The Culturally Intelligent Way of Acculturating: Examining cultural intelligence and acculturation orientations among foreign workers in the Danish context of reception

TY - JOUR

T1 - The Culturally Intelligent Way of Acculturating

T2 - Examining cultural intelligence and acculturation orientations among foreign workers in the Danish context of reception

AU - Ozer, Simon

AU - Schwartz, Seth J.

N1 - © 2021 Scandinavian Psychological Associations and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

PY - 2021/10

Y1 - 2021/10

N2 - In contemporary globalized societies, the number of foreign workers is increasing, resulting in greater intercultural contact and adaptation. Foreign workers apply their cultural intelligence when adapting to and working in multicultural environments, resulting in afliations with both their cultural heritage and their destination cultural stream. We examined foreign workers’ (N = 264) intercultural adaptation in the globalized context of Denmark. We found that cultural intelligence was directly and positively linked with adaptable work performance. Furthermore, cultural intelligence was indirectly and negativelyassociated with sociocultural adaptation difficulties through endorsement of Danish culture. Likewise, perceived negative context of reception wasindirectly and positively associated with sociocultural adaptation difficulties through low endorsement of Danish culture. Additionally, perceived stresspredicted adaptable work performance, whereas perceived context of reception and sociocultural adaptation difficulties did not. Overall, our results suggestinvolvement in the destination culture as a culturally intelligent way of applying one’s cultural capabilities, suggesting that the perceived context ofreception is of great importance for helping foreign workers adapt to their destination cultural environments.

AB - In contemporary globalized societies, the number of foreign workers is increasing, resulting in greater intercultural contact and adaptation. Foreign workers apply their cultural intelligence when adapting to and working in multicultural environments, resulting in afliations with both their cultural heritage and their destination cultural stream. We examined foreign workers’ (N = 264) intercultural adaptation in the globalized context of Denmark. We found that cultural intelligence was directly and positively linked with adaptable work performance. Furthermore, cultural intelligence was indirectly and negativelyassociated with sociocultural adaptation difficulties through endorsement of Danish culture. Likewise, perceived negative context of reception wasindirectly and positively associated with sociocultural adaptation difficulties through low endorsement of Danish culture. Additionally, perceived stresspredicted adaptable work performance, whereas perceived context of reception and sociocultural adaptation difficulties did not. Overall, our results suggestinvolvement in the destination culture as a culturally intelligent way of applying one’s cultural capabilities, suggesting that the perceived context ofreception is of great importance for helping foreign workers adapt to their destination cultural environments.

KW - Cultural intelligence

KW - Denmark

KW - acculturation

KW - adjustment

KW - foreign workers

U2 - 10.1111/sjop.12760

DO - 10.1111/sjop.12760

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 34181275

SN - 0036-5564

VL - 62

SP - 725

EP - 734

JO - Scandinavian Journal of Psychology

JF - Scandinavian Journal of Psychology

IS - 5

ER -