On the Relationship Between Biculturalism and Cultural Intelligence

Drawing from identity theory (Stryker & Burke, 2000) and social identity theory (Hogg & Terry, 2001), we hypothesize that biculturalism is associated with individual bicultural identity, and in turn, bicultural identity is associated with motivational cultural intelligence (CQ). We collected data in a bicultural setting and participants included current employees from different organizations and industries. Results supported the indirect effect of biculturalism on motivational cultural intelligence through individual bicultural identity. One implication of the study is that the mere exposure to bicultural settings is not enough to increase the willingness to invest energy in effectively interacting in culturally diverse settings.