Title: The evolution of worker autonomy in the modern and postmodern eras of business management

Authors: Nathaniel T. Edwards

Addresses: General Education Department, Yamaguchi National University, 1677-1 Yoshida, Yamaguchi 753-8511, Japan

Abstract: The relation between worker autonomy, transformational leadership, and cultural intelligence has rapidly increased in importance in recent years (e.g., Earley and Ang, 2003; Harris et al., 2004; Hofstede and Hofstede, 2005; Mead, 2005; Peterson, 2004). The ability to work effectively with members of an organisation from different cultural backgrounds has become indispensable in a growing number of organisations (Harris et al., 2004; Mead, 2005; Schmidt et al., 2007). The current trend towards transformational leadership, increasing worker autonomy, and cross-cultural adaptability is the latest stage of a continuous, historic process. The promotion of worker autonomy has developed into a significant element of management practices in the postmodern era of leadership (Drucker, 2006; Senge, 2006). An understanding of the evolution of worker autonomy may assist managers in predicting future trends in the structure and function of increasingly interdependent organisations in the global economy.

Keywords: cross-cultural adaptability; cultural intelligence; global economy; globalisation; learning organisations; worker autonomy; cultural backgrounds; economic policy; emerging economies; historic process; postmodern era; business management; transformational leadership.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEPEE.2013.055798

International Journal of Economic Policy in Emerging Economies, 2013 Vol.6 No.2, pp.200 - 209

Published online: 28 Jun 2014 *

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