Abstract

The purpose of this research was to examine the differences in two types of leadership styles (transformational and transactional leadership) between Korean and Chinese managers. Also the relative effects of the leadership styles on organizational effectiveness were examined. Data were obtained from 115 employees of three Korean manufacturing companies in Korea and 147 Chinese employees of one Chinese manufacturing company in China. The results of the analyses showed that leadership scores on transformational leadership as well as transactional leadership were significantly higher for the Korean employees than for Chinese employees with an exception of intellectual stimulation. For the Korean sample, the results of multiple regression analyses showed that only charisma was significant in explaining leader satisfaction. For the Chinese sample, charisma was also significant in explaining leader satisfaction, but the direction was negative. Finally, implications and limitations of this study were discussed.