Adaptation vs authenticity: achieving leader effectiveness in intercultural encounters with followers–towards an integrated model

Previous research on leader effectiveness in intercultural encounters has focused on the ‘cultural congruence proposition’ which indicates that leaders from one culture encountering followers from a different culture should modify their behaviour away from their own values towards the collective values of the followers in order to enhance their effectiveness. This proposition appears to contradict the basic tenets of authentic leadership theory which indicate that effective leaders align their behaviour strictly with their own values. This paper proposes a theoretical model which draws upon each perspective and integrates them to reconcile this apparent conflict. The model suggests that effective cross cultural leaders use both self-regulation and their cultural intelligence to engender optimum ratings from their followers.