Theoretical letters Leadership research in an international and cross-cultural context Terri Scandura a, * , Peter Dorfman b a Department of Management, School of Business Administration, University of Miami, 414 Jenkins Building, Coral Gables, FL 33124-6548, USA b New Mexico State University, Box 30001 MSC 3DJ, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003-8001, USA Abstract In this exchange of theoretical letters, Terri Scandura and Peter Dorfman discuss leadership research in an international and cross-cultural context. In particular, they focus on leadership cultural-specifics and leadership cultural-universals in a post-Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness (GLOBE) project world. The exchange covers theoretical, methodological, and practical issues in cross-cultural leadership research. D 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Keywords: Leadership; International; Cross cultural Letter #1—Leadership research in a post-GLOBE world Peter Dorfman Department of Management Box 30001 MSC 3DJ New Mexico State University Las Cruces, NM 88003-8001 Dear Peter: In light of the recent events occurring in our country and around the world, we are once again reminded of the significance of understanding perceptions and interpretations of leadership in a global context. I recall how Time magazine struggled with their decision regarding who would be the ‘‘Man of the Year.’’ If they used the usual criterion of the person who had the most impact on history that year, they might likely have named Osama Bin Laden as the Man of the Year. However, they shied away from 1048-9843/$ - see front matter D 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.leaqua.2004.02.004 * Corresponding author. Tel.: +1-305-284-3746; fax: +1-305-284-3655. E-mail address: scandura@miami.edu (T. Scandura). The Leadership Quarterly 15 (2004) 277 – 307