Leadership in Mexico: cultural factors affecting organisational leadership

Abstract

The purpose of this article was to provide an overview of cultural factors affecting organisational leadership in Mexico. A comprehensive review, analysis, and synthesis of the literature on cultural aspects that affect or could affect organisational leadership in Mexico were conducted. The findings of the study suggest that there are certain cultural values such as low acceptance of ambiguity, feeling comfortable with rules, avoiding risk, and willingness to accept uneven power distribution, which could influence leadership practices in Mexico. Effective leadership styles in Mexico are those that take into consideration the particularities of the Mexican culture. This article has implications for expatriates assigned to leadership positions in Mexico. It is important that expatriates managing a Mexican workforce be aware of the cultural factors that could impact Mexicans' expectations about leadership. By being aware of the cultural factors influencing leadership in Mexico, human resource professionals of MNCs can facilitate management development programs to better prepare expatriates for leadership positions in Mexico.