Minding mindfulness: an important process for cultural intelligence in culturally diverse teams

Abstract

Diverse teams have been demonstrated to achieve better performance, but differences amongst team members are a source of potential conflict which can derail a team from accomplishing its goals. Cultural intelligence (CQ), the ability to interact effectively with culturally different others and/or in culturally challenging contexts can minimize such conflicts. In this chapter, we explore how mindfulness is a form of team level CQ in diverse teams. We review literature on mindfulness at the individual and team level, and explain how it is beneficial to diverse teams. We then share findings from a qualitative study to illustrate how employees engage in team mindfulness as a means of coping with diversity, demonstrating cultural intelligence within the team. We conclude with a discussion of the implications and offer recommendations for future research.