Contracting and Negotiating 6

CULTURAL INTELLIGENCE 2

Cultural Intelligence

Edwin Villa Rivera

MKTG 410

American Military University

4 April 2021

Cultural intelligence in the enhancement of personal and organizational effectiveness

Introduction

Current times call for interaction with people of different cultural backgrounds. Places of work, sports, and even when undertaking our education promote the cultural exchange. It is difficult sometimes to get along with individuals with these varying cultural backgrounds, but it is our obligation to understand those cultures to feel at ease when interrelating. Therefore, it is critical for one to have cultural intelligence to enhance their effectiveness.

What is cultural intelligence?

Cultural intelligence can be defined as cultural awareness and sensitivity in places where people are of diverse cultures such as corporations. It can also be defined, in broad terms, as the ability to relate to culturally diverse situations and work effectively in them. it affects the effectiveness of individuals and the level of their performance. Van, Ang & Tan (2016) states that the individual with high cultural intelligence has the ability to accomplish goals in respectful and effective ways regardless of cultural context.

Impacts of cultural intelligence in the enhancement of personal and organizational effectiveness

Daily interaction with different individuals in different cultural backgrounds is something unavoidable. However, this cultural background affects the understanding and our getting along. It is common in some instances that we may not be at ease with the individual because of different believes and norms exhibited by those cultures. Therefore, must be culturally tolerant to be able to be effective in our undertakings. Cultural tolerance is key for acceptance as they are what other culture do or believe though differs sharply from ours without affecting our effectiveness.

With high cultural intelligence, an individual can gain a better understanding of different cultures and enable them to work positively and compassionately with an individual from different cultures. Culture leads to the development of advanced knowledge of traditions, nationalities, corporate cultures, and discipline that have an impact on a business. it also enhances the development of insights into the ways various cultures do business and use them to develop appropriate language and behaviors in the concerned professional settings.

With cultural intelligence, one is able to deal with differences in working methods and behaviors coming along with a mix of cultures operating together in an organization. Some organizations have a developed culture that new employees can find hard to adjust to. However, with cultural intelligence one can understand and adapt to the culture faster and thus perform exceptionally in their undertakings. Administrations can organize orientation to prepare new employees for the new working environment.

The effectiveness of one in an organization largely dependent on the trust bestowed on them by the organization and also other employees. This trust does not develop on its own but depends on the cultural intelligence exhibited by one in a mixed cultural group. Van, Ang & Tan (2016) found out that cultural intelligence is key for an individual in a mixed cultural environment for alleviating the mistrust between each team member. However, the varying level of cultural intelligence affects one trust by the organizational members. Therefore, to build one trust which will enhance the performance is critical for the improvement of the diverse working environment. with a high level of trusts, the relationship among employee develops and also increases the sharing of ideas which could be reflected in the success of the organization. Also, cultural practices tolerance plays a key role in trust development. According to Van Dyne, Ang & Tan (2016), cultural tolerance allows one to learn different norms and practices of other cultures accept them they are without creating conflict with theirs.

Mutual understanding is another critical product of a high level of cultural intelligence. Language plays an important role when it comes to this aspect. With the firm going global, several employees find themselves working in a different environment from their own. Fitting into these environments requires them to have a high level of cultural intelligence. The first thing that an individual encounter that could affect his effectiveness is the language barrier. Therefore, it is critical for those individuals to learn the language faster for mutual understanding with organizational employees as well as the client in the organization. according to Jyoti & Kour (2015) an individual experience in the language context is dependent on their cultural experience and previous international experience, which are key in the determination of one’s cultural intelligence. Although there exist other factors affecting mutual understanding, language plays a pivotal role in enhancing mutual understanding in an organization.

Communication is another critical aspect that affects the effectiveness of people. It allows one to convey the information they have to the target destination. However, differences in cultures can affect communication. One might find it difficult to articulate points where there is high cultural intolerance. it is true that some cultures are hostile yet some organizations, seeing business opportunities in those places, make attempts to venture into those areas regardless of the hostility. Here, organizations have to conform to their culture (Ang & Van Dyne, 2015). One of the ways to do so is through learning their language and use it effectively for communication purposes. cultural intelligence thus helps individuals to learn the language quickly and use it effectively; therefore, enhancing their effectiveness.

Organizations want their employee to work together to achieve organizational goals regardless of their differences. Cultural difference is one of the critical challenges that organizations face in trying to bring employees to work on a given goal together (Setti, Sommovigo, & Argentero, 2020). They need to communicate, work as a team, and cooperate throughout their undertakings. To fit into such a working environment an individual needs to be culturally tolerant. Therefore, one needs to have a high level of cultural intelligence to overcome any internal cultural conflict that might arise because of that experience.

Improving Cultural Intelligence

An individual, as well as an organization, plays a critical role in enhancing cultural intelligence. First, an individual needs to take the initiative of learning how to cope and work with people of different cultural backgrounds. They can do so by interacting and learning about those cultures and also learning to be tolerant of those cultures. Also, they can take initiative to learn different languages and use communication effectively.

An organization can impart cultural intelligence on their employee in different ways. First, they can do so through training their employee to adapt to the cultures of the people in which they are operating. Second, the organization, setting up business in a new business environment, will require developing an organizational culture that conforms to the cultural practices of those places (Setti, Sommovigo, & Argentero, 2020). They can do so by employing individuals from those areas who will shape other employees who are not conversant with culture. These ways will result in an individual as well as organization enhanced performance.

References

Setti, I., Sommovigo, V., & Argentero, P. (2020). Enhancing expatriates’ assignments success: the relationships between cultural intelligence, cross-cultural adaptation and performance. Current Psychology, 1-21.

Barakat, L. L., Lorenz, M. P., Ramsey, J. R., & Cretoiu, S. L. (2015). Global managers: An analysis of the impact of cultural intelligence on job satisfaction and performance. International Journal of Emerging Markets.

Van Dyne, L., Ang, S., & Tan, M. L. (2016). Cultural intelligence.

Ang, S., & Van Dyne, L. (2015). Handbook of cultural intelligence: Theory, measurement, and applications. Routledge.

Jyoti, J., & Kour, S. (2015). Assessing the cultural intelligence and task performance equation: Mediating role of cultural adjustment. Cross Cultural Management.