This chapter covers two parts. The first part focuses on the conclusions of the findings of this study; and the second part presents theoretical implications, and suggestions for management.
Conclusions
The following section summarized the main findings of this research. The most primary investigation is to discover the relationship between cultural intelligence and cross-cultural adjustment. In details, the researcher would like to examine whether it exists a relationship between the four dimensions of cultural intelligence and cross-cultural adjustment; furthermore, whether the emotional intelligence moderates positively the relationship between cultural intelligence and cross-cultural adjustment. Based on the findings of this research, the conclusions are as follow.
Cultural Intelligence and Cross-Cultural Adjustment
The result showed a significant and positive relationship between cultural intelligence and cross-cultural adjustment. Based on the data analysis, those who have high cultural intelligence, the language ability to speak and understand average Chinese as the host country national language, can easily adjust to the unfamiliar environment in Taiwan, because they might have the ability to interact across culture and they might communicate with their host country’s co-workers, peers and superiors. Besides, they might understand the verbal behaviors of the locals, when they have to interact between each other.
Emotional Intelligence, Cultural Intelligence and Cross-Cultural Adjustment Base on the testing of moderation, the interaction effect (emotional intelligence and
52
low in emotional intelligence, are high in the relationship of cultural intelligence and cross-cultural adjustment. This result does not support the Hypothesis two. This implies that no matter the Thai workers have a low emotional intelligence, their cultural intelligence and cross-cultural adjustment ability are higher than those whose emotional intelligence is high.
Moreover, although their emotional intelligence is low, the relationship between cultural intelligence and cross-cultural adjustment is high, because they have to interact with their superiors and co-workers; also the Thai workers have to adjust to their job and responsibilities, the food and transportation system in Taiwan.
Suggestions
This research provides theoretical implications and suggestions for management and manpower agencies.
Theoretical implications
Although many researchers have investigated emotional intelligence, cultural intelligence, and cross-cultural adjustment which are related to a several issues, nevertheless, few studies carry out investigations among those three variables that are mentioned earlier.
This study makes substantial theoretical contribution to the academia particularly in highlighting and explores the effect of emotional intelligence as a moderator on the relationship between cultural intelligence and cross-cultural adjustment. Base on the findings, there was a positive relationship between cultural intelligence and cross-cultural adjustment.
This implies that when an individual has high cultural intelligence abilities, her or his probability of cross-cultural adjustment will be high as well. It is important to highlight that only one of the cultural intelligence dimensions, such as cognitive cultural intelligence was positive related to cross-cultural adjustment of the Thai workers in the productive industry in Taiwan, they were not hypothesized in this research but can potentially produce interesting results in future research as to reason why only one dimension is positively related to
cross-cultural adjustment.
Moreover, this study found that the Chinese language (speaking and listening comprehension) as a way to communicate with the locals was a positive factor related to cultural intelligence and cross-cultural adjustment. Besides, this research found that the moderator variable of emotional intelligence negatively affects the cultural intelligence of workers who are capable of adjusting cross culturally. This implies that those workers, who are low in emotional intelligence, are high in adjusting cross-culturally because most of the foreign workers live at the dormitory of their companies and they usually interact with their fellows, supervisors and co-workers. Finally, each emotional intelligence’s dimensions such as appraisal and expression of emotion in the self (SEA), appraisal and recognition of emotion in others (OEA), regulation of emotion in the self (ROE), and use of emotion to facilitate performance (UOE) were shown to be related to cultural intelligence and cross-cultural adjustment. They were not hypothesized in this research but can potentially produce interesting results in future research as to reason why they are negative to cultural intelligence and cross-cultural adjustment.
Suggestion for management and manpower agencies
Base on the research findings, Those Thai workers, who are low in adjusting cross-culturally, are high in emotional intelligence. It is therefore substantial that managers and manpower agencies consider how to enhance candidate or employee’s cross-cultural adjustment abilities, and managers may provide Chinese language training to the Thai workers. Besides, since the factor of Chinese language ability (speaking and listening comprehension) was positively related to emotional intelligence, cultural intelligence and cross-cultural adjustment; it is relevant to pay attention to the Thai workers language ability during the recruiting selection process as a requirement to work abroad.
54
REFERENCE
Ang, S., Van Dyne, L., & Koh, C. (2006). Personality correlates of the four-factor model of cultural intelligence. Group & Organization Management, 31 (1), 100-123.
