Christine Koh

Cultural Intelligence: Its Measurement and Effects on Cultural Judgment and Decision Making, Cultural Adaptation and Task Performance

We enhance the theoretical precision of cultural intelligence (CQ: capability to function effectively in culturally diverse settings) by developing and testing a model that posits differential relationships between the four CQ dimensions (metacognitive, cognitive, motivational and behavioural) and three intercultural effectiveness outcomes (cultural judgment and decision making, cultural adaptation and task performance in culturally diverse settings). Before testing the model, we describe development and cross-validation (N = 1,360) of the multidimensional cultural intelligence scale (CQS) across samples, time and country. We then describe three substantive studies (N = 794) in field and educational development settings across two national contexts, the USA and Singapore. The results demonstrate a consistent pattern of relationships where metacognitive CQ and cognitive CQ predicted cultural judgment and decision making; motivational CQ and behavioural CQ predicted cultural adaptation; and metacognitive CQ and behavioural CQ predicted task performance. We discuss theoretical and practical implications of our model and findings.

IT Outsourcing Success: A Psychological Contract Perspective

Information technology (IT) outsourcing success requires careful management of customer-supplier relationships. However, there are few published studies on the ongoing relationships, and most of these adopt a customer perspective, de-emphasizing suppliers. In this study, we look at both customer and supplier perspectives, by means of the psychological contract of customer and supplier project managers. We apply the concept of psychological contract to perceived mutual obligations, and to how such fulfillment of obligations can predict success. Our research questions are (1) What are the critical customer-supplier obligations in an IT outsourcing relationship? and (2) What is the impact of fulfilling these obligations on success?We use a sequential, qualitative-quantitative approach to develop and test our model. In the qualitative study, we probe the nature of customer-supplier obligations using in-depth interviews. Content analysis of interview transcripts show that both customers and suppliers identify six obligations that are critical to success. Customers perceive supplier obligations to be accurate project scoping, clear authority structures, taking charge, effective human capital management, effective knowledge transfer, and effective interorganizational teams. Suppliers perceive customer obligations as clear specifications, prompt payment, close project monitoring, dedicated project staffing, knowledge sharing, and project ownership. In the second quantitative study, we assess the impact of fulfilling these obligations on success through a field study of 370 managers. Results show that fulfilled obligations predict success over and above the effects of contract type, duration, and size.

Personality correlates of the four-factor model of cultural intelligence

We examine relationships between Big Five personality and the four-factor model of cultural intelligence (CQ)—metacognitive CQ, cognitive CQ, motivational CQ, and behavioral CQ. Hierarchical regression analyses conducted on data from 338 business undergraduates—after controlling for age, gender, and years of experience in interacting with people from other cultures—show significant links between (a) conscientiousness and metacognitive CQ; (b) agreeableness and emotional stability with behavioral CQ; (c) extra version with cognitive, motivational, and behavioral CQ; and (d) openness with all four factors of CQ. The intriguing finding of this study is that openness was the only Big Five that was significantly related to all four aspects of CQ. This differs from prior research on openness that found few significant relationships. Our results show that openness to experience is a crucial personality characteristic that is related to a person’s capability to function effectively in diverse cultural settings (CQ).

Turnover of information technology professionals: a narrative review, meta-analytic structural equation modeling, and model development

This study combines a narrative review with meta-analytic techniques to yield important insights about the existing research on turnover of information technology professionals. Our narrative review of 33 studies shows that the 43 antecedents to turnover intentions of IT professionals could be mapped onto March and Simons (1958) distal-proximal turnover framework. Our meta-analytic structural equation modeling shows that proximal constructs of job satisfaction (reflecting the lack of desire to move) and perceived job alternatives (reflecting ease of movement) partially mediate the relationships between the more distal individual attributes, job-related and perceived organizational factors, and IT turnover intentions. Building on the findings from our review, we propose a new theoretical model of IT turnover that presents propositions for future research to address existing gaps in the IT literature.

