Intercultural differences and leadership perceptions of Jewish and Druze school principals

Most studies on leadership focused on the personality, actions and behaviors of leaders as independent variables. More and more scholars of leadership call to place more weight on the images of leaders that followers construct. This article demonstrates the significance and potential of this approach by discussing the effect of cultural dimensions on perceptions of leaders in schools. The effect of intercultural differences on followers’ perception of leadership was examined in a study carried out in Israel, where 154 teachers from the Druze minority were compared with 103 teachers from the Jewish majority. Cultural differences were examined on the basis of Hofstede’s conceptual formulations. The two groups were found to differ significantly in their attitude to authority. The second phase tested the hypothesis that this cultural dimension would be reflected in different leadership perceptions. The findings partly supported the hypothesis. Theoretical, methodological, and practical implications of the research are discussed.