Cultural intelligence as an enabler of cross-cultural adjustment in the context of intra-national diversity

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-51
Author(s):  
Raavee Kadam ◽  
Srinivasa A Rao ◽  
Waheed K Abdul ◽  
Shazi S Jabeen

Job transfers within the country can lead to adjustment issues, similar to what expatriates face, especially in the case of highly diverse countries, where a host of sub-cultures exist with distinct cultural practices within a single national culture. Intra-national variations in terms of language, ethnicity, food, clothing, economic development, geographic regions or urban-rural differences can be as significant as cross-cultural differences and cause barriers to social integration. Thus, it becomes important to equip employees with cross-cultural capabilities when they are deployed to a culturally distinct part of the country. The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of cultural intelligence (CQ) as a critical capability that can enable the cross-cultural adjustment (CCA) of employees in a domestic context. Participants of this study consisted of employees from the information technology sector of India, who were transferred to a different state within the country in the past 1-month. They were further categorized into those working in culturally homogenous versus heterogeneous environments. Data were gathered using a structured questionnaire. The hypotheses under study were tested using structural equation modeling. The results indicated that CQ enabled the adjustment of employees within the domestic context. Furthermore, the CQ-CCA relationship was found to be positively moderated by intra-national diversity. While the ability of CQ to predict outcomes in cross-cultural scenarios has already been explored in employee mobility literature, this paper addresses the issues of intra-national diversity and domestic adjustment within the CQ framework, and establishes the usefulness of CQ to overcome the challenges put forth by intra-national differences and within-country cultural variations.

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Lakshman ◽  
Sangeetha Lakshman ◽  
Kubilay Gok

PurposeBased on attributional complexity (AC) theory, the authors empirically examine the impact of biculturalism on cross-cultural adjustment and the degree to which people make isomorphic attributions, critical for cross-cultural leadership effectiveness.Design/methodology/approachUsing questionnaire surveys, the authors first validate measures in a validation sample and then empirically test the model in a second sample, using structural equation modeling.FindingsThe authors’ findings reveal an empirical connection between biculturalism and AC on the one hand, while also showing support for the relationship between biculturalism and attributional knowledge. Findings also demonstrate that biculturalism is related to attributional accuracy in cross-cultural contexts via an attributional mechanism, as suggested by AC theory.Research limitations/implicationsFirst, AC theory emerges as one with excellent prospects for explaining intercultural work in multicultural settings. Biculturalism's links to AC and attributional knowledge are critical for extensions to cross-cultural leadership effectiveness, and international knowledge transfer, interesting and high potential research avenues for the discipline.Practical implicationsThe authors’ findings carry a host of managerial implications. AC training can provide all international assignees with the necessary foundational skills and learning abilities to successfully interact in the host country setting with local nationals. This study also suggests that managers on international assignments should focus their efforts on acquiring attributional knowledge because it can provide a solid boost to their understanding of the local culture.Originality/valueOne’s understanding of biculturals and their cross-cultural management competencies is very limited. The authors provide empirical support for the hypotheses, hitherto unexamined in extant literature.


2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (9) ◽  
pp. 1337-1342
Author(s):  
Lin Ye ◽  
Gu Zhu ◽  
Nick Martin ◽  
Yangyang Liu

The aim of the present study was to examine the cross-cultural differences in the relationship between personality traits and neurasthenia across early adolescence. The participants were from Australia and China. Adolescents’ personality was measured by the Junior Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, and neurasthenia was measured by the Somatic and Psychological Health Report. Structural equation modeling showed that neuroticism significantly predicted neurasthenia for both Chinese and Australian adolescents. Multigroup comparisons indicated that the strength of the relationship between neuroticism and neurasthenia was consistent across Australian and Chinese adolescents. Our findings imply that the relationship between personality traits and neurasthenia is consistent across different cultures.


