IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/por/fepwps/606.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Language diversity impact on the self-efficacy of members in multicultural teams

Author

Listed:
  • Teresa Proença

    (CEF.UP, Faculty of Economics University of Porto)

  • Helena Martins

    (Faculty of Economics University of Porto)

  • Flávio Ferreira

    (Faculty of Economics University of Porto)

Abstract

This study aims to analyze language diversity in teams, especially in what concerns its impact on each member’s self-efficacy. Even though self-efficacy is a traditional concept in organizational behavior literature and there is a growing interest in the impact of language in the organizational context, research about the connections between both sides is lacking. This research deals with this gap, covering as well language fluency, cultural intelligence and extraversion. The answer to the research questions is based on an on-line survey to 240 university students, having participated in multicultural teams. The statistical analysis conclude that language diversity has no clear impact in self-efficacy, however fluency in the vehicular languages of teams has. Fluency has a bolder impact in self-efficacy of team members, when language diversity is higher, and when each member’s cultural intelligence and extraversion levels are higher as well. These conclusions driven by such connections may provide managers with sound enlightenments about the importance of language diversity in their multicultural teams and mainly on fluency in the vehicular languages of these teams.

Suggested Citation

  • Teresa Proença & Helena Martins & Flávio Ferreira, 2018. "Language diversity impact on the self-efficacy of members in multicultural teams," FEP Working Papers 606, Universidade do Porto, Faculdade de Economia do Porto.
    • Handle: RePEc:por:fepwps:606
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.fep.up.pt/investigacao/workingpapers/wp606.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Lagerström, Katarina & Andersson, Maria, 2003. "Creating and sharing knowledge within a transnational team--the development of a global business system," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 38(2), pages 84-95, May.
    2. Marschan, Rebecca & Welch, Denice & Welch, Lawrence, 1997. "Language: The forgotten factor in multinational management," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 15(5), pages 591-598, October.
    3. Soon Ang & Linn Van Dyne & Christine Koh & K. Yee Ng & Klaus J. Templer & Cheryl Tay & N. Anand Chandrasekar, 2007. "Cultural Intelligence: Its Measurement and Effects on Cultural Judgment and Decision Making, Cultural Adaptation and Task Performance," Management and Organization Review, The International Association for Chinese Management Research, vol. 3(3), pages 335-371, November.
    4. Ang, Soon & Van Dyne, Linn & Koh, Christine & Ng, K. Yee & Templer, Klaus J. & Tay, Cheryl & Chandrasekar, N. Anand, 2007. "Cultural Intelligence: Its Measurement and Effects on Cultural Judgment and Decision Making, Cultural Adaptation and Task Performance," Management and Organization Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 3(3), pages 335-371, November.
    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. Presbitero, Alfred, 2021. "Communication accommodation within global virtual team: The influence of cultural intelligence and the impact on interpersonal process effectiveness," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 27(1).
    2. Elenkov, Detelin S. & Manev, Ivan M., 2009. "Senior expatriate leadership's effects on innovation and the role of cultural intelligence," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 44(4), pages 357-369, October.
    3. Musarra, Giuseppe & Kadile, Vita & Zaefarian, Ghasem & Oghazi, Pejvak & Najafi-Tavani, Zhaleh, 2022. "Emotions, culture intelligence, and mutual trust in technology business relationships," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 181(C).
    4. Annelies Costers & Yves Van Vaerenbergh & Anja Van den Broeck, 2019. "How to boost frontline employee service recovery performance: the role of cultural intelligence," Service Business, Springer;Pan-Pacific Business Association, vol. 13(3), pages 581-602, September.
    5. Junshuai Cheng & Qaisar Iqbal & Guangmeng Ji & Weichun Li, 2022. "A Sustainable and Comprehensive Framework for Knowledge Transfer in MNCs: An Empirical Examination Based on Country, Company and Individual Levels of Chinese MNCs," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-17, October.
