Leading Internationally: What are the Challenges?

Today’s leaders need more than good management skills; they must understand and adapt to different countries' cultural and regulatory requirements. This blog will outline the main idea for each of the five sections of positioning, structuring, expectations, expression, and profiling that Walker & Riordan (2010) proposed in their paper, “Leading collective capacity in culturally diverse schools.” I will then state whether I agree or disagree with the main idea of each of the five sections and what challenges there may be in implementing them.

Positioning

Positioning refers to how leaders position themselves within the cultural milieu of the school (Walker & Riordan, 2010).

Walker & Riordan (2010) argue that “the first job of leaders working with the inter-cultural staff is to examine their own belief system.” (p. 54). Leaders must first examine their own culture and what they stand for; only then can they have a clear picture of what they can bring to the table and what they must ask others to provide. They must question how they approach their work, how culturally sensitive they are, and their expectations for themselves and others within the school. They must then assess to what extent those factors match with their staff. They should consider how these factors affect the working environment within the school and try to improve any aspects of these that they can.

Agree or Disagree

I would most definitely agree with this strategy. I believe, in essence, it is asking leaders to be introspective about their behaviors and beliefs. I feel that being reflective about anything in life will improve your situation.

Challenges of Implementation

The biggest challenge is realizing when we have a “blind spot.” We may try to be reflective but can still not see the water around us. I would propose a 360% assessment of leaders, giving them greater clarity. Another challenge would be the ultimate authority that the leader had to enact change. In some schools, the leaders can see where change needs to happen, but they might have a board that does not allow it or parents that simply do not want that change.

Structuring

Structuring refers to how leaders structure schools’ and teachers’ work for collective capacity (Walker & Riordan, 2010).

This structure is primarily broken down into two parts: the school’s physical structure and the school's cultural structure. The school's physical structure can be wholly controlled before it is built, but it will then be limited in the changes made after that time. There are excellent examples of schools that have been constructed with architects and teachers working together; these have produced incredible areas that are indeed an adventure to explore. Other structures can be lifeless and sterile. However, even the walls of schools can be changed to reflect the students themselves, though hanging up their work and displaying their projects.

The cultural structure of the school must, according to Walker & Riordan (2010), “bring about conditions than encourage and reward collectivism.” (p. 56). Here, the leaders can give more control to the teachers about how they collaborate in their school, provide the teachers with more freedom with the curriculum, and be explicit with them about their desire for teachers to share with others and work collaboratively.

Agree or Disagree

I completely agree with this. I believe that we all have control of the physical environment and how we use it will make a massive difference. It is for the leadership to engage their teachers and encourage them to develop creative ways. I also agree that it is essential that all shareholders at the school work collaboratively and have a sense of buying into the project at hand. This collective capacity will lead to better practices around the school, which will reinforce the learning.

Challenges of Implementation

The school’s physical structure challenges are mainly the property itself and its budget. The cultural structure challenges are fostering a collective community and maintaining, hiring, and engaging teachers that buy into the collaborative nature of the school.

Expectations

Expectations refer to how leaders and teachers understand collective work within their own cultural and professional heritage (Walker & Riordan, 2010).

Walker & Riordan (2010) state that expectations “refers to expectations that different cultures have about various aspects of schools from their purpose to their operation.” (p. 57). The leaders must understand the multiple cultural norms when entering a culturally diverse school.

Agree or Disagree

I agree that this is vital; however, I can see some significant challenges to this strategy. The leaders must not pigeonhole all teachers from a country into their cultural stereotypes, as this may be completely wrong. I would suggest that the only way to build these expectations is to grow their own culture and understand and know the school’s individuals.

Challenges of Implementation

There are several challenges that I can see for leaders to understand the cultural norms within their school. Firstly, people may not express their inner thoughts, making it hard to understand someone’s motivations. The other is that the school’s culture will constantly be in flux.

Expression

Expression refers to how leaders and teachers express their cultural understanding and professional formation through their actions in the schools (Walker & Riordan, 2010).

Walker & Riordan (2010) state that “productive teamwork, professional dialogue, and joint planning all depend on the openness, clarity and cultural sensitivity of interpersonal communication.” (p. 58). Leaders must try to enact an open and sharing culture within their school, understanding that some cultures (as a norm) are more open than others. Brislin (1993) suggests that successful relations meet each of the four criteria. Firstly, people involved feel that they have a successful relationship based on respect and cooperative endeavors. Secondly, people from other culture/s in the relationship believe the relationship is built on respect and that cooperation is meaningful, preferably built around a task or other endeavor. Thirdly, such efforts are entirely efficient, and, lastly, people do not feel additional stress because they are interacting and/or working with individuals from different cultures.

Agree or Disagree

I agree that leaders must understand different cultural norms and how their teachers express themselves. Still, I would hesitate to base too many assumptions about nationality or background. I think that the school should be treated as a little bubble and that a new and unique culture should be fostered that allows the individuals to be their best self and their most comfortable self.

Challenges of Implementation

A challenge to this is that it rests on assumptions, which may be wrong, about people because of their background.

Profiling

Profiling refers to how leaders need to be aware of the dangers of stereotyping and essentializing culture to exclude other important factors that shape collective work (Walker & Riordan, 2010).

Walker & Riordan’s (2010) last strategy states that “put simply, a reliance on culture or any other singular form of diversity as a way of explaining or justifying behavior is a very risky business. Paradoxically, therefore, leaders working to build collective capacity among inter-cultural staff must sometimes put aside the focus on culture when structuring collective work.” (p. 59). This seems to be at odds with their other four strategies and makes for a complicated argument about only using those different strategies at specific points.

In essence, I believe that this last strategy is about seeing the people at the school as individuals and using their assets to better the school.

Agree or Disagree

I agree that individuals should be viewed and respected and that leaders need to understand whom they are working with. Knowing an individual will allow the leader to use their experience and knowledge better to develop the school.

Challenges of Implementation

The challenges are breaking down the structures between management and teachers to know the individual effectively. In schools with many teachers, the leader may not get to know the individuals. In that case, it would be for other management members to fill in within that role and get to know their team.

Conclusion

Walker & Riordan (2010) argue that five strategies can help to create collective capacity in culturally diverse schools. They are positioning, structuring, expectations, expression, and profiling. Each system has its use, and each has its challenges. However, I think that this model would be helpful for leaders to be aware of when leading a culturally diverse team.

References

Allan Walker & Geoff Riordan (2010), Leading collective capacity in culturally diverse schools, School Leadership and Management, 30:1, 51-63, DOI: 10.1080/13632430903509766. Retrieved from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/13632430903509766?needAccess=true

Brislin, R. 1993. Understanding culture’s influence on behavior. Orlando, FL: Harcourt Brace College. Retrieved from https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1992-98435-000