2015 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 236-258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeevan Jyoti ◽  
Sumeet Kour

Purpose – Organizations in India are multicultural in nature. In this context, cultural intelligence is a tool, which can increase an individual’s ability to interact with people outside his/her culture. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the impact of cultural intelligence on task performance as well as to investigate the mediating role of cultural adjustment between the two. Design/methodology/approach – Extensive review of literature was done to acknowledge the cultural intelligence and task performance concept. Data for the study has been collected from the 225 managers working in nationalized banks in Jammu province (J&K, India). Data collected has been validated using confirmatory factor analysis and hypotheses have been tested through structural equation modeling. Findings – The study reveals that cultural intelligence significantly contributes toward task performance. The findings further reveal full mediation of cultural adjustment between cultural intelligence and task performance. Research limitations/implications – The study has been conducted in Indian cultural context, which can be extended to other Asian countries. Further, more outcomes of cultural intelligence can be taken into consideration in future for better understanding of the concept. Practical implications – The study contributes toward cultural intelligence theory. Organization should provide cultural training to the managers before sending them to out of home state assignment, which helps to understand the culture of that state and effectively interact with people belonging to that place. Originality/value – The paper empirically identifies the relationship between cultural intelligence and task performance in Indian context. Further, this relationship has been explored by using cultural adjustment as a mediator between the two. The model developed can be used for future research keeping it as a base.


2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (6) ◽  
pp. 1232-1253 ◽  
Author(s):  
Van Thac Dang ◽  
Ying-Chyi Chou

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of extrinsic motivation, workplace learning, employer trust and self-efficacy on foreign laborers’ cross-cultural adjustment. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses structural equation modeling to analyze the data from a sample of 258 Vietnamese laborers in Taiwan. Findings The results show a significantly positive impact of extrinsic motivation, workplace learning, employer trust and self-efficacy on cross-cultural adjustment. Originality/value The findings of this study provide important implications for academic researchers and organizations concerning management and development of successful foreign laborers. From a theoretical aspect, this study shows new evidence on the impacts of extrinsic motivation, workplace learning, employer trust and self-efficacy on foreign laborer cross-cultural adjustment. In addition, this study enriches theories in the field of self-determination motivation, workplace learning, trust and self-efficacy literature. From a practical aspect, this study provides implications for business managers to make better policies in training and managing foreign laborers.


Author(s):  
Ioannis G. Katsantonis

The purpose of this study is twofold: (a) To confirm the mediating role of teachers’ self-efficacy between the relation of school climate and teachers’ job satisfaction and (b) to tease apart any cross-cultural effects of the association of self-efficacy and job satisfaction by comparing teachers’ responses. Drawing upon the publicly available TALIS 2018 (June 2019) database, a representative sample of 51,782 primary school teachers from 15 countries was used for the analyses. Structural equation modeling was implemented to test for mediation effects of teachers’ self-efficacy at the individuals’ level and a general linear model (GLM) MANOVA was applied to compare the participants’ scores in self-efficacy and job satisfaction across cultures. Results indicate, in accordance with previous research, that self-efficacy is a mediating variable of the relation between school climate and job satisfaction at the individuals’ level across cultures. Moreover, the GLM revealed statistically significant cross-cultural differences among teachers’ responses in job satisfaction and self-efficacy. These findings have implications for teachers’ wellbeing and resilience.


2020 ◽  
Vol 43 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peerayuth Charoensukmongkol ◽  
Arti Pandey

Purpose This paper aims to examine the effect of the cultural intelligence (CQ) of salespeople, who engage in cross-cultural selling, on the quality of cross-cultural sales presentations (CSSP) they demonstrate. Based on the self-efficacy theory, this research proposes that the effect of CQ on the quality of CSSP is mediated by sales self-efficacy (SSEF). Moreover, this research explores whether the effect of CQ on SSEF and the quality of CSSP can be moderated by the level of challenge orientation (CHO) that salespeople exhibit. Design/methodology/approach Survey data were collected from 282 salespeople who work at international tradeshows in Japan, India and Vietnam. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used for data analysis. Findings The results support the significant effect of sales-efficacy that partially mediates the association between CQ and CSSP. Moreover, the analysis of the moderating effect of CHO significantly shows that the positive association between CQ and CSSP is stronger for salespeople who possess low levels of CHO than those who possess high levels of CHO. Originality/value From the theoretical perspective, this research contributes to CQ literature by using the self-efficacy theory as a framework to provide a theoretical explanation as to why CQ could allow salespeople to perform better in sales communication with foreign customers. Moreover, this research broadens the knowledge of previous CQ research by showing that CQ might be particularly more important for individuals who lack CHO attitude toward the tasks they perform.


