Culturally contingent leadership behaviour: An analysis of leadership as characterized by Andrea Camilleri’s Inspector Montalbano

Abstract

The interplay between culture and leadership styles has been widely acknowledged in both academic research and practitioner-based literature. While it has been established that culture influences leadership styles, it is clear that other contextual factors also determine the appropriate leadership approach. The contingency theory of leadership posits that effective leadership behaviour is contingent on a number of contextual or situational factors, and yet there is little agreement on exactly how these factors influence leadership effectiveness (Lorsch, 2010). This study attempts to fill that void by analysing leadership as depicted in Italian author Andrea Camilleri’s Inspector Montalbano novel series. The main contingency factors herein identified are key organizational activities, cultural context, the source of leader influence and the leader–follower relationship. The empirical material consisted of 11 novels in which 803 leadership situations were identified and analysed. The findings add to our understanding of leadership as a contingent phenomenon by linking a contingency theory of leadership with leadership’s cultural context.