cultural intelligence: a key competence for managers in a diverse and global workplace by: yvonne du...

Cultural Cultural Intelligence:Intelligence:

A Key Competence for A Key Competence for Managers in a Diverse Managers in a Diverse and Global Workplaceand Global Workplace

By:By:

Yvonne du PlessisYvonne du PlessisSumari O’NeilSumari O’Neil

Riana van den BerghRiana van den Bergh

University of Pretoria

South Africa

Cultural Intelligence: EAWOP 2007 2

OverviewOverview

What is Cultural Intelligence What is Cultural Intelligence

Importance of Cultural IntelligenceImportance of Cultural Intelligence

Purpose of this studyPurpose of this study

MethodologyMethodology

ResultsResults

Discussion & ConclusionDiscussion & Conclusion


What is Cultural Intelligence?What is Cultural Intelligence?

The ability to adapt to new cultural settingsThe ability to adapt to new cultural settings

Capability to cooperate effectively with other Capability to cooperate effectively with other people from a dissimilar cultural background people from a dissimilar cultural background and understandingand understanding

Ability to function in Culturally Diverse Ability to function in Culturally Diverse situationssituations

Thomas & Inkson (2003) Early & Ang (2003) Early, Ang & Tan (2006)


Basis of Cultural Intelligence (CI)Basis of Cultural Intelligence (CI)

CI finds a place alongside the different CI finds a place alongside the different components of intelligence:components of intelligence:

Emotional Intelligence (EI)Emotional Intelligence (EI)

Social Intelligence Social Intelligence

CI picks up where EI leaves off by taking the CI picks up where EI leaves off by taking the impact of culture on interactions into accountimpact of culture on interactions into account


Components of Cultural IntelligenceComponents of Cultural IntelligenceMeta-Cognition (Head)Meta-Cognition (Head)

Learning StrategiesLearning Strategies

Clues to shared understandingsClues to shared understandings

Motivation (Heart)Motivation (Heart)Overcome setbacksOvercome setbacks

High Self-Efficacy & ConfidenceHigh Self-Efficacy & Confidence

Behaviour (Body)Behaviour (Body)Mirror Customs & GesturesMirror Customs & Gestures

Adopt Habits & MannerismsAdopt Habits & Mannerisms


Importance of (CI):Importance of (CI):


Purpose of the StudyPurpose of the Study

The The purposepurpose of this study is to explore how of this study is to explore how managers in South African organizations, managers in South African organizations, who have to succeed in an existing multi-who have to succeed in an existing multi-cultural workplace, perceive the term cultural cultural workplace, perceive the term cultural intelligence, as well as its importance as a intelligence, as well as its importance as a key managerial competencekey managerial competence

Capture the experiences and perceptions of Capture the experiences and perceptions of South African managers in culturally diverse South African managers in culturally diverse

settingssettings


WHY?WHY?The need for this studyThe need for this study

CI is a relatively CI is a relatively newnew and and unexploredunexplored concept as concept as a holistic phenomenon (lot on Diversity and EI, a holistic phenomenon (lot on Diversity and EI, but not CI)but not CI)

Assess, Evaluate and Develop managers in Assess, Evaluate and Develop managers in diverse environments – diverse environments – Sustainable performanceSustainable performance in in diverse globally competitivediverse globally competitive environments environments

Intercultural/multi-cultural Intercultural/multi-cultural training & developmenttraining & development


Qualitative part of a broader studyQualitative part of a broader studyBasis of Questionnaire: CQ™ Self Assessment Basis of Questionnaire: CQ™ Self Assessment (Linn van Dyne & Soon Ang, 2005)(Linn van Dyne & Soon Ang, 2005)

Convenience Sample of 500 SA ManagersConvenience Sample of 500 SA Managers

Response Rate: 70.6 % (353)Response Rate: 70.6 % (353)

Development of a CI measurement instrument for South African Managers Development of a CI measurement instrument for South African Managers (Poster presentation by Ms. Sumari O’Neil, Dr Yvonne du Plessis and (Poster presentation by Ms. Sumari O’Neil, Dr Yvonne du Plessis and Prof Leo Vermeulen)Prof Leo Vermeulen)

MethodologyMethodology


Methodology (Cont…)Methodology (Cont…)

Cultural Intelligence QuestionnaireCultural Intelligence Questionnaire

Section A: Biographical InformationSection A: Biographical Information

Section B: Cultural IntelligenceSection B: Cultural Intelligence• 37 Closed-ended Items, 5-point Scale 37 Closed-ended Items, 5-point Scale (Motivation, Cognition, Behaviour)(Motivation, Cognition, Behaviour)

• 6 Open-ended Questions6 Open-ended Questions (Experiences, Perceptions, (Experiences, Perceptions, Attitudes,Motivation)Attitudes,Motivation)


Qualitative Analysis of 6 Open-Ended Questions

Emergent themes per question coded

Frequency Analysis

Data analysisData analysis


Question 38:Question 38: An employee from another culture An employee from another culture

invites you for dinner and you invites you for dinner and you know that the food may be different know that the food may be different

to what you are used to. What do to what you are used to. What do you do?you do?

………………………………………………

ResultsResults


Themes:Themes:

Ask for guidance w.r.t. menu/explore the food beforehand

Only Accept if I want to get to know the person better

Accept Invitation

Give it a TryGive it a Try

Only eat certain Only eat certain FoodsFoods

Inform host of dietary of requirements

Tell host of likes/dislikes

Feel UncomfortableDecline Invitation

Suggest a restaurant/different venue

Don't Eat/Eat Beforehand


Question 39: Question 39: My most exhilarating moment in having My most exhilarating moment in having

to deal with people from different to deal with people from different cultures was:cultures was:

…………………………………………………………....


Themes:Themes:

Presenting

Work-Related Experiences Negotiating

Teamwork/ Teambuilding

Workshops/Training/Workshops/Training/TeachingTeaching

Student Life/SchoolingEducation-Related Experiences

Mutual Understanding

Celebrating Differences

Learning more about different cultures

Understanding differences/Similarities

Interactions with different cultures Conversations

Cultural Events Cultural Events (weddings, funerals, dinners)(weddings, funerals, dinners)Travel/ LearningTravel/ Learning

about other culturesabout other culturesLanguage


Question 40:Question 40:My most embarrassing moment in My most embarrassing moment in

having to deal with people from having to deal with people from different cultures was:different cultures was:

………………………………………………………………


Themes:Themes:

Gestures/Comments/Actions

Discrimination

Cultural Events

Cultural Misunderstandings

Race/Gender-related issues in the workplace

Categorisation/Stereotyping

Cultural Rituals & Ceremonies

Dinners & Social GatheringsDinners & Social Gatherings

AssumptionsGreetings

Insensitivity/Lack of knowledgeInsensitivity/Lack of knowledge

Language BarriersLanguage Barriers


Question 41:Question 41: What are your goals as a What are your goals as a manager/supervisor of a manager/supervisor of a

multicultural group?multicultural group?


Themes:Themes:

Cross-Cultural Understanding

Organisational Objectives

Knowledge & UnderstandingKnowledge & Understanding Respect Differences/Tolerance

Equal/Fair Treatment, Maximising Potential

ProductivityProductivity

Achieve Results irrespective of CultureAchieve Results irrespective of Culture

Managing Diversity

Communication


Question 42: Question 42: Are you actively trying to learn Are you actively trying to learn

about other cultures? about other cultures? How?How?


Themes:Themes:

Passive Learning/Not Learning

Participation in Cultural EventsParticipation in Cultural Events

DIRECT INTERACTIONS Travel

Social Interactions, Asking QuestionsSocial Interactions, Asking Questions

Learning a new Language

ACTIVE LEARNING METHODS ReadingReading

Training

Television/Radio/Internet WorkshopsForums


Question 43:Question 43: In having to deal with people In having to deal with people

from different cultures I would from different cultures I would like to have answers on the like to have answers on the

following:following:

………………………………………………………………....


Themes:Themes:

SOCIAL CONDUCT/APPROPRIATE BEHAVIOUR

Taboos/Offensive BehaviourTaboos/Offensive Behaviour

Greetings/Display RespectGreetings/Display Respect

Language & Communication

PERCEPTIONS BETWEEN CULTURES

How different cultures How different cultures perceive each otherperceive each other

Stereotypes/Stereotypes/Specific Cultural QuestionsSpecific Cultural Questions

Globalisation


Managers in SA state that CI is important as key Managers in SA state that CI is important as key competence in multicultural settingscompetence in multicultural settings

Managers are positively inclined towards learning Managers are positively inclined towards learning more about different cultures, especially through more about different cultures, especially through active participation in cultural events, learning new active participation in cultural events, learning new languages and interaction with other cultureslanguages and interaction with other cultures

The achievement of organisational goals take The achievement of organisational goals take preference above cultural intelligencepreference above cultural intelligence

Discussion & ConclusionDiscussion & Conclusion


Key issues that emerged from Key issues that emerged from the analysis:the analysis:

Participation in multi-cultural eventsmulti-cultural events

Mutual understandingMutual understanding and acceptance

Achieving organisational objectivesorganisational objectives

Learning and understanding through interactioninteraction


Discussion & Conclusion (Cont…)Discussion & Conclusion (Cont…)Suggestions for future research:Suggestions for future research:

Test validity of emergent themes (replication (replication study)study)

Exploring the attitudes, perceptions and experiences of managers outside the RSA context in order to determine the generalisability of resultsgeneralisability of results

Comparison of resultsComparison of results across different nationalities/countries


Outcome of the studyOutcome of the study

We hope that these shared experiences and perceptions of South African managers on

Cultural Intelligence will inspire

the rest of the world.

Managers can benefit Managers can benefit

from CI as key competence, to deliver from CI as key competence, to deliver sustainable performance in a diverse sustainable performance in a diverse

global competitive environment.global competitive environment.


Any Questions?Any Questions?


Thank youThank you

cultural intelligence: a key competence for managers in a diverse and global workplace by: yvonne du...

Documents

term cultural intelligence

dissimilar cultural

motivation slide

diverse settings slide

account slide

study ci

importance of ci

behaviour motivation