Effects of Ethnicity and Intercultural Competence on Follower Trust,Leader-Member Exchange,and Perceptions of Organizational Justice.
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文摘
Decrying the dearth of leadership studies and theories that address the perceptions of inequity resulting from ethnic diversity, Ah Chong and Thomas (1997) argued that traditional leadership theories offer only limited help in understanding this relationship. Accordingly, the current study traced the sources and causes of interethnic conflicts in various multicultural contexts around the world, especially in Africa. An extensive literature review revealed the need for empirically tested answers that address, or at least explain, the effects of ethnicity and ethnic competencies on the relationships between organizational members and their leaders. A research plan involving a cross-sectional survey design was utilized in which individuals&rsquo； intercultural competencies were assessed and follower perceptions of leader behaviours within a multicultural context investigated. Multisource data were collected from a sample of followers drawn from employees of diverse organizations in Nairobi, Kenya. Utilizing multiple regression data analysis, the results confirmed trust in leader as predictor of leader&ndash；member exchange (LMX), LMX as a mediator between trust in leader and perceptions of organizational justice, ethnic/cultural similarities and intercultural exposure as moderators between trust in leader and LMX, and intercultural competencies as moderators between LMX and perceptions of organizational justice. The results and their implications are discussed and proposals made for advancing current leadership theories as well as providing support for human resource managers in the selection, training, and assessment of workers for diverse groups.