Strategic Maneuvers for Outsourcing Flexibility: An Empirical Assessment

Tan and Sia (2006) conceptualize outsourcing flexibility within a set of four dimensions: robustness, modifiability, new capability, and ease of exit, and propose a portfolio of preemptive, protective, exploitive, and corrective maneuvers to manage flexibility in outsourcing. In this article, we build upon their proposed framework by anchoring the strategic maneuvers through a multitheoretic lens and empirically validate the research propositions. A survey of 171 outsourcing projects in Singapore was conducted. The findings bear evidence that the four proposed dimensions of outsourcing flexibility are conceptually distinct and that different strategic maneuvers contribute differently to the various flexibility dimensions. The empirical findings also affirm the importance of structuring flexibility for outsourcing success, with some flexibility dimensions manifesting different intensity in enabling outsourcing success for IT outsourcing versus business process outsourcing. We conclude by proposing a more holistic approach for effective flexibility management in outsourcing and highlighting research gaps that may need deeper theorizing and empirical extension.

Does IT outsourcing create firm value

The continued growth of IT outsourcing seems to reflect a fundamental belief among businesses that outsourcing creates wealth and delivers value to companies that outsource. Such a belief is supported by theories of production and transaction cost economies. These theories suggest that IT outsourcing should indeed generate greater wealth and create greater value for firms that outsource vis-à-vis firms that prefer to manage and operate their IT in-house. Yet, to date, there is little objective evidence to show how IT outsourcing actually does create value to companies. Drawing on transaction and production cost economies, we argue that IT outsourcing should create value for firms. We test our hypothesis using an event study of 420 IT outsourcing announcements by U.S. public listed companies during the period 1989-1999. Results showed that IT outsourcing did create value for firms in terms of positive short-term stock market returns.

Cultural intelligence and collaborative work: intercultural competencies in global technology work teams

With the growth of offshoring and the global delivery model, IT professionals need to collaborate with clients, users, vendors and other IT employees in multiple locations. Yet, we know very little about the new and unique capabilities IT professionals need, to function effectively in such a global environment. This paper introduces the concept of cultural intelligence (CQ) and discusses its relevance to the global IT workforce. We propose that CQ is a critical individual capability for IT professionals working in global collaborative IT teams.

Motivation to Serve

The motivation to serve others is deeply embedded in the philosophy of servant leadership. As seen from the quote above, Robert Greenleaf articulated the core essence of a servant-leader as having the desire to serve others. It is this desire that precipitates actions taken by the servant–leader to ensure that others’ critical needs are met (Greenleaf, 1970). In a time where abuse of power and unethical leadership practices are increasingly common, it is not surprising that servant leadership, which emphasizes the leader’s genuine desire and moral responsibility to meet the needs of the subordinates, is gaining more appeal with organizations.

The meaning of IT work

Research has consistently highlighted the importance of meaning of work. Yet, the meaning of IT work remains unexamined in the IT literature. This study fills this gap by reporting on a study that aims to identify themes describing the meaning of IT work. This study adopts a qualitative grounded approach to identify a set of fifteen (15) themes that represent three types of meanings of work, i.e. Self, Others and Context. A large-scale field study was conducted to validate the meanings of IT work. The results of the field study indicate that the 15 themes identified have face validity. Self-related themes were selected more by IT professionals as describing the meaning of IT work compared to Others or Context. The top four themes describing the meaning of IT work concerned the opportunity to learn and develop oneself; deriving a sense of achievement from work; leveraging knowledge and skills; and creating something of value through work that impacts the company and its clients. We conclude this study with implications for research and the practice of IT.

Work-life conflict and job mobility intentions

This study takes the first step in IT literature to examine the role of time-based and strain-based work-life conflicts on turnover and turnaway. Prior research on work-life (and work-family) conflicts and turnover typically examines it as a unidimensional construct. This study examines work-life conflict as a multidimensional construct comprising of time-based and strain-based conflicts. In this study, time and strain (i.e. demands on energy) are conceptualized as resources. The Conservation of Resources Theory is utilized to develop two sets of hypotheses relating time and strain to turnover and turnaway intentions. The hypotheses are tested on a sample of IT professionals drawn from a local IT professional association. The results indicate that time-based conflicts are not related to turnover and turnaway intentions. Strain-based conflicts, however, are positively related to turnover and turnaway intentions. This study concludes with a discussion of this pattern of results and presents subsequent research directions, which the authors are pursing.