Cross-cultural leadership adjustment — A multilevel framework based on the theory of structuration

More than a quarter century of research on the cross-cultural adjustment of expatriates has not yet led to satisfactory results. A vast amount of mainly quantitative studies have produced a variety of sometimes contradictory results. Predicting cross-cultural adjustment and how it affects performance remains difficult. This paper proposes an alternative theoretical perspective on adjustment. In addressing the limitations of current adjustment research and constructs, the concept of leadership adjustment is introduced in a multilevel framework. The authors draw on a combination of the theory of structuration and elements of the culturally endorsed implicit leadership theory to conceptualise leadership adjustment as a reciprocal process. Leadership adjustment is defined as the process of synchronisation of incompatible work-related interaction routines, influenced by contextual variables such as power relations, meaning and normative sanctioning in the social system where intercultural interaction takes place.

Research highlights► Research on cross-cultural adjustment is dominated by a psychological perspective, has neglected the influence of social factors and excludes leadership situations. ► The concept of leadership adjustment is introduced focusing explicitly on the interaction process between expatriates and locals. ► Analyzing leadership adjustment through the lenses of the culturally endorsed implicit theory of leadership and the theory of structuration provides innovative and valuable insights. ► Interacting agents in cross-cultural leadership situations are never solely embedded in one social system and context of interaction, but rather into multiple nested social systems and cultures. ► Therefore, leadership adjustment is analyzed form a multilevel perspective considering the macro, national, meta, and micro levels.