The Benefits of Cultural Intelligence in Reducing Job Stress of Flight Attendants: Evidence from International Flights of Vietnamese Airlines
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24311/jabes/2023.34.6.4Keywords:
Cultural Intelligence, Job Stress, Ethnocentrism, Flight Attendants, VietnamAbstract
The aim of this study is to examine the contribution of cultural intelligence (CQ) to reducing job stress (JS). In addition, the mediating role of intercultural communication competence (ICC) and service attentiveness (SA) and the moderating role of ethnocentrism (ETH) are also considered. Survey data collected from 132 flight attendants serving international flights of Vietnamese airlines (Vietjet Air, Pacific Airlines, Vietravel Airlines, Bamboo Airways, and Vietnam Airlines) was analyzed. Results from partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) showed that cultural intelligence helps reduce job stress; this relationship is partly mediated through ICC and SA. Furthermore, this study also found that flight attendants with high ethnocentrism dampened the positive association between CQ and ICC. This finding also implied that airlines have appropriate policies to develop the cultural intelligence of flight attendants to reduce stress levels at work.
References
Afsar, B., Al-Ghazali, B. M., Cheema, S., & Javed, F. (2021). Cultural intelligence and innovative work behavior: The role of work engagement and interpersonal trust. European Journal of Innovation Management, 24(4), 1082–1109. doi: 10.1108/EJIM-01-2020-0008
Ang, S., Van Dyne, L., Koh, C., Ng, K. Y., Templer, K. J., Tay, C., & Chandrasekar, N. A. (2007). Cultural intelligence: Its measurement and effects on cultural judgment and decision making, cultural adaptation and task performance. Management and Organization Review, 3(3), 335–371. doi: 10.1111/j.1740-8784.2007.00082.x
Arasaratnam, L. A., & Banerjee, S. C. (2011). Sensation seeking and intercultural communication competence: A model test. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 35(2), 226–233. doi: 10.1016/j.ijintrel.2010.07.003
Bhui, K., Dinