Cultural Intelligence and Work-Family Conflict: A Moderated Mediation Model Based on Conservation of Resources Theory.

Guohua He,Feng Zhang,Ran An

doi:10.3390/ijerph16132406

Abstract

This study aims to explore the influence mechanism of cultural intelligence on work–family conflict for Chinese expatriates in cross-cultural non-profit organizations. Drawing on conservation of resources theory, this longitudinal study (six-month time lag) is the first to examine cultural intelligence as an antecedent of work–family conflict. The study also examines the mediating role of work engagement and the moderating role of leader–member exchange (LMX) in the cultural intelligence and work–family conflict relationship. The sample comprises 206 expatriate Chinese language teachers working at 45 Confucius Institutes in the US, Canada, and Russia. Results show that cultural intelligence not only reduces work–family conflict but also promotes expatriates’ work engagement. The higher the work engagement, the higher the work–family conflict experienced by expatriates. LMX moderates not only the positive relationship between work engagement and work–family conflict but also the indirect effect of cultural intelligence on work–family conflict through work engagement. Thus, the indirect effect of cultural intelligence on work–family conflict through work engagement is stronger with low (compared to high) LMX. This study’s findings provide implications for managers of cross-cultural non-profit organizations to better understand and solve expatriates’ work–family conflict problem.

Highlights

Accelerating internationalization made transnational cooperation in education a typical feature of many Chinese universities
The results suggest that cultural intelligence was negatively and significantly related to work–family conflict (β = −0.560, p < 0.001), with 41% of total variance explained by cultural intelligence
This study contributes to HRM research by examining the influence mechanism of cultural intelligence on work–family conflict for expatriates in a cross-cultural non-profit organizations (NPOs)

Summary

Introduction

Accelerating internationalization made transnational cooperation in education a typical feature of many Chinese universities. Previous work–family conflict research mostly focuses on expatriates in profit-making organizations, such as multinational enterprises (e.g., [2,3,4]). Studies on academic expatriates in cross-cultural non-profit organizations (NPOs) are rare, leaving organizations ill-informed on how to best promote employee well-being [5]. Research on the work–family issues of employees provides valuable practical implications for NPOs to attract and retain high-quality employees, because employees prefer to seek for jobs that are both meaningful and well balanced between work and family obligations [6]. Pitt-Catsouphes et al [7] argue that since women form the majority of NPO employees, work–family conflict is especially prevalent in the non-profit sector. Compared with enterprises or other profit-making organizations, NPOs provide fewer benefits and supports to employees [8]. It is often difficult for NPOs to meet employees’ needs for balancing work–family relationships

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