Does cultural intelligence matter within cross-cultural teams in hospitality industry? Understanding the role of team dissimilarity climate

Cross-cultural teams have become integral units of international hospitality enterprises given the rapid development of globalization. How to effectively stimulate team members' performance in a cross-cultural context has thus become a growing concern. This paper aims to explore whether, how, and when cultural intelligence influences team members' performance in cross-cultural teams. Data analysis from 440 employees nested in 100 cross-cultural teams of an international hotel chain revealed that cultural intelligence is positively associated with individual role performance via cross-cultural adjustment. In addition, the above indirect relationship was found to be stronger when a higher level of team dissimilarity climate was present. Our findings shed light on how situational factors and personal traits interact in a diverse range of work environments. The practical implications for international organizations of fully utilizing the benefits of cultural diversity in the workplace are also discussed.