An Exploratory Study on the Learning Mechanism of Global Leadership Competencies

Abstract

Leadinginternationalbusinessrequiresthe learningof globalleadershipcompetenciesthat allow managers to flexibly navigate across cultures. This explorative study investigates the mecha- nism by which global leadership competencies are acquired from a meta-cognitive approach. In- depth interviews and a web-survey were conducted in Asian and Europe. Results confirmed that 1) all managers faced new and difficult challenges during international business assignments, 2) the nec- essary leadership competencies were both common and idiosyncratic across cultures, and 3) global managers, regardless of their nationalities, experienced "double-loop learning" while acquiring new global leadership competencies though "breakthrough experiences" during international business as- signments.