2014 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 372-398 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard C. Hoffman ◽  
Frank M. Shipper ◽  
Jeanette A. Davy ◽  
Denise M. Rotondo

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between managerial skills and effectiveness in a cross-cultural setting to determine their applicability. Design/methodology/approach – Data from 7,606 managers in 5 countries from a large multinational firm were analyzed using structural equation modeling to assess all relationships simultaneously and reduce error effects. Findings – The results support the cross-cultural validity of the model of managerial skills-effectiveness. Few cross-cultural differences were found. Interactive skills had greater positive impact on attitudes than initiating skills. Pressuring skills had a negative impact on attitudes. None of the skill sets were related to job performance. Research limitations/implications – Using a single firm and industry to control for other cultural levels may limit the generalizability of the results. Only three skill sets were assessed and one coarse-grained measure of culture was used. These factors may account for the few cultural differences observed. Practical implications – Training programs for managers going overseas should develop both interactive and initiating skills sets, as both had a positive impact on attitudes across cultures. Originality/value – The model of managerial skills and effectiveness was validated across five cultures. The use of structural equation modeling ensures that the results are not an artifact of the measures and represents a more direct test for cross-cultural differences. Managing successfully across cultures may require fewer unique skills, with more emphasis placed on using basic management skills having positive impact.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 3374 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Kai Liao ◽  
Wann-Yih Wu ◽  
Tuan Cong Dao ◽  
Thi-Minh Ngoc Luu

This study examines the influence of antecedents on cross-cultural competence and cross-cultural adjustment as well as the mediating role of cross-cultural competence for the influence of cultural adaptability on cross-cultural adjustment and expatriate performance. The partial least squares structural equation modeling technique was adopted to analyze the data from a survey of 240 expatriates working in Taiwan. The results confirm the positive effect of emotional intelligence and cultural adaptability on cross-cultural competence and of emotional intelligence and cross-cultural competence on cross-cultural adjustment. Moreover, the findings reveal a highly valuable milestone insight into the role of cross-cultural competence regarding their competency to foster the indirect influence of cultural adaptability on cross-cultural adjustment and expatriate performance in culturally diverse settings. Given that previous research has rarely identified the mediating role of cross-cultural competence in improving cross-cultural adjustment and expatriate performance, these findings could be highly beneficial for academics to conduct further validation and professional human resource managers in recruiting and managing expatriates.


2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-47
Author(s):  
Kay Tze Hong ◽  
Siew Imm Ng ◽  
Pei San Lai

Globalization have made intercultural competencies crucial for working and interacting effectively with people from diverse nationality, ethnics, and racial groups. Thus, this study tends to examine the predictors of cultural intelligence among international students and to propose strategies that could help international students to better adjust themselves while studying in Malaysia. A quantitative research approach was used in this study. Questionnaires were distributed and a sample size of the study collected consisted of 194 international students. Structural Equation Model using SMARTPLS was implemented to achieve the objectives of this study. The findings found that “Openness to Experience” personality trait, mainstream social connectedness, cultural exposure, and cross-cultural training were found to be positively related to cultural intelligence. Furthermore, cultural intelligence was found to have a positive significant relationship with cross-cultural adjustment. These findings underline the importance of predictors and cultural intelligence in understanding successful international students’ cross-cultural adjustments. The study also examines cultural intelligence in a multiple loci of intelligences framework, which consists of capabilities such as motivational, mental and behavioral aspects. This study has contributed to the area of cultural intelligence and cross-cultural adjustments by providing suggestions to industry players such as the Higher Education Institution, government agencies and managers in enhancing cultural intelligence of international students or expatriates.


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