Cultural Intelligence, Diversity Climate, and Employee Behavior: A Study of MNE Subsidiaries in China

Authors

  • Juana Du School of Communication and Culture, Royal Roads University, Victoria B.C., Canada
  • Rong Wang Department of Human and Organizational Development, Peabody College, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
  • Crystal Jiang Department of Management, Bryant University, Smithfield, RI, USA

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55482/jcim.2023.33464

Keywords:

diversity climate, cultural intellegence, harmony, creative behavior, organizational citizenship altruism behavior

Abstract

This study draws from the literature on workplace diversity, cultural intelligence, and creativity to examine the relationship between diversity climate and employees’ behaviors. With data collected from three multinational enterprise subsidiaries that operated in China for over 25 years, this study reveals that employees’ metacognitive cultural intelligence is positively related to their perceived diversity climate, leading to creative behavior and citizenship altruism behavior. In addition, this study examines an important interpersonal factor that is sensitive to the Confucius culture, harmony, and finds it directly impact motivational cultural intelligence. The mediating effect of harmony on the relationship between motivational cultural intelligence and employees’ altruism behaviors is also tested. This study contributes to the literature by investigating the organizational mechanisms underlying the role of cultural intelligence on employee behaviors in culturally diverse workplaces. Practical implications are also discussed.

Author Biographies

Juana Du, School of Communication and Culture, Royal Roads University, Victoria B.C., Canada

Juana Du, Professor, School of Communication and Culture, Royal Roads University. Her research interests include inter-cultural communication in a globalized world, cross-cultural adaptation of sojourners, expatriate training and relocation, organizational diversity and culture, organizational learning and knowledge management, and subsidiaries of multinational enterprises and innovation. She has presented at many international academic conferences and published about 30 book chapters and journal articles. She has been on the committees of several international academic conferences, including her role as Caucus Chair for the Academy of Management (2020, 2023), committee member of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Access (IDEA) of International Communication Association (2024-2026).

Rong Wang, Department of Human and Organizational Development, Peabody College, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA

Rong Wang, Assistant Professor, Department of Human and Organizational Development at Peabody College of Education and Human Development, Vanderbilt University. As an organizational communication scholar, Dr. Wang researches collective action, open collaboration, and inter-organizational alliances that are designed to achieve collective goals. She is particularly interested in investigating how to leverage the relationship dynamics among civil actors, corporations, government agencies, and individual citizens to help solve wicked social issues.

Crystal Jiang, Department of Management, Bryant University, Smithfield, RI, USA

Crystal Jiang, Professor, College of Business, Bryant University. Her research focuses on firms from emerging economies in capability-building, innovation strategy and cross-cultural management. Her research has been published in the Journal of Management, Journal of International Business Studies, Journal of World Business, Oxford Handbook of International Business, and others. She currently serves as the Executive Board Member of the Academy of International Business U.S. Northeast Chapter, Associate Editor of the New England Journal of Entrepreneurship, Guest Editor of the Journal of International Management. She was the past Caucus Committee Chair for the Academy of Management Annual Conference (2018, 2019).

Published

2023-12-18

How to Cite

Du, J., Wang, R., & Jiang, C. (2023). Cultural Intelligence, Diversity Climate, and Employee Behavior: A Study of MNE Subsidiaries in China. Journal of Comparative International Management, 26(2), 159–175. https://doi.org/10.55482/jcim.2023.33464

Issue

Section

Research Articles