Ang, S., Van Dyne, L., Koh, C., Ng, K. Y., Templer, K. J., Tay, C., & Chandrasekar, N. A.
(2007). Cultural intelligence: Its measurement and effects on cultural judgment and decision making, cultural adaptation and task performance. Management and Organization Review, 3 (3), 335-371.
Bagshaw, M. (2000). Emotional intelligence – training people to be affective so they can be effective. Industrial and Commercial Training, 32 (2), 61-65.
Bhaskar-Shrinivas, P., Shaffer, M. A., & Luk, D. M. (2005). Input-based and time-base models of international adjustment: Meta-analytic evidence and theoretical extensions.
Academy of Management Journal, 48, (2), 257-281.
Black, S. J. (1988). Work role transitions: a study of American expatriate managers in Japan.
Journal of International Business studies, 19, 277-294.
Black, J. S. (1990). The Relationship of personal characteristics with the adjustment of Japanese expatiate managers. Management International Review, 30 (2), 119-134.
Black, J. S., & Gregersen, H. B. (1991a). The other half of the picture: Antecedents of spouse cross-cultural adjustment. Journal of International Business Studies, 22 (3), 461-478.
Black, J. S., & Gregersen, H. B. (1991b). When Yankee comes home: Factors related to expatriate and spouse repatriation adjustment. Journal of International Business Studies, 22 (4), 671-694.
Black, J. S., & Mendenhall, M. (1990). Cross-cultural training effectiveness: A review and a theoretical framework for future research. Academy of Management Review, 15 (1), 113-136.
Black, J. S., & Mendenhall, M. (1991). The U-curve adjustment hypothesis revisited: A review and theoretical framework. Journal of International Business, 22 (2), 225-247.
Black, J. S., Mendenhall, M. & Oddou, G. (1991). Toward a comprehensive model of
international adjustment: An integration of multiple theoretical perspectives. Academy of Management Review, 16 (2), 291-317.
Black, J. S., & Stephens, G. K. (1989). The influence of the spouse on American expatriate adjustment and intent to stay in Pacific Rim overseas assignments. Journal of Management, 15 (4), 529-544.
Brislin, R., Worthley, R., & Macnab, B. (2006). Cultural intelligence: Understanding
behaviors that serve people’s goals. Group and Organization Management, 31 (1), 40-55.
Brown, F. W., Bryant, S. E., & Reilly, M. D. (2006). Does emotional intelligence – as measured by the EQI – influence transformational leadership and/or desirable outcomes? Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 27 (5), 330-351.
Bureau of employment and vocational training (2009). Foreign workers statistics. Retrieved May 4, 2010 from URL:
http://www.evta.gov.tw/content/list.asp?mfunc_id=14&func_id=57
Caligiuri, P. M. (2000). Selecting expatriates for personality characteristics: A moderating effect of personality on the relationship between host national contact and cross-cultural adjustment. Management International Review, 40, 61-80.
Central Intelligence Agency (2009). Taiwan. Retrieved December 26, 2009 from URL:
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/tw.html
Central Intelligence Agency (2009). Thailand. Retrieved December 26, 2009 from URL:
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/th.html
Chen, S. M. (2005). Handle our Thai relations carefully. Retrieved February 7, 2010 from URL: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2005/08/30/2003269730
Chuang, J. (2005). Thai workers riot against unfair firm. Retrieved February 7, 2010 from URL: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2005/08/23/2003268802
Council of Labors Affairs of Taiwan (2010). Foreign workers statistics. Retrieved May 4, 2010 from URL:http://www.cla.gov.tw/cgi-bin/siteMaker/SM_theme?page=49c05774
56
Cohen, J., Cohen, P., West, S. & Aiken, L. (2003). Applied multiple/Correlation analysis for behavioral sciences. Lawrence Erlbaum, Mahwah, N.J.
Council of Labors Affairs of Taiwan (2008). Overview of foreign workers labor introduction.
Retrieved June 12, 2010 from URL:
http://www.cla.gov.tw/cgi-bin/siteMaker/SM_theme?page=48f401c4
Early, P. C. (2002). Redefining interactions across cultures and organizations: Moving forward with cultural intelligence. Research Organizational Behavior 24, 271-299.
Early, P. C., Ang, S. (2003). Cultural intelligence: Individual interactions across cultures.
Palo Alto, California: Stanford University Press.
