Examining cultural intelligence, heritage responsibility, and entrepreneurship performance of migrant homestay inn entrepreneurs: A case study of Hongcun village in China

Abstract The ability to handle cross-cultural affairs efficiently has become critical to migrant tourism entrepreneurs in establishing business and surviving in a culturally distinct environment, especially in a cultural heritage site. Using a sample of homestay inn entrepreneurs in Hongcun Village, this study examines how cultural intelligence (CQ) affects the migrant tourism entrepreneurs’ subjective performance (SP) and heritage responsibility (HR) and whether HR plays a mediating effect on the relationship of CQ to SP. Applying the PLS-SEM approach to a sample of 142 homestay inn entrepreneurs, this study finds that CQ promotes HR and SP. However, only the Motivational CQ and Cognitive CQ dimensions positively influence HR and SP separately. The mediating effects of HR are also validated on the overall path from CQ to SP and the Motivational CQ to SP. The findings confirm the validation of the assumption “With great ability, comes greater responsibility and greater results in business” in tourism entrepreneurship. Finally, some theoretical and managerial implications of the findings are discussed.