The effects of cultural intelligence on expatriate performance: the moderating effects of international experience

TLDR

Cultural intelligence, cultural effectiveness, and cultural adjustment are key determinants of expatriate performance, yet their interrelationships and the influence of prior international experience remain largely unexplored. The study investigates how CQ and expatriates' experience affect cultural adjustment, cultural effectiveness, and expatriate performance. The authors examine the mediating roles of cultural adjustment and cultural effectiveness between CQ and performance, and assess how prior international working and travel experience moderates these relationships. CQ positively influences expatriate performance only through cultural adjustment and cultural effectiveness, and prior international experience moderates these mediating effects. Keywords: adjustment, cultural intelligence (CQ), effectiveness, international experience, performance.

Abstract

Abstract In recent years, cultural intelligence (CQ, or the ability that an expatriate has to adapt across cultures), cultural effectiveness (the ability to interact and communicate with host nationals), and cultural adjustment are regarded as three of the most important factors for expatriate performance. However, the interrelationships between these variables have largely been ignored. Moreover, the role of previous international experiences on the above interrelationships has also not been determined. This study focuses on how CQ and expatriates' experience affects cultural adjustment, cultural effectiveness, and expatriates' performance. The results reveal that the positive effect of CQ needs to be mediated by cultural adjustment and cultural effectiveness before affecting expatriate performance. Furthermore, expatriates' prior international working and travel experiences moderate the effects of CQ on cultural adjustment and cultural effectiveness. Keywords: adjustmentcultural intelligence (CQ)effectivenessinternational experienceperformance