Demographic challenges for the future business leader: evidence from a Greek survey

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the challenges posed to business leaders from major global demographic changes expected in the workforce composition, such as higher participation of women and more active involvement of elder and more experienced people in the future workforce. Design/methodology/approach The authors ran a survey among 733 middle managers, focusing on their ideal leadership behavior. The Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior project methodology was applied for data collection and analyses. Findings Several significant differences were established in leadership ideals according to gender, age and managerial experience. The differences based on gender had higher practical significance than the ones based on age and experience of the respondents. Research limitations/implications The paper adds up to the pertinent in the implicit leadership approach dialogue over the existence of stable, global and unchanging aspects of leadership. Practical implications Leader behaviors traditionally deemed as positive, such as the participative and charismatic/value-based leadership, are shown to be critical for the future business leader. Leadership development in organizations should focus on these two aspects. Social implications Leaders who can meet the expectations of diverse groups of people will be able to achieve inclusion of least privileged groups at the business level, leading to higher inclusion at the social, aggregate level. Originality/value The paper is the first to explore how documented demographic trends could affect the way that leadership will evolve in the near future.

Does government support matter in the relationship between future orientations on women’s effective leadership

“…The results indicated that for each unit increase in future orientation, there was an expected increase of 0.300 in women’s leadership effectiveness. This result was consistent with past studies (Abu-Jarad et al , 2010; Galanaki and Papalexandris, 2017;). In addition, Seginer et al (1991) found that women scored significantly higher than men on identity commitment, future education and future career orientation.…”

“…Several women academic leaders clarified that the Saudi Vision for 2030 will open many opportunities for Saudi women who have long awaited such an opportunity, claiming that it will allow Saudi women to occupy positions of leadership in the country in the coming years. As women constituted 50% of university graduates, women supported this vision through long-term strategic orientation and giving a higher priority to long-term success (Abu-Jarad et al , 2010; Galanaki and Papalexandris, 2017; Ozgen, 2012). In addition, female academicians tend to display visionary leadership that can identify patterns in the face of chaos and uncertainty, which will ultimately help them get the opportunity to lead universities more effectively (Galanaki and Papalexandris, 2017).…”

“…As women constituted 50% of university graduates, women supported this vision through long-term strategic orientation and giving a higher priority to long-term success (Abu-Jarad et al , 2010; Galanaki and Papalexandris, 2017; Ozgen, 2012). In addition, female academicians tend to display visionary leadership that can identify patterns in the face of chaos and uncertainty, which will ultimately help them get the opportunity to lead universities more effectively (Galanaki and Papalexandris, 2017).…”

“…Recently, the Princess Nourabint Abdulrahman University (PNU) along with other partners established the largest business centre for women in Saudi Arabia (Abu-Jarad et al , 2010; Galanaki and Papalexandris, 2017; Ozgen, 2012). This centre sought to create more than 20,000 jobs for Saudi women over the next decade.…”

Establishing the effect of government support on the relationship between gender egalitarian and women leadership effectiveness among public universities in KSA

“…The concept of gender egalitarianism and related constructs can be very complex. There are many antecedents that drive cross-cultural differences in the division of roles between the sexes (Abu-Jarad et al, 2010; Galanaki and Papalexandris, 2017;Ozgen, 2012;House et al, 2004). The antecedents include attitudes, stereotypes, parental investment, religion, economic development, and even climate and geographical latitude.…”