EIRP Proceedings, Vol 4 (2009)

Abstract

Due to the reason of the more pronounced globalization of the business world, we can no longer ignore the powerful cultural side of leadership. In other words, there are differences between leading styles considered as accepted by a national culture or another. For example, I come from Netherlands - in Dutch, the word meaning leader is leader. But this word may be written in two ways: either using the short diphthong „ei", or with the long one "ij", although the pronunciation is the same. When written with „ij" it means „martyr". This superposition of meanings is sending a message: any Dutch leader who is trying to put him forward too much, is rapidly „cut", In the Dutch world, at work or in other cases, it is not accepted to put you forward - or this is considered something of bad taste.