Exploring the relationship between cultural intelligence and employees demographic profiles : insights gained from a cross-cultural study in Oman

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between cultural intelligence (CQ) and adult demographic profiles in the workplace. Design/methodology/approach: This cross-cultural study used a self-reported demographic and a 20-item CQ scale. The demographic and CQ level of 287 adults working in Oman from different countries was evaluated. Findings: The mean total CQ score of adults working in Oman was 4.77 + 1.53. Out of the four dimensions, this study founds higher values relating to motivational CQ followed by metacognitive and behavioral CQ with mean scores 5.22 + 1.53, 5.13 + 1.57 and 4.59 + 1.54, respectively. Significance, between-group differences (gender, age, job level, sector type, education level, nationality and study abroad), were observed in metacognitive and motivational dimensions of CQ (p < 0.001). All the regression models are significant, indicating that they express a meaningful relationship between each of the dependent variables and the variables in the model. The total CQ model explains 10.7% of the variance. Research limitations/implications: The results of this study provide additional insight to researchers in identifying the demographic profiles which predict the level of total CQ. The use of a longitudinal design to further confirm the results of this study is proposed. Practical implications: The study helps practicing managers to understand the implications of cultural Intelligence and how it influences employee behavior from the perspectives of demographic perspectives. Originality/value: The CQ levels of adults working in Oman vary according to their demographic profiles and the demographic profiles predict the CQ levels.