    6. Honghua Li & Yemisi Awotoye & Robert P. Singh, 2023. "Immigrant Entrepreneurs in the U.S.: Firm Performance Based on Entrepreneurial Competencies," Economies, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-14, September.
    7. Rockstuhl, Thomas & Van Dyne, Linn, 2018. "A bi-factor theory of the four-factor model of cultural intelligence: Meta-analysis and theoretical extensions," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 148(C), pages 124-144.
    8. Kozhakhmet, Sanat & Nurgabdeshov, Assylbek, 2022. "Knowledge acquisition of Chinese expatriates: managing Chinese MNEs in Kazakhstan," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 28(2).
    9. 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.
    10. Dimitrova, Mihaela & Chia, Sherwin Ignatius & Shaffer, Margaret A. & Tay-Lee, Cheryl, 2020. "Forgotten travelers: Adjustment and career implications of international business travel for expatriates," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 26(1).
    11. Ali Dolatshah & Masood Ghorban Hosseini & Masoud Ghorban hosseini, 2016. "Study of the Relation between Cultural Intelligence and Organizational Commitment among Staff Case Study (Arman Financial Institution)," Modern Applied Science, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 10(3), pages 1-79, March.
    12. Saeed Nosratabadi & Parvaneh Bahrami & Khodayar Palouzian & Amir Mosavi, 2020. "Leader Cultural Intelligence and Organizational Performance," Papers 2010.02678, arXiv.org.
    13. Pidduck, Robert J. & Shaffer, Margaret A. & Zhang, Yejun & Cheung, Sally S.Y. & Yunlu, Dilek G., 2022. "Cultural intelligence: An identity lens on the influence of cross-cultural experience," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 28(3).
    14. Lim, Jia Hui & Tai, Kenneth & Kouchaki, Maryam, 2021. "Ambivalent bosses: An examination of supervisor expressed emotional ambivalence on subordinate task engagement," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 165(C), pages 139-152.
    15. Ridha Ayu Rachmawati & I Dewa Ketut Kerta Widana & I Gede Sumertha Kusuma Yanca & Herlina Juni Risma Saragih, 2022. "Efforts to Improve Cross-Cultural Competencies and Resiliency for Peacekeepers and Their Families in the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL)," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 6(11), pages 11-20, November.
    16. Lakshman, C. & Bacouël-Jentjens, Sabine & Kraak, Johannes Marcelus, 2021. "Attributional complexity of monoculturals and biculturals: Implications for cross-cultural competence," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 56(6).
    17. Sousa, Cátia & Gonçalves, Gabriela, 2019. "Multiculturality as an antecedent to work wellbeing and work passion," Journal of Tourism, Sustainability and Well-being, Cinturs - Research Centre for Tourism, Sustainability and Well-being, University of Algarve, vol. 7(2), pages 101-124.
    18. Anjum Mehmood & Muhammad Zia Syed & Ahmed Khan Waheed, 2015. "Cultural Comparison of Trait Emotional Intelligence among the Provinces of Pakistan (Sindh, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan)," Journal of Intercultural Management, Sciendo, vol. 7(3), pages 15-37, September.
    19. Laura BRANCU & Valentin MUNTEANU & Ionut GOLET, 2016. "A Comparative Approach of Cultural Intelligence Profile of Management and Non-Management Romanian Students," REVISTA DE MANAGEMENT COMPARAT INTERNATIONAL/REVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL COMPARATIVE MANAGEMENT, Faculty of Management, Academy of Economic Studies, Bucharest, Romania, vol. 17(4), pages 308-319, October.
    20. Marina Anna Schmitz & Fabian Jintae Froese & Anna Katharina Bader, 2018. "Organizational cynicism in multinational corporations in China," Asia Pacific Business Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(5), pages 620-637, October.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    language diversity; language fluency; teams; self-efficacy; cultural competence; extroversion;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • M10 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - General

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:por:fepwps:606. 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: the person in charge (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/fepuppt.html .

    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.