The declared rationale for the European Union was the realization of economic integration. In this light, the fundamental reason for the integration was to ensure the elimination of discrepancies among the European nations that created conflict as well as political divisions. By the beginning of the second half of the 20 th century, Europe had undergone destructive conflicts, which were inclusive of the two world wars. Regardless of the need for integration, which focused on reducing the destructive conflicts, a fundamental element to consider relates to whether it would be appropriate to use the same leadership style across the different countries in the European Union (Jerome, 2013). Even though the importance of the leadership of a nation remains the same across the different countries in the region, a common leadership style for all the nations in the European Union might not be feasible.
Leaders, especially political leaders, derive their power from the ability to influence a significant number of individuals, which is an indication that people have accepted them into the leadership positions. The effectiveness of the leaders also depends on the leadership style they use while in their position. Concerning people's thinking on the issue of conflicts between nations, it is possible to determine that individuals rely on leaders to define the character of conflict, consequently provide achievable objectives specific to a particular entity (Jerome, 2013). In most cases, the lack of understanding of the background of these objectives can be tragic. One of the theories that can promote the understanding of behaviors specific to a particular nation is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Based on the provision that countries in the EU have different behavioral and social needs, there is a possibility of positing that using the same leadership style in all the countries in the EU might be subject to the patchwork of the national citizenship requirements.
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One of the significant challenges that Europe is facing includes reconciling the political as well as economic union with cultural diversity. A study by Rosa Salgado (2018) reveals that more than ever, the populist movements are inflating cultural differences, which appear to threaten the viability of European integration. Even though culture cannot be seen as an obstacle, it is considered as a vital resource for improving the society. In the European context, culture is a factor that considers the promotion of competitiveness as well as innovation, which demand the application of leadership styles that are dependent on the cultural context at play.
Cultural diversity can be considered as one of the fundamental words applied in the EU’s policy rhetoric as well as governance. However, different terms such as culture, intercultural behavior, and identity often remain unclear. Due to the lack of universal clarity in defining these words, they become open to discursive manipulation (Salgado, 2018). On the other hand, Salgado (2018) points out that despite the relevance of analyzing policy discourses, understanding the role of cultural diversity as a determining factor in EU politics is fundamental since it directly affects the policies implemented by the member countries. Based on the provision that the culture of a nation significantly influences public policy, it is possible to posit that using one leadership style across the different countries in the EU might hinder the development of suitable policies that meet the needs of the different national cultures. Countries can use their cultural orientations to understand the public participation differences in the formulation of public policy.
The assessment of the appropriateness of using the same leadership style across the EU countries also brings about the concept of esteem needs, which characterizes the fourth level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. The needs theory provides that the esteem needs of an individual relate to the respect for the person. In this regard, it is possible for an economy to fulfill the esteem needs of people through branding, which are increased by the escalation in the number of trademarks within the particular society (Jerome, 2013). These provisions influence the improvement of economic prosperity, which is a provision that influences the increase in economic development, primarily because the particular economy wants to fulfill the esteem needs of the constructive individuals within the specific society. The esteem needs of the individuals in the different countries within the EU might not be the same, which is an indication that the application of the same leadership style across the different nations might be a misplaced consideration.
According to Jerome (2013), the analogy formulated between the different levels of different economies and the categories provided concerning the categories of the needs of individuals call for the need for a particular society to form trademarks. The trademarks can only be developed when the given society enjoys political stability, and after sufficient development has occurred. Institutionalization and democracy in such nations consequently become rooted in the given society after the establishment of partnerships between different political and economic institutions, including political unions. For economies to develop, it is essential to come up with solutions necessary for fulfilling the categorical needs of individuals in the society before developing a level of the economy contingent on preceding levels. This can be difficult to achieve based on the use of the same leadership style across the different countries in the EU.
A neo-functionalist emphasis on the need for individuals to have a collective feeling or belief in the EU can be used as a factor that would promote the coherent cultural identity among the citizens. The coherent culture might be primarily reflected in the educational and cultural policies. An attempt to emphasize intercultural dialogue between the different states requires talking through the differences and development of mutual empathy (Salgado, 2018). Even though there is the need to promote worthy diversity and to manage and police problematic differences, the harmonization of the cultural politics of the EU member states can be regarded as a risky endeavor since it would be used as a normative construction of the ideal citizen.
In conclusion, it is essential to take note of the provision that the appropriateness of using one leadership style across all the EU nations depends on different factors, with cultural provisions being the primary determinant of the consideration’s effectiveness. Cultural diversity characterizes EU’s policy rhetoric as well as governance. Conversely, the cultural and esteem needs of a particular country can be used as determinants for choices made regarding the most appropriate leadership style. Considering the differences in these needs and the diversity of the different cultures in countries within the EU, a plausible assumption would be that the use of one leadership style across the different nations would not be a viable consideration.
References
Jerome, N. (2013). Application of the Maslow’s hierarchy of need theory; impacts and implications on organizational culture, human resource, and employee’s performance. International Journal of Business and Management Intervention, 2 (3), 39-45.
Salgado, R. S. (2018). Learning from cultural diversity? The case of European Union-funded transnational projects on employment. Journal of Contemporary European Studies , 1-18. doi: 10.1080/14782804.2018.1432477
