Do gender and culture shape leadership styles? Evidence from Anglo and Sub-Saharan African managers

Purpose This study addresses gaps in leadership research concerning inconsistent empirical evidence on gender differences in leadership styles (LS), limited understanding of leadership practices in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), and insufficient cross-cultural comparison with Anglo leadership contexts. It examines whether gender differences in LS vary in Anglo and SSA cultural clusters, contributing to a more nuanced understanding of leadership in culturally diverse settings. Design/methodology/approach Leaders completed a self-administered Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) to measure transformational leadership style (TFLS), transactional leadership style (TALS) and laissez-faire leadership style (LFLS). The sample comprised leaders undertaking Master of Business Administration (MBA) programmes across Anglo and SSA clusters. Data were analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), applying univariate, bivariate, and multivariate statistical techniques to examine the effects of gender and culture on LS. Findings The results indicate that men in both Anglo and SSA cultural clusters reported a higher transformational leadership score than women. No significant differences were found between native-born and resident leaders. Moderation analyses indicated that gender remained a significant predictor of transformational leadership, whereas no significant moderation effect of cultural context was identified. These findings suggest that gender differences in transformational leadership were relatively consistent across the examined cultural contexts. However, conclusions regarding moderation effects for transactional and laissez-faire leadership should be interpreted cautiously, as the statistical power of these models was limited. Research limitations/implications The study is limited by its reliance on a sample of professionally educated leaders, which may restrict generalisability to leaders without formal leadership education. Future research should examine additional leadership styles and assess the reliability of specific MLQ dimensions. Longitudinal and more diverse samples would further enhance understanding of how gender and cultural expectations interact to shape leadership behaviour. Practical implications The absence of a significant moderating effect of cultural context suggests that organisations should avoid assuming that leadership behaviours associated with gender necessarily differ across cultural settings. Leadership recruitment, promotion, and development should therefore focus primarily on demonstrated leadership competencies rather than demographic assumptions. Structured behavioural interviews, competency-based assessments, and leadership simulations can provide more objective evaluations of leadership capability. Social implications As organisations increasingly operate across national boundaries, leaders are required to work effectively with culturally diverse teams. A more nuanced understanding of leadership perceptions may contribute to fairer evaluations of individuals, stronger cross-cultural communication and collaboration and support effective leadership across international teams. Originality/value The first integration of Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness (GLOBE) cultural clusters with MLQ self-report data at the individual leader level in an Anglo-SSA comparison provides a more nuanced examination of the relationship between gender, cultural context, and leadership styles.