Understanding cross-cultural leadership is often considered an important requirement in today’s globalized market, where managers must be able to adapt to different environments and work with people from different backgrounds.
To deepen this understanding, Gang Wang, Madeline Duncan Rolland Professor at Florida State University’s College of Business, conducted research last semester at the Hanken School of Economics in Helsinki, Finland, through a Fulbright-Hanken Distinguished Chair in Business and Economics award.
The Fulbright-Hanken Distinguished Chair in Business and Economics award offers American scholars the opportunity to invite lectures and conduct research at the Hanken School of Economics, a research-intensive business school with a program portfolio that covers the entire range of educational levels, starting from bachelor. up to the doctorate degree and executive education is offered separately for working professionals. FSU has a Global Exchange program for students in the College of Business to study at Hanken University.
Wang, who also serves as the program director for organizational behavior and human resources (OBHR) and the strategy majors in the Ph.D. in Business Administration program, chose to apply for a Fulbright experience for a variety of reasons, but said international collaboration and knowledge sharing were key factors.
“I realized that through conferences and other opportunities when I interact with non-American researchers, they seem to have a different focus and also have different ways of doing research,” Wang said. “So I’m just curious to learn what they’re doing and how they’re approaching research questions, and I think that’s a big motivator for me.”
During his time in Finland, Wang conducted a two-part study on leadership, purchase premium (the difference between a firm’s purchase price and its market value), and human resource management. Specifically, he looked at how a CEO’s attractiveness and face attractiveness can explain the change in the takeover premium when that CEO’s firm is merged or acquired. He has built a database for this study that includes digital images of CEOs and information about their identities, including age, ethnicity and education.
“People tend to trust attractive CEOs and believe that the firm run by this individual has more value and potential,” Wang said. “They’re more willing to pay attention and premium to buy this firm because people just trust attractive people. That’s human nature.”
Working in another country with colleagues in the same field has also allowed Wang to gain a new perspective on how research is conducted around the world.
“They have some very interesting ideas that I haven’t thought of,” he said. “I’ve found that there’s so much overlap between our research interests and the kind of research methods we use, and the more we talk about it, the more we realize that we have similar ideas.”
The difference in work-life balance between Finland and the US also stood out to Wang during his time in Helsinki, noting that Finns seem to prioritize family time more than Americans.
“People understand and respect that,” he said.
Wang also noted the use of first names within the university and overall lower levels of stress surrounding work in Finland, but notes his host country’s passion and research efforts match America’s. It also revealed that it is a small world after all, with connections across continents far more likely than previously suspected. One host was even already familiar with Wang’s previous findings, which quickly opened the door to collaboration.
“Right away we just clicked,” Wang said.
In addition to the hospitality and warm welcome he has received from the Hanken School of Economics and Hanken University, Wang said he has also benefited from the “incredible” support from FSU.
“I think all faculty members should take advantage of this great opportunity and support to get to know your peers in other cultures,” he said.
If you are a faculty member interested in applying for a Fulbright, visit fda.fsu.edu or contact Peggy Wright-Cleveland, director of Faculty Development, at mwrightc@fsu.edu. If you are one university student interested in applying for a Fulbright, visit onf.fsu.edu or contact Jesse Wieland, associate director of the Office of National Scholarships, at awieland@fsu.edu. If you are one graduate student interested in applying for a Fulbright, visit ogfa.fsu.edu or contact Keith McCall, assistant director of the Office of Graduate Scholarships and Awards, at kmccall2@fsu.edu.
For more information about the FSU College of Business, visit business.fsu.edu.
