1. ¹Tobin J. School of Business, St. John's University, Queens, NY 11439, USA
2. ²School of Management, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75083-0688, USA

Correspondence: Kiran M. Ismail, Tobin J. School of Business, St. John's University, Queens, NY 11439, USA. E-mail: ismailK@stjohns.edu

Abstract

This exploratory study examined the responses of Central Eurasian corporate, government, and non-governmental organization managers regarding their perceptions of work-related values of effective organizational leadership. The respondents were participants in a 2-week leadership development program held in Istanbul, Turkey. Two inter-related research questions regarding leadership concepts and challenges were explored through content analysis of program intake interview protocols. The participants' pre-program perspectives on what constituted effective organizational leadership were found to be consistent with the GLOBE Project's culturally endorsed leadership dimensions. Moreover, several common patterns of behaviors and challenges were uncovered that could be attributed to particular idiosyncrasies in the socio-political/cultural environment of the region.