Cross-Cultural Leadership Adjustment – A Multilevel Framework Based on the Theory of Structuration

Marion Festing

Martina Maletzky 

Keywords: Leadership Adjustment, Structuration Theory, Culturally Endorsed Implicit Leadership Theory, Expatriation, Cross-Cultural Management

The Study: This article proposes a theoretical framework for understanding leadership adjustment in cross-cultural contexts, grounded in Anthony Giddens’ theory of structuration and the culturally endorsed implicit leadership theory (CLT). The authors argue that despite progress in expatriate adjustment research, gaps remain in addressing the social and processual dimensions of leadership adaptation. The model conceptualizes “leadership adjustment” as a synchronization process between the work routines of expatriate leaders and local followers, shaped by power relations, meaning systems, and organizational norms.

Main Findings: The framework identifies leadership adjustment as a dynamic and reciprocal process in which leaders and subordinates mutually adapt their behaviors. The interaction can lead to four outcomes: leader adjustment, follower adjustment, integration, or separation. The model also proposes a multilevel perspective—macro (national institutions), meta (organizational culture), and micro (individual interactions)—to capture how contextual and social factors influence leadership adaptation.

Practical Implications: The proposed framework enhances understanding of cross-cultural leadership challenges and provides a basis for developing expatriate training and support programs. By integrating structuration theory, it offers a dynamic and contextualized approach to studying leader–follower relationships across cultural and organizational levels.

Reference: Festing, M., & Maletzky, M. (2011). Cross-cultural leadership adjustment – A multilevel framework based on the theory of structuration. Human Resource Management Review, 21(3), 186–200. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2011.02.005

Festing 2011.pdf

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