IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/pal/jintbs/v48y2017i1d10.1057_s41267-016-0053-9.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

From crossing cultures to straddling them: An empirical examination of outcomes for multicultural employees

Author

Listed:
  • Stacey R Fitzsimmons

    (University of Victoria)

  • Yuan Liao

    (University of Navarra)

  • David C Thomas

    (Simon Fraser University)

Abstract

International organizations, ranging from large MNCs to small born global firms, are increasingly recognizing that multicultural employees can help them operate across countries and across cultures. However, multiculturals – individuals who identify with and internalize more than one culture – are a diverse group, and organizations seeking to leverage their potential can benefit from a deeper understanding of the resources they possess and the challenges they face. We conducted three studies with a total of 1196 participants to test relationships between multicultural identity patterns and personal, social and task outcomes. Consistent results across studies indicated that individuals with more cultural identities (higher identity plurality) had more social capital and higher levels of intercultural skills than those with fewer cultural identities, while individuals who integrated their cultural identities (higher identity integration) experienced higher levels of personal well-being than those who separated them. Based on these results we advocate for two directions in future research on multicultural employees: moving beyond cognitive mechanisms alone, and examining monocultural and multicultural individuals simultaneously along the spectrum of identity plurality.

Suggested Citation

  • Stacey R Fitzsimmons & Yuan Liao & David C Thomas, 2017. "From crossing cultures to straddling them: An empirical examination of outcomes for multicultural employees," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 48(1), pages 63-89, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:jintbs:v:48:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1057_s41267-016-0053-9
    DOI: 10.1057/s41267-016-0053-9
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1057/s41267-016-0053-9
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1057/s41267-016-0053-9?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Srilata Zaheer & Margaret Spring Schomaker & Lilach Nachum, 2012. "Distance without direction: Restoring credibility to a much-loved construct," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 43(1), pages 18-27, January.
    2. Douglas Dow & Ilya R P Cuypers & Gokhan Ertug, 2016. "The effects of within-country linguistic and religious diversity on foreign acquisitions," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 47(3), pages 319-346, April.
    3. C Lakshman, 2013. "Biculturalism and attributional complexity: Cross-cultural leadership effectiveness," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 44(9), pages 922-940, December.
    4. Catherine Durnell Cramton & Pamela J. Hinds, 2014. "An Embedded Model of Cultural Adaptation in Global Teams," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 25(4), pages 1056-1081, August.
    5. Pamela J Hinds & Tsedal B Neeley & Catherine Durnell Cramton, 2014. "Language as a lightning rod: Power contests, emotion regulation, and subgroup dynamics in global teams," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 45(5), pages 536-561, June.
    6. Wilhelm Barner-Rasmussen & Mats Ehrnrooth & Alexei Koveshnikov & Kristiina Mä;kelä, 2014. "Cultural and language skills as resources for boundary spanning within the MNC," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 45(7), pages 886-905, September.
    7. Noriko Yagi & Jill Kleinberg, 2011. "Boundary work: An interpretive ethnographic perspective on negotiating and leveraging cross-cultural identity," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 42(5), pages 629-653, June.
    8. B Sebastian Reiche & Anne-Wil Harzing & Markus Pudelko, 2015. "Why and how does shared language affect subsidiary knowledge inflows? A social identity perspective," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 46(5), pages 528-551, June.
    9. Günter K Stahl & Martha L Maznevski & Andreas Voigt & Karsten Jonsen, 2010. "Unraveling the effects of cultural diversity in teams: A meta-analysis of research on multicultural work groups," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 41(4), pages 690-709, May.
    10. Gundula Lücke & Tatiana Kostova & Kendall Roth, 2014. "Multiculturalism from a cognitive perspective: Patterns and implications," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 45(2), pages 169-190, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Julia Backmann & Rouven Kanitz & Amy Wei Tian & Patrick Hoffmann & Martin Hoegl, 2020. "Cultural gap bridging in multinational teams," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 51(8), pages 1283-1311, October.
    2. Hae-Jung Hong & Dana Minbaeva, 2022. "Multiculturals as strategic human capital resources in multinational enterprises," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 53(1), pages 95-125, February.
    3. Vesa Peltokorpi & Markus Pudelko, 2021. "When more is not better: A curvilinear relationship between foreign language proficiency and social categorization," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 52(1), pages 78-104, February.
    4. Günter K Stahl & Martha L Maznevski, 2021. "Unraveling the effects of cultural diversity in teams: A retrospective of research on multicultural work groups and an agenda for future research," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 52(1), pages 4-22, February.
    5. Davina Vora & Lee Martin & Stacey R. Fitzsimmons & Andre A. Pekerti & C. Lakshman & Salma Raheem, 2019. "Multiculturalism within individuals: A review, critique, and agenda for future research," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 50(4), pages 499-524, June.
    6. Helene Tenzer & Siri Terjesen & Anne-Wil Harzing, 2017. "Language in International Business: A Review and Agenda for Future Research," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 57(6), pages 815-854, December.
    7. Hao Liang & Christopher Marquis & Luc Renneboog & Sunny Li Sun, 2018. "Future-Time Framing: The Effect of Language on Corporate Future Orientation," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 29(6), pages 1093-1111, December.
    8. Bradley L Kirkman & Kevin B Lowe & Cristina B Gibson, 2017. "A retrospective on Culture’s Consequences: The 35-year journey," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 48(1), pages 12-29, January.
    9. Tatiana Kostova & Sjoerd Beugelsdijk, 2021. "Integrating Diversity into Distance Research for Added Rigor, Parsimony, and Relevance," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 58(6), pages 1669-1689, September.
    10. Päivi Karhunen & Anne Kankaanranta & Tiina Räisänen, 2023. "Towards a Richer Understanding of Language and Identity in the MNC: Constructing Cosmopolitan Identities Through “English”," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 63(3), pages 507-530, June.
    11. Sjoerd Beugelsdijk, 2022. "Capitalizing on the uniqueness of international business: Towards a theory of place, space, and organization," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 53(9), pages 2050-2067, December.
    12. Stacey Fitzsimmons & Mustafa F. Özbilgin & David C. Thomas & Stella Nkomo, 2023. "Equality, diversity, and inclusion in international business: A review and research agenda," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 54(8), pages 1402-1422, October.
    13. Anne Bartel-Radic & Fabienne Munch, 2023. "Cross-cultural boundary spanning activities in a global team," Post-Print halshs-04148890, HAL.
    14. Liang, Hao & Marquis, C. & Renneboog, Luc & Li Sun, Sunny, 2018. "Future-time framing : The effect of language on corporate future orientation," Other publications TiSEM 1c1a2d0f-4720-46b9-829b-2, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    15. Eunbi Kim, 2023. "Top management staffing and subsidiary performance under home-country uncertainty," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 22(4), pages 1513-1543, September.
    16. Golesorkhi, Sougand & Mersland, Roy & Piekkari, Rebecca & Pishchulov, Grigory & Randøy, Trond, 2019. "The effect of language use on the financial performance of microfinance banks: Evidence from cross-border activities in 74 countries," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 54(3), pages 213-229.
    17. Tenzer, Helene & Pudelko, Markus, 2017. "The influence of language differences on power dynamics in multinational teams," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 52(1), pages 45-61.
    18. Klitmøller, Anders & Lauring, Jakob, 2016. "When distance is good: A construal level perspective on perceptions of inclusive international language use," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 25(1), pages 276-285.
    19. Peltokorpi, Vesa & Zhang, Ling Eleanor, 2022. "Host country culture and language identification, and their workplace manifestations: A study on corporate expatriates in China and Japan," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 28(3).
    20. Dana Minbaeva & Stacey Fitzsimmons & Chris Brewster, 2021. "Beyond the double-edged sword of cultural diversity in teams: Progress, critique, and next steps," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 52(1), pages 45-55, February.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:pal:jintbs:v:48:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1057_s41267-016-0053-9. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.palgrave-journals.com/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.