Effective Leadership Of Chinese And American Internet Elites: Convergent Traits And Cultural Implications

Effective leadership has been extensively researched since the early part of the twentiethcentury. A number of resent studies indicate the new societal conditions featured by rapid andfar-reaching technological changes, especially the digitalization of information andcommunications technology and accelerated globalization have given rise to a new form ofleadership, which is variously called leadership in the digital age, e-leadership or digitalleadership. The purpose of this research is to explore the attributes of effective leadershipshared by Chinese and American Internet elites. Since national culture serves as an importantvariable in determining which leadership style will be the most effective, this thesis alsoattempts to disclose the correlations between culture and the effective leadership of Internetelites.Ten Chinese and American Internet elites have been chosen as representatives ofeffective digital leaders for in-depth comparison. Four cases concerning the performance ofseven Chinese and American Internet companies are elaborated and further analyzed.Statistics compiled by three professional and authoritative Chinese and Americanorganizations have been used as the second-hand data for the research. As a result of theresearch, it is found that:1. As effective digital leaders, Chinese and American Internet elites demonstrateconvergent traits despite their contrasting cultural background. They are all fairlyyoung, well educated, particularly professional and superbly passionate. They serveas a smart leader, a cultural icon, an envisioner and an aspirant.2. Internet services with strong cultural appeal and an indigenous management teamwith high cultural sensibility are the key to the success of Internet companies inChina since distinct cultural context manipulates the unique demands of Internetusers.In conclusion, Chinese and American Internet elites show convergent traits in spite oftheir different cultural backgrounds. However, when these leaders go to the local market,providing service with strong cultural appeal and building an indigenous management teamwith high cultural sensibility are the key to their effective leadership.