies (table 1).

A questionnaire consisting of twenty-one items was designed and administered to leaders in the selected organizations. The instrument was validated by experts, and a reliability test was conducted, yielding a Cronbach's Alpha of 0,98. The data were processed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) to perform reliability tests and analyze the obtained data.

To analyze leadership styles, the Blake and Mouton Leadership Grid test was selected, which allowed for identifying whether leaders are people-oriented or task-oriented.⁽²¹⁾ The Leadership Grid test consists of eighteen statements on a Likert scale: never (0), sometimes (1, 2, and 3), and always (4 and 5),⁽²²⁾ to determine if the leader is indifferent (shows no concern for people or tasks), autocratic (task-oriented), supportive (people-oriented), or team-oriented (both people and task-oriented).⁽²³⁾ The Blake and Mouton Leadership Grid test involves three steps: obtaining scores for the variables, totaling the scores for variables related to the people dimension (V1, V4, V6, V9, V10, V12, V14, V16, and V17), and the task dimension (V2, V3, V5, V7, V8, V11, V13, V15, and V18) (24), and finally, multiplying the total score for each dimension by 0,02.⁽²⁵⁾

 

 

RESULTS

After administering the test to the leaders in the study sample, it was found that 1,23 % are people-oriented leaders, 4,94 % are task-oriented leaders, and 93,83 % are team-oriented leaders (table 2). As shown in table 2, the vast majority of leaders in their management consider both people and tasks in achieving objectives, while only four cases in the study sample are task-oriented leaders, neglecting the interest in people and focusing more on tasks. Additionally, there is one isolated case of a people-oriented leader who shows more interest in people but lacks interest in tasks.

 

 

DISCUSSION

As seen in figure 1, according to the results, after the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders in the countries under study have shifted towards teamwork. This undoubtedly fosters the commitment of employees in achieving objectives and promotes group thinking to optimize resources and increase productivity. Communication has played a vital role in the relationship with employees, as it has clarified doubts and encouraged people to fulfill their assigned tasks. Therefore, maintaining open communication allows for listening to different perspectives and identifying task-related obstacles. It is worth noting that any team member may take on the role of a leader at some point, based on their professional experience, synergy, trust, and empathy with colleagues. Hence, organizations promote collaboration among employees to strengthen relationships and develop their skills.

In current times, the team leader is key to task allocation and development, where cooperation with employees is essential for completing tasks within the designated time frame. Taking people into account expands horizons in terms of perspectives and viewpoints and positively influences motivation and the common management of processes. Therefore, team leaders ensure that individuals take responsibility for their assigned tasks and have confidence in their abilities, thus establishing equitable teams that streamline the decision-making process.

However, despite having a small sample of leaders from Europe and the United States, the results demonstrated the presence of both authoritarian and people-oriented leaders. For many years, the presence of authoritarian leaders has been common; however, times have changed this leadership style, characterized by exercising control to achieve objectives without involving people in process development. Some leaders may argue that authoritarian leadership reduces errors and achieves higher team productivity, but there is a risk of demotivating individuals and deteriorating the work environment.

On the other hand, there is only one case of people-oriented leadership, where the leader focuses on individuals and humbly assists the team in accomplishing tasks, always considering the general well-being and transformational impact achieved through teamwork. However, this type of leadership poses ambitious challenges, such as adjustments to work or personal benefits, which could create difficulties for organizations.

 

Figure 1. Leadership Styles

 

CONCLUSIONS

Contemporary society demands an inclusive leadership style that helps transform the work team. Research on leadership identifies multiple factors that may lead to the selection of a particular style. In this regard, the obtained results revealed that team-oriented leadership is the most commonly used by leaders. The organizational context is highly complex, especially in the globalized and technological world in which organizations are immersed. The aftermath of the pandemic has left its mark on individuals, causing anxiety or uncertainty in their connection with the organization. This calls for leaders who are capable of managing crises and creating a work environment that encourages positive relationships and the achievement of objectives.

It is the employees themselves who demand a leader with competencies for teamwork, in order to positively influence the organizational climate and performance. Aspects such as happiness, compassion, understanding, and charisma contribute to creating the conditions for building social awareness and fostering a collaborative and group-oriented work environment. However, this does not mean that leaders cannot choose other leadership styles, such as authoritarian or people-oriented, at certain times. The choice of style will depend on organizational policies and objectives.

 

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FINANCING

No external financing.

 

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

No conflict of interest.

 

AUTHORSHIP CONTRIBUTION

Conceptualization: Jesús Alfonso Omaña Guerrero.

Data curation: Francisco Javier Sierra Narváez

Formal analysis: Rolando Eslava Zapata

Fund Acquisition: Johanna Milena Mogrovejo Andrade

Research: Rolando Eslava zapata, Jesús Alfonso Omaña Guerrero, Francisco Javier Sierra Narváez

Methodology: Rolando Eslava Zapata

Project administration: Rolando Eslava zapata

Resources: Johanna Milena Mogrovejo Andrade

Software: Rolando Eslava zapata

Supervision: Rolando Eslava zapata

Validation: Rolando Eslava zapata

Visualization: Rolando Eslava zapata

Writing - original draft: Rolando Eslava zapata

Writing - review and editing: Rolando Eslava zapata

 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The contribution of Lenny Faubricio Cudris Niño, student of the Business Administration program of the Universidad Libre Colombia Seccional Cúcuta, who served as research assistant, is acknowledged. We also thank the support of the Centro Seccional de Investigaciones de la Universidad Libre Colombia Seccional Cúcuta.