1036 - MANAGING EMOTIONS, MASTERING DIVERSITY: EMOTION MANAGEMENT AS A KEY ELEMENT OF INTERCULTURAL EFFECTIVENESS IN THE WORKPLACE

Session: P_D01S004 - Poster Session 4 - Division 1
AUTHORS:
Timmerman Femke (Ghent University ~ Ghent ~ Belgium) , Mathijs Marie (Ghent University ~ Ghent ~ Belgium) , Fontaine Johnny (Ghent University ~ Ghent ~ Belgium) , Schelfhout Stijn (Ghent University ~ Ghent ~ Belgium) , Derous Eva (Ghent University ~ Ghent ~ Belgium)
Abstract text:
Emotional Intelligence (EI) plays a crucial role in social interactions. Research shows that the ability to manage emotions predicts the success of interactions with friends and colleagues. This suggests that emotion management may also be important in intercultural workplace interactions, which are inherently complex and emotionally charged. However, empirical evidence on the role of EI in intercultural effectiveness is limited. According to Mayer and Salovey's (1997) model, emotion management may be particularly relevant in these contexts.


This study investigated whether emotion management is associated with intercultural effectiveness in workplace interactions, and whether this relation holds beyond cognitive ability. Data were collected from 515 participants (50% men, 50% women; M age = 43, SD = 11.68, 88% employed). Participants completed the Situational Test of Emotional Management - Brief (Allen et al., 2015) to assess EI, the International Cognitive Ability Resource (Condon & Revelle 2014) to assess cognitive ability, and the Direct Intercultural Effectiveness Simulation (Schelfhout & Derous, 2023) to assess intercultural effectiveness.


A linear regression revealed that EI was significantly associated with intercultural effectiveness, F(1, 512) = 81.50, p < .001, R2 = 13.7%. A subsequent multiple regression tested whether this association held when cognitive ability was included. The model remained significant, F(2, 511) = 41.42, p < .001, R2 = 13.9%. EI continued to show a significant association with intercultural effectiveness, β = 0.87, t = 8.90, p < .001, whereas intelligence did not, β = 0.00, t = 1.14, p = .255.


These Findings suggest that emotion regulation in intercultural interactions is more relevant for intercultural effectiveness than the general problem-solving ability. A possible explanation is that intercultural interactions are inherently emotionally charged and require adaptive emotion regulation rather than abstract reasoning. This finding highlights the importance of integrating emotion management in organizational training to foster intercultural competence.