Cultural

Intelligence:
A Key Competence for
Managers in a Diverse
and Global Workplace
By:

Yvonne du Plessis
Sumari ONeil
Riana van den Bergh

University of Pretoria
South Africa
 Overview
What is Cultural Intelligence
Importance of Cultural Intelligence
Purpose of this study
Methodology
Results
Discussion & Conclusion

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 What is Cultural Intelligence?

The ability to adapt to new cultural settings

Capability to cooperate effectively with other

people from a dissimilar cultural background
and understanding

Ability to function in Culturally Diverse

situations
Thomas & Inkson (2003) Early & Ang (2003) Early, Ang & Tan (2006)
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Basis of Cultural Intelligence (CI)

CI finds a place alongside the different

components of intelligence:

Emotional Intelligence (EI)

Social Intelligence

CI picks up where EI leaves off by taking the

impact of culture on interactions into account

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Components of Cultural Intelligence
Meta-Cognition (Head)
Learning Strategies
Clues to shared understandings

Motivation (Heart)
Overcome setbacks
High Self-Efficacy & Confidence

Behaviour (Body)
Mirror Customs & Gestures
Adopt Habits & Mannerisms

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Importance of (CI):

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

Capture the experiences and perceptions of

South African managers in culturally diverse
settings
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 WHY?
The need for this study
CI is a relatively new and unexplored concept as
a holistic phenomenon (lot on Diversity and EI,
but not CI)

Assess, Evaluate and Develop managers in

diverse environments Sustainable performance
in diverse globally competitive environments

Intercultural/multi-cultural training & development

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

Convenience Sample of 500 SA Managers

Response Rate: 70.6 % (353)

Development of a CI measurement instrument for South African Managers

(Poster presentation by Ms. Sumari ONeil, Dr Yvonne du Plessis and
Prof Leo Vermeulen)
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 Methodology (Cont)
Cultural Intelligence Questionnaire

Section A: Biographical Information

Section B: Cultural Intelligence

37 Closed-ended Items, 5-point Scale
(Motivation, Cognition, Behaviour)

6 Open-ended Questions
(Experiences, Perceptions,
Attitudes,Motivation)
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 Data analysis

Qualitative Analysis of 6 Open-Ended

Questions

Emergent themes per question coded

Frequency Analysis

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 Results
Question 38:
An employee from another culture
invites you for dinner and you
know that the food may be different
to what you are used to. What do
you do?

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 Themes: Give it a Try
Only eat certain
Foods
Inform host of dietary of
Accept Invitation requirements

Ask for guidance w.r.t.

Tell host of likes/dislikes
menu/explore the food
beforehand

Decline Invitation Only Accept if I want to

Feel Uncomfortable
get to know the person better
Don't Eat/Eat Beforehand

Suggest a restaurant/
different venue
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 Question 39:
My most exhilarating moment in having
to deal with people from different
cultures was:
..

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 Themes: Teamwork/ Teambuilding

Work-Related Experiences Negotiating

Presenting

Student Life/Schooling
Education-Related
Workshops/Training/
Experiences Teaching Celebrating
Differences
Mutual
Understanding differences/Similarities Understanding

Learning more about different cultures

Interactions with different cultures Conversations

Cultural Events
Language Travel/ Learning (weddings, funerals, dinners)
about other cultures
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 Question 40:
My most embarrassing moment in
having to deal with people from
different cultures was:

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Themes:
Race/Gender-related issues in the workplace
Discrimination
Categorisation/Stereotyping

Cultural Rituals & Ceremonies

Cultural Events
Dinners & Social Gatherings

Cultural Misunderstandings
Assumptions Language Barriers
Greetings
Gestures/Comments/Actions
Insensitivity/Lack of knowledge

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

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Themes:
Cross-Cultural Understanding
Knowledge & Understanding Respect Differences/Tolerance

Equal/Fair Treatment, Maximising Potential

Productivity
Organisational Objectives
Achieve Results irrespective of Culture

Managing Diversity
Communication

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 Question 42:
Are you actively trying to learn
about other cultures?
How?

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Themes: Participation in Cultural Events

DIRECT INTERACTIONS Travel

Social Interactions, Asking Questions

ACTIVE LEARNING METHODS Reading

Learning a new Language
Training
Television/Radio/Internet Forums Workshops

Passive Learning/Not Learning

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 Question 43:
In having to deal with people
from different cultures I would
like to have answers on the
following:

..

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 Themes: Taboos/Offensive Behaviour
Greetings/Display Respect
SOCIAL CONDUCT/ Language & Communication
APPROPRIATE BEHAVIOUR

PERCEPTIONS BETWEEN CULTURES

Globalisation

Stereotypes/ How different cultures

Specific Cultural Questions perceive each other

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 Discussion & Conclusion

Managers in SA state that CI is important as key

competence in multicultural settings

Managers are positively inclined towards learning

more about different cultures, especially through
active participation in cultural events, learning new
languages and interaction with other cultures

The achievement of organisational goals take

preference above cultural intelligence
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Key issues that emerged from
the analysis:

Participation in multi-cultural events

Mutual understanding and acceptance

Achieving organisational objectives

Learning and understanding through

interaction

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 Discussion & Conclusion (Cont)
Suggestions for future research:
Test validity of emergent themes (replication
study)
Exploring the attitudes, perceptions and
experiences of managers outside the RSA
context in order to determine the
generalisability of results
Comparison of results across different
nationalities/countries

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 Outcome 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

from CI as key competence, to deliver
sustainable performance in a diverse
global competitive environment.
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Any Questions?

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Thank you

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