Early, P. C., Ang, S., & Tan J. S. (2006). Developing cultural intelligence at work. Stanford University Press.
Earley, P. C., & Mosakowski, E. (2004). Cultural intelligence. Harvard Business Review, 82 (10), 139-146.
Earley, P. C., & Peterson R. (2004). The elusive cultural chameleon: Cultural intelligence as a new approach to intercultural training for the global manager. Academy of Management Learning and Education, 3 (1), 100-115.
Executive Yuan, R.O.C. Taiwan (2009). Directorate-general of budget, accounting and statistics. Retrieved December 26, 2009 from URL:
http://eng.dgbas.gov.tw/mp.asp?mp=2
Field, A. (2009). Discovering statistics using SPSS. SAGE Publication Ltd; London.
Gabel, R. S., Dolan, S. L., & Cerdin, J. L. (2005). Emotional intelligence as predictor of cultural adjustment for success in global assignments. Career Development International, 10 (5), 375-395.
Hechanova, R., Beehr, T. A., & Christiansen, N. D. (2003). Antecedents and consequences of employees’ adjustment to overseas assignment: A meta-analytic review. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 52, (2), 213-236.
Hofstede, G. (1999). Culturas y organizaciones; El software mental, la cooperación internacional y su importancia para la supervivencia. Alianza Editorial, S.A. Madrid.
Hofstede, G. (1983). National cultures in four dimensions; a research – based theory of cultural indifferences among nations. International Studies of Management &
Organization, XIII, (1-2), 46-74.
Hofstede, G. & Hofstede, G. J. (2005). Cultures and organizations. Software of the mind.
Intercultural cooperation and its importance for survival. The McGraw-Hill companies, New York, NY.
Kim, K., Kirman, B. L., & Chen, G. (2006). Cultural intelligence and international
assignment effectiveness. Academy of Management Best Conference Paper, 2006 IM:
C1-C6.
Kim, K. & Slocum, J. W. (2008). Individual differences and expatriates assignment effectiveness: The case of U.S. based Korean expatriates. Journal of World Business, 43, 109-126
Koman, E. S., & Wolff, S. B. (2008). Emotional intelligence competencies in the team and team leader. A multi-level examination of the impact of emotional intelligence on team performance. Journal of Management Development, 27 (1) 55-75.
Kumar, N., Rose, C. R., & Subramaniam (2008). The bond between intelligences: cultural, emotional, and social. Performance Improvement, 47 (10), 42-48.
Law, K. S., Wong, C. S., & Song, L. J. (2004). The constructs and criterion validity of emotional intelligence and its potential utility for management studies. Journal of Applied Psychology, 89 (3), 483-4965
58
Thomas, D. C., Inkson, K. (2004). Cultural intelligence: People skills for global business.
Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc, San Francisco.
Templer, K. J., Tay, C., & Chandrasekar N. A. (2006). Motivational cultural intelligence, realistic job preview, realistic living conditions preview, and cross-cultural adjustment.
Group & Organization Management, 31 (1), 154-173.
The cultural intelligence center (2005). The 20 item four factor cultural intelligence scale.
Retrieved December 26, 2009 from URL: http://culturalq.com/20itemscale.html
Triandis, H. C. (2006). Cultural intelligence in organizations. Group & Organization Management, 31 (1) 20-26.
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (2010). Culture of Taiwan. Retrieved February 7, 2010 from URL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Taiwan
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (2010). Thailand. Retrieved February 7, 2010 from URL:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thailand
Winkelman, M. (1994). Cultural Shock and adaptation. Journal of Counseling &
Development, 73, 121-126.
Wong, C. S., & Law, K. S. (2002). The effects of leader and follower emotional intelligence on performance and attitude: An exploratory study. The Leadership Quarterly, 13, 243-274.
Appendix- A
Hierarchical Regression Analysis for four Cultural Intelligence’s Dimensions Predicting Cross-Cultural Adjustment (N=322)
60
Appendix- B
Moderator effect of appraisal and expression of emotion in the self on the relationship between CQ and cross-cultural adjustment
Moderator effect of regulation of emotion in the self on the relationship between CQ and cross-cultural adjustment
Moderator effect of use of emotion to facilitate performance on the relationship between CQ and cross-cultural adjustment
Moderator effect of appraisal and recognition of emotion in others on the relationship between CQ and cross-cultural adjustment