Cross Cultural Intelligence At The Workplace: An Analysis Of Two Journal Articles

Concept of Cultural Intelligence at Workplace

Discuss about the Cross Cultural Intelligence at the Workplace.

In the recent times, globalization of businesses is taking place at a rapid pace leading to significant changes in the ways in which people tend to work together. Again globalization has led to consequences like more contact between the cultures (Ang et al., 2007).

Thus taking into consideration the above aspects, the essay emphasizes upon analyzing the concept of cultural intelligence at workplace with major emphasis upon cross cultural adaptation. This would be conducted by critically reviewing two journal articles on cultural intelligence and then identify the strengths and weakness both the articles to identify the more convincing article.

(Aycan, 2009) defines cultural intelligence as capability on the part of the individuals to successfully adapt to the unfamiliar and new cultural settings and thus efficiently function in situations that are characterized by the cultural diversity. With increase in the advancements in technology together with globalization and increasing trend on the part of the business organizations to hire foreign talent for business has made it mandatory to work and operate in a culturally diverse environment making it important for the individuals associated with these organizations to acquire the skills to deal with cultural diversity (Bleichrodt et al., 2006). So it can be said that cross cultural intelligence has emerged as a major concept in today’s business environment and thus the business organizations in order to develop compassion between the clients and the colleagues from different cultural backgrounds and nationalities should emphasize upon developing a common ground, avoid stereotyping, and maintain a learning environment. Moreover, in context to the situation of cross cultural intelligence, the concept of cross cultural adjustment also took place. As per the studies conducted by Crowne, (2013), cross cultural adjustment can be defined as the degree of psychological comfort that an expatriate feels with different aspects of the host culture. Thus the adjustments need to be made in relation to the interactions that take place with the nationals of the host country, the general environment and work i.e. the job responsibilities, supervisory responsibilities and performance standards. Thus it can be said that cross cultural adjustment can be looked upon as a major indicator and the determinant of the success of the expatriate in relation to his international assignments.

Again, taking into consideration the concept of cross cultural intelligence and cross cultural adaptation by the individuals, the essay mainly emphasizes upon two journal articles like “The Effects of Cultural Intelligence on Cross Cultural Adjustment and Job Performance” and “Cultural Intelligence: Domain and Assessment”.

Two Journal Articles on Cross Cultural Intelligence

As per the second journal i.e. “Cultural Intelligence: Domain and Assessment”, the concept of cultural intelligence has recently been stressed and emphasized upon, however it puts forward the fact that the aspect at workplace possess the potentiality of providing an in depth explanations towards the effectiveness in cross cultural interactions. So this article emphasizes upon clearly defining the cultural intelligence on the basis of the review of the available literature in the domains of the social cognition, the cross cultural interactions and intelligence (Thomas et al., 2008). Moreover the article defines cultural intelligence as a system that facilitates effective interaction between the skills and knowledge that is efficiently linked by the cultural meta-cognition that possess the ability of driving individuals to successfully adapt to, select and shape the cultural aspects related to the environment in which they are in.

On the other hand the article “The Effects of Cultural Intelligence on Cross Cultural Adjustment and Job Performance” and thus it investigated the effects of cultural intelligence and its dimensions on the cross cultural adjustments and also the job performance of the individuals. The article puts forward the fact that cultural intelligence can be looked upon as a major cross cultural competency that helps the expatriates towards cross cultural adaptation and also enhances their job performance while working for their organization in other nations (Wei and Rose, 2011). Moreover, it also led to the development of the fact that the individuals who are characterized with greater meta-cognitive and motivational cultural intelligence possess greater ability of cross cultural adjustments. It also reveals that there exists a significant positive relationship between the contextual performances of the expatriates and behavioral and meta-cognitive cultural intelligence. But, this article does not support the fact that that there exists a significant positive relationship task performance and cultural intelligence.        

Thus the analysis of the fact proposed by both the articles reveals the fact where some situations, both the articles are in perfect alignment with each other; there are some aspects like in context to the relationship between the task performance of the individuals and cultural intelligence. Again, in comparing the findings of the study to my knowledge of cross cultural intelligence and cultural adaptability, I would like to emphasize upon the fact that cross cultural intelligence is a type of system that facilitates the individuals to acquire the skills and knowledge that is required to perform the tasks and assignments in different nations i.e. work efficiently in a diverse working environment. As per my concept, I was aware of the fact that crosses cultural intelligence tends to make a significant impact on the task performance of the individual, but the findings of the article revealed that there does not exit any significant relationship between the cultural intelligence and task performance. I was also not aware of the facts like meta-cognition, behavioral cognition and motivational cognition, but these articles briefly explained these concepts that led to enhanced understanding and knowledge on my part. Thus it can be said that the reference materials that have been selected for the study is based upon some specific context about which I had little knowledge and has also presented fresh perspectives that include how cross cultural intelligence, cross cultural adaptation and performance of the tasks by the individual is interrelated.

Analysis of Journal Articles

 Analysis of the perspectives and the arguments that have been presented by the selected reference materials, it can be said that cultural intelligence has been portrayed as a system that facilitates the individuals with efficient interacting abilities. As similar to general intelligence, cultural intelligence’s construct is so broad that it is possible to categorize the skills component and measure the same in various different ways. It emphasizes upon the fact that cultural meta-cognition possesses a central position in the conceptualization of the cultural intelligence and it can be looked upon as an element that leads to emergence of cultural intelligence through effective interaction of the constituent elements of meta-cognition (Evelina etal., 2008). In alignment with the earlier discussed article, the second article also portrays cultural intelligence as an intercultural capacity that is important on the part of the individuals i.e. the expatriates who are working in foreign countries and in a different cultural environment. Moreover, adding to the above aspects, this article also provides a clear description of why it becomes easy for some individuals to adapt and interact in an efficient manner in foreign cultures in comparison to others beyond the ability of simply acquiring the ability to understand and communicate in the foreign language. This articles has also explained the concept of meta-cognition cultural intelligence and the facts put forwards by both the articles are in alignment with each other.

Through effective comparisons of both the articles selected as a reference material, it can be said that the article “The Effects of Cultural Intelligence on Cross Cultural Adjustment and Job Performance” is more convincing and this because of the fact that the article is mainly based upon the research study that has been conducted to analyze the concept of cross cultural intelligence and its impact on the job performance and cross cultural adjustments of the expatriates. So all the facts that has been provided in this article is based upon the practical observations and data collected through survey i.e. the real time data collated for this purpose only. However another article “Cultural Intelligence: Domain and Assessment” can also be considered to be effective, but it lacks to support its points by the practical observations. But again on the other hand, it emphasized upon supporting its facts through the available literature. Focusing upon the strengths of both the articles, it can be said that where the one article has based its provided facts on the basis of both the available literature and practical observations collected through survey, the other article based its facts upon the facts and arguments put forward by the different researchers and authors. The authors of both the articles have emphasized upon presenting a well balanced argument and have substantiated the fact either through the arguments of previous authors or through the facts. An in depth analysis of the facts put forward by both the articles revels that the facts hold true and there aspects like how cross cultural competency and cross cultural adaptation can prove to be beneficial for the organization of the indivuals have not been addressed together with the ways in which cross cultural intelligence at workplace can be enhanced and improved.

Conclusion

Thus from the above discussions, it can be said that cross cultural intelligence at workplace and cross cultural adaptation by the individuals have emerged due to tendency of the organizations to go global and hire foreign talent for business growth. So in this context, it becomes important to efficiently manage individuals at workplace to make able to adapt to different cultures and promote diversity at workplace.

References

Ang, S., Van Dyne, L., Koh, C., Ng, K.Y., Templar, K.J., Tay, C., (2007) ‘Cultural Intelligence: Its Measurement and Effects on Cultural Judgement and Decision Making, Cultural Adaptation and Task Performance’, Management and Organization Review 3(03): 335–71.

Aycan, Z. (2009) ‘Acculturation of Expatriate Managers: A Process Model of Adjustment and Performance’, in Z. Aycan (ed.) New Approaches to Employee Management, Vol. 4: Expatriate Management: Theory and Research, pp. 1–40. Stamford, CT: JAI Press

Bleichrodt, N., Hoksbergen, R. and Khire, U. (2006). Cross-Cultural Testing of Intelligence. Cross-Cultural Research, 33(1), pp.3-25.

Crowne, K. (2013). Cultural exposure, emotional intelligence, and cultural intelligence: An exploratory study.International Journal of Cross Cultural Management, 13(1), pp.5-22.

Evelina Ascalon, M., Schleicher, D. and Born, M. (2008). Crossâ€Âcultural social intelligence. Cross Cultural Management, 15(2), pp.109-130.

Rehg, M., Gundlach, M. and Grigorian, R. (2012). Examining the influence of crossâ€Âcultural training on cultural intelligence and specific selfâ€Âefficacy. Cross Cultural Management, 19(2), pp.215-232.

Thomas, D., Elron, E., Stahl, G., Ekelund, B., Ravlin, E., Cerdin, J., Poelmans, S., Brislin, R., Pekerti, A., Aycan, Z., Maznevsk, M., Au, K. and Lazarova, M. (2008). Cultural Intelligence : Domain and Assessment. International Journal of Cross Cultural Management, Vol 8(2)(DOI: 10.1177/1470595808091787), pp.123–143.

Wei, C. and Rose, R. (2011). The Effects of Cultural Intelligence on Cross-Cultural Adjustment and Job Performance amongst Expatriates in Malaysia. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 2(9), pp.59-66.

Zeidner, M. (1990). Perceptions of Ethnic Group Modal Intelligence: Reflections of Cultural Stereotypes or Intelligence Test Scores?. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 21(2), pp.214-231.