Kulturelle Intelligenz, Distanz und Anpassung von Führungskräften im Ausland.

The cultural adjustment of expatriates is argued to have a central impact on the success of foreign assignments. In consequence, drivers of cultural adjustment are of practical as well as theoretical significance. This paper examines the role of cultural intelligence (CQ) for the cultural adjustment of expatriates. The subsequent study uses data from managers on foreign assignments in Singapore. Furthermore, the study analyzes the moderating effect of cultural distance on the relationship between CQ and cultural adjustment. Findings are that different CQ-dimensions influence the dimensions of cultural adjustment to different degrees. In addition, an unexpected moderating effect of cultural distance on the relationship between the metacognitive CQ-dimension and general adjustment is identified. The results provide implications for the field of international HRM. The study particularly supports the underlying assumption of the paper that CQ should be considered in staffing decisions for foreign assignments. From a theoretical perspective, the study provides empirical support for three of the four constructs of the CQ-dimensions.