Abstract

The aim of this study is to demonstrate the importance of Cultural Intelligence (CQ) in management performance through measurable performance assessment. In an empirical study, “Cultural Intelligence and Management Competencies”, managers provided a self-assessment and their subordinates also reported on their performance. Correlation analysis of the results of this study was used to examine the relationship between managers’ CQ and their Management Competencies. Among the factors examined (CQ, gender, origin, age, work experience, position and education), the level of CQ of managers correlates significantly with their management competencies. Our findings indicate that managers with higher CQ are more effective in their leadership roles, and we conclude that the CQ of leaders contributes to a more positive perception of leadership performance in teams that are characterized by significant cultural diversity.

Introduction

Cultural Intelligence, a 21st century concept, determines the extent of workers’ success in foreign cultures, but also provide an answer to why dealing with issues that arise from cross-cultural problems can cause failure or success. The name used for this concept is Cultural Intelligence, which was abbreviated by Ang as CQ, “short for cultural intelligence quotient” [۱]; both forms (Cultural Intelligence and CQ) are used in research and the literature equally for the cultural intelligence model itself and the measured level of cultural intelligence, which can be confusing. In this study, the CQ abbreviation is used for both.

The individual relationships of a person living in a foreign culture have an impact on their life, their resilience and, of course, their performance in the workplace. The ways in which people can be successfully encouraged to work better vary from nation to nation and culture to culture. For all these reasons, there is a growing need for more and more people—whether managers or subordinates—to excel in their professions and to successfully overcome intercultural barriers, whether at home or in cultures and countries other than their own [2].

 Results

۴٫۱٫ Results of RQ1

To assess the CQ of the managers, the scores given by the subordinates filling in the CQS were used. The first step to investigate the possibility of measuring CQ was to test the validity of the CQS. This was followed by an examnation of the scores obtained based on the different characteristics of the managers (i.e., gender, age, educational level, position).

۴٫۱٫۱٫ Checking the Validity of the CQ Scale

For the research, the Cultural Intelligence Center’s Cultural Intelligence Scale (CQS) was used. The scores received were then used to check the validity of the CQS questions and corresponding dimensions. To check this, principal component analysis was performed on the questions of the scales and the internal consistency of the resulting sets of questions was examined using Cronbach’s alpha analysis.