International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation (IJRSI) |Volume X, Issue I, January 2023|ISSN 2321-2705
Cultural Intelligence and Organizational Politics: An Empirical Quest
Isaac Onyeyirichukwu Chukwuma1*, Uzoma Ogochukwu Okonkwo2
1University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria
2University of Nigeria, Nigeria
*Corresponding author
Abstract – This research investigated the association between cultural intelligence and organizational politics. Data were obtained from 57 managers; the data set also underwent a reliability test using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. The study in deploying the inferential statistic tools, utilized the Spearman correlation to investigate the association between cultural intelligence and organizational politics, and a linear regression analysis was also utilized to predict the relationship between the studies’ constructs using the IBM SPSS Statistics version 21. The results of the study indicated that there is a significant positive relationship between cultural intelligence and organizational politics [p (.000) < 0.05, r = .931]. The significance of the study is established in the empirical credence it has established in quest of the emerging interest of the research theme to both academia and industry.
Keywords – cultural intelligence, organizational politics, resource-base theory
I. Introduction
There is a recurrent need to understand the dynamics of organizational variables and their interplay in advancing organizational goals. This is evidenced in the plethora of literature that has investigated the constructs of cultural intelligence, organizational politics, resource-based theory, etc. (Zica, Goncalves, Martins & Goncalves, 2016; Solomon & Steyn, 2017; Cheong & Kim, 2018; Titov, Birukov & Vichodtseva, 2021). Irrespective of the extant studies, each construct has been examined in view of other organizations’ variables, and to the best of the author’s view, no study has empirically sought to investigate the association between cultural intelligence and organizational politics, hence, this study sought to fill the gap.
This study addresses the gap in the paucity of research on the association between cultural intelligence and organizational politics. This paper’s discourse is centered on the theoretical exploration of the study constructs (i.e. cultural intelligence and organizational politics), and further exploits the resource-based theory in comprehending any association between cultural intelligence and organizational politics. Beyond the theoretical exploit, the study also consolidates its relevance via an analytical process that characterizes quality research (Palmatier, Houston & Hulland, 2018).
The major objective of this research is to reveal empirical credence to the association between cultural intelligence and organizational politics. The paucity of an empirical link to these constructs further reinforces the significance of this study to both academia and industry; hence, the study creates a cogent postulation and builds an advancing theoretical comprehension (Yadav, 2010; King & Lepak, 2011); for a robust understanding of the association between cultural intelligence and organizational politics.
The study is structured as follows; the next segment had a discourse on the literature related to the study constructs, as well as a resource-based theory perspective on the constructs. After that, the methodology segment demonstrates the processes involved in the sample and procedure, measures, and analyses. The result segment outlines and interprets the findings. The discussion segment examined the influence of the results for further comprehension and dynamics of the association between the constructs. The study ends with the conclusion and further study segment.
II. Literature Review
II.I. Cultural Intelligence
The increasing demand for a diversified workforce via the exploration of the virtues of a diversified national ethnicity and globalization has resulted in increased cultural diversity. Amongst the constraint of cultural diversity is the possible conflicting array of misalignment in shared norms and values; which could limit the level of commitment to organizational goals. Hence, theoreticians and industrial practitioners constantly sought a platform to harmonize these divergent cultures and deploy a structure to optimize the virtue of the diverse culture; this resulted in the concept of cultural intelligence (Early & Ang, 2003).