International Journal of Cross Cultural Management

This study examined acculturation and bicultural integration in organizational settings, with particular attention to the factors that influence individuals’ acculturation processes; the challenges and opportunities they face; the ways in which they integrate home- and host-culture features; and the conditions that facilitate third-culture building with host-culture members. A qualitative approach using in-depth interviews with Americans living in Sweden, Swedes living in the United States, and Swedish-American biculturals having grown up with ties to both countries was used to gain an in-depth understanding of the processes of acculturation in organizational contexts. Results emerging from a grounded theory analysis identify assimilation as the predominant acculturation approach for reasons of cultural preference. Culture-specific features are integrated in limited ways and third-culture building takes place in contexts where home-culture connections exist. Bicultural individuals integrate their two cultures by alternating between them as well as blending them. Theoretical implications are discussed.

The study generalizes the concept of cultural intelligence (CQ) as a key competency in Indian context due to its diverse cultures. Cultural intelligence is a capability, which increases the manager’s ability to effectively interact with people belonging to other cultures. The purpose of the study is to examine the mediating role of cross-cultural adaptability (CCA) in between CQ and the job performance relationship and the moderating role played by work experience and language proficiency in between CQ and CCA relationship. The data for the study have been collected from 342 managers of nationalized banks in Jammu and Kashmir (India). Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis have been conducted to explore and validate the factor of different constructs. Hypotheses have been tested through structural equation modeling. The study reveals that CCA mediates the relationship between CQ and job performance. Further, previous work experience and language ability act as moderators between the CQ and CCA relationship. Further, moderated mediation analysis also confirmed significant indirect effect. Implications and limitations of the study have also been discussed.

This article explores the relationship between Pan American World Airways (Pan Am) and Latin America to understand the role of Western multinational corporations in the historical processes of postcoloniality—that is, the representation of the non-Western “other” to Western audiences. Informed by postcoloniality and the use of a critical hermeneutics method, we draw on 64 years of archived materials from the Pan American World Airways Collection 341, housed at the Otto Richter Library at the University of Miami, as well as numerous histories of the airline. Our findings show how Pan Am gained a powerful position, both politically and economically, which facilitated its ability to construct influential images of Latin American employees, citizens, and the idea of Latin America. Although Pan Am ceased operations in 1991, its years of dominance in South America had the capability to contribute and provide insights into our understanding of the continued postcolonial processes and the idea of (North) “Americanism.” More importantly, our article demonstrates how using a postcolonial framework can assist organizational and business scholars to better understand the role that historical patterns play in organizations still today. We hope that using alternative methodologies and theories such as postcolonialism to examine contemporary management culture, we will better be able to understand how history has been “written” in an effort to lessen “Western” ideologies and include diverse epistemological perspectives.

This article explores and analyzes Islamic principles that govern conflict management within the Islamic human resource management (HRM) context and provides new insight into the theoretical development of conflict management from an Islamic HRM perspective. Current models are analyzed through Islamic principles and integrated into a comprehensive Islamic framework that can function as a guide for HRM toward developing a proactive nonlinear conflict management strategy. This study shifts the dialogue of Islamic conflict management from intervention to organizational culture. The premise of this study is to develop a model for HRM practitioners among a Muslim workforce. The proposed model suggests that conflict is referred back to Quran and Sunnah, the two primary sources of Islam. Islam mandates selection of Shura (council) and appointment of a Muslih (mediator) whose function is (1) al-tathabbut (verification) and (2) nasīhah (advice). HRM must consider proactive organizational traits based on Islamic principles: (1) ta’awun (cooperation), (2) sabr (patience), (3) al-ta’akhi (brotherhood), and (4) husn al-dhann (good assumptions).

Proverbs are important cultural products that both reveal and direct the values, behaviour and world view of a particular culture. This article relates the proverbial collection of two particular cultural groups, the Malays and Chinese of Malaysia, to workplace attitudes. After reviewing more than 2000 proverbs, we identified those that were most pertinent to the Malaysian workplace, based on two key categories: (i) the portrayal of work in the lives of the Malays and Chinese and (ii) the approach to workplace etiquette. Local proverbs portray hard work as an admirable quality among not only the Chinese but also among the Malays, despite suggestions to the contrary by some writers. Regarding workplace relations, proverbs again constitute a vital source of guidance for both groups, particularly the high regard for ‘face’.