Investigating the cultural intelligence level of two small informatics companies and how it affects their international communication: a case study

Absztrakt

In our globalised world intercultural competence or cultural intelligence is a very important skill. Measuring and developing it is indispensable to enterprises’ better performance. In large multinational companies, intercultural management aspects are basic parts of company management and communication, but they are increasingly gaining ground in small and mediumsized
enterprises as well. This case study measures the cultural intelligence level in two small informatics companies and examines its impact on the effectiveness of their international communication. The cultural intelligence of the companies’ staff was measured using a mixed methodology: questionnaires and follow-up interviews. The findings of the research show most of the participants when communicating with people from different cultures had problems with changing their body language, with modifying their speech style, and their confidence level in the face of challenging situations. The interviews revealed that the difference between high and low context communication and the language problems cause most of the conflicts with foreign partners.