Leadership in Russia : A cross-cultural leadership study on the dynamics involved in being a Swedish expatriate

Sammanfattning: Managing a diverse workforce has become a growing challenge for leaders, due to increased globalization and demographic changes. As a result, leaders that can handle those challenges become important for successful business across borders. With respect to this, the complexities of leadership in Russia is an under-researched and increasingly important research area, due to the rapid changes that have occurred in the country the last 25 years. This study explores the challenges that Swedish expatriate leaders face whilst operating in Russia and, furthermore, how they tackle them. The study is of explorative character, with a qualitative research methodology, and is based on 17 interviews with different Swedish leaders across various industries. The findings show that Swedish leaders experience challenges with the following: involving employees in decision making processes; handling steep hierarchies; finding the right people in the dynamic Russian labour market; comprehending the idiosyncrasies of Russian culture. In conclusion, the study shows that Swedish leaders are keen to implement a Swedish company culture based on empowerment, although the specificities of being an expatriate leader in Russia makes it necessary to adapt to some of the conflicting expectations of the Russian employees.