Cross-cultural comparison of nonverbal communication, culture, and the attribution of charismatic leadership among Hungarian and American university students

Globalization of our world economies requires increased interaction between individuals from various cultures. Effective leadership and management within this paradigm necessitate an understanding of the effects our behaviors have on others. There are few research studies addressing the relationship between nonverbal communication and the perception of leadership. The purpose of this study was to provide empirical evidence of the influence nonverbal behaviors have on followers' perception of a speaker's presentation, provide support to the existing body of knowledge with regard to the cultural dimension of two countries, and add another dimension to the understanding of culturally universal and culturally specific leadership phenomena, specifically in the followers' assignment of leadership based on specific leader communication. The significant evidence provided by this study substantiates the importance of using nonverbal behaviors that are in keeping with the national culture of the people they are trying to influence. The willingness of followers' identification of an individual as a leader is tied to their perception of the individual. A quantitative study was completed using posttest experimental design. A convenience sampling of university students located in the United States and Hungary was randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatment groups. The hypotheses were tested using 2-way analysis of variance testing for significant main and interaction effects between treatments and country. The results provide significant evidence for understanding cultural similarities and differences. Leaders and managers can affect positive social understanding and foster sensitivity to emotions conveyed by potential followers or subordinates.