Intercultural effectiveness and inclusive behavior in the workplace.

摘要

Intercultural effectiveness is a general construct that has been used to understand intercultural adjustment of expatriates. Similarly, inclusion is a general framework that has been used to characterize effective diversity management. Prior research has shown that a multicultural personality (e.g. traits relevant to multicultural success) predicts successful intercultural effectiveness. The present study examined whether intercultural effectiveness (as measured with the Multicultural Personality Questionnaire by van der Zee and van Oudenhoven, 2000) predicted inclusive behavior (as measured with the Inclusive Behavior scale by Ferdman, Barrera, Allen, & Vuong, 2009). In addition, this study tested the hypothesis that there would be a moderating effect of diversity climate on the relationship between intercultural effectiveness and individual inclusive behavior such that this relationship would be stronger as diversity climate increased. The analysis of data from two samples of professionals working in the U.S. (Sample 1 n = 300 Sample 2 n = 230) revealed that intercultural effectiveness (i.e. Openness, Social Initiative, Emotional Stability, and Flexibility) accounted for nearly one-half of the variance in inclusive behavior. Specifically, participants with higher ratings of openness and social initiative were also more likely to report inclusive behavior (Sample 1: Openness, beta = .42 Social Initiative, beta = .28 Sample 2: Openness beta = .31 Social Initiative, beta = .39). The strong relationship between the variables may indicate an issue of collinearity between the predictor and criterion variables bringing the independence of the constructs into question. Diversity Climate had a direct effect (Sample 1: DeltaR2 = .013 Sample 1: Delta R2 = .020) and a moderating effect with two of the predictors (Sample 1: Emotional Stability, beta = -.20 Sample 2: Flexibility, beta = -.13). Emotional stability predicts inclusive behavior under conditions of lower diversity climate. As diversity climate increases the relationship between flexibility and inclusive behavior decreases. The study's results suggest that a person's predispositions can make a difference in their likelihood to behave inclusively. The results additionally underscore the importance of considering both organizational factors (e.g., diversity climate) and individual difference factors (e.g., multicultural personality) in developing and sustaining inclusive processes.