Home⇛The Advanced Social Science in Research Journal⇛vol. 1 no. 3 (2026)

A Study on the Influence of Immigrants’ National Culture on the Leadership Styles of Construction Professionals in Toronto

Dave Estrella

Discipline: building

 

Abstract:

Canada is often seen as an inclusive and welcoming country where people from many backgrounds live and work together with mutual respect. Toronto, in particular, is known for its rich cultural diversity, with residents representing 169 ethnic origins from around the world. Data from Statistics Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citi-zenship Canada, and the City of Toronto all support Toronto’s repu-tation as one of the world’s most multicultural cities. The history of immigration in Canada began with the French, then by the English-men. Subsequent waves of immigrants included those from Europe, Africa, and China. During the1950s and 1960s, Italians made up ap-proximately 65% of the workforce within Toronto’s construction in-dustry, and they remained the second most populous immigrant group in Toronto up until the 1980s. The Multiculturalism policy was introduced in 1972 marking a turning point, leading to increased im-migration from around the globe. In recent years, the Philippines, In-dia, and China have emerged as the top countries of origin for immi-grants to Canada, with South Asians, Chinese, Blacks, Filipinos, and Latin Americans now forming the largest visible minority groups in Toronto. To support and at the same time enhance multiculturalism, a range of laws and policies are in place with the aim of promoting inclusivity and address any potential abuses within the system. Many construction companies operating in Toronto employ individuals from a wide array of ethnic backgrounds. This study examines how immigrants’ national cultures influence the leadership and communi-cation styles of construction professionals living and working in To-ronto. This author used Hofstede’s Values Survey Methods 2013 (VSM2013), followed by a face-to-face interview to confirm results. Respondents consistently indicated that both Canadians and immi-grants collaborate effectively, setting aside cultural differences to en-sure projects are completed on schedule and within budget. This un-derscores the genuinely accepting nature of Canadian society and the immigrants’ cultural change, especially those coming from the East, accepting western cultural influences on Transactional and Transfor-mational leadership.



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