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How do Mediterranean managers fill in their leadership role in the Netherlands?
Aksu, Thomas (2025) How do Mediterranean managers fill in their leadership role in the Netherlands?
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| Abstract: | In recent years, heightened migration has increased cultural diversity in Western European societies. This demographic shift has impacted the workforce, making bicultural leadership styles increasingly relevant as immigrants bring diverse perspectives into professional settings. While previous research has examined cultural tensions and adaptation of ethnic minorities in operational roles Waldring, Crul, and Ghorashi, 2014), limited empirical attention has been given to how bicultural individuals lead. This study aims to fill this gap by providing in-depth empirical insights into how Mediterranean managers, specifically of Turkish and Moroccan descent, fill in their leadership roles in the Netherlands. Drawing on 16 semi-structured interviews with Turkish-Dutch and Moroccan-Dutch managers, this qualitative study applies the Critical Incident Technique (CIT) to explore how cultural values such as respect, authority, and community orientation interact with Dutch workplace expectations of consensus, autonomy, and direct feedback. The findings reveal that these managers develop a bicultural leadership style, blending Mediterranean trait with Dutch norms of egalitarianism and open communication. Notably, the study challenges traditional acculturation models by demonstrating that adaptation does not occur uniformly but varies by characteristic and situation. Mediterranean managers show high adaptability, yet selectively retain core values rooted in their cultural upbringing. This research contributes to understanding the complexity of bicultural leadership and underscores the need for inclusive frameworks that account for cultural nuance in leadership behaviour. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Master) |
| Faculty: | BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences |
| Subject: | 85 business administration, organizational science |
| Programme: | Business Administration MSc (60644) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/107555 |
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