The Relationship between Cultural Intelligence and Transformational Leadership Among Managers

Abstract

This quantitative nonexperimental research study investigates the problem of managers at a Fortune 500 Company in the western United States being unaware and insensitive to worker’s cultural backgrounds during business activities. Leadership competence in the twenty-first century is missing a cultural component, whereas dispositions or actions must include foreign-understandings and adjustments of behavior during business activities. The purpose for this research study is to investigate relationships between leadership behaviors in the 21st century. This research study contributes to contemporary management theory by calculating an ANOVA between the Cultural Intelligence constructs, and the constructs of the Transformational leadership. This research study investigates how this combination influences managers in modern business. Empirically comparing the transformational management responses to the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire, MLQ, with the responses from the Cultural Intelligence Scale, CQ levels now become essential ingredients for leaders to guide any corporation successfully forward into the future. This research study educates managers by improving their Cultural Intelligence, and demonstrates how the company can benefit through the development of leadership and subordinate cultural intelligences. The challenge for this research is to be sensitive toward indicators for increased education and training classes to expand managers’ Cultural Intelligence skill-set. Improved cultural awareness and education benefits established managers, and trains new managers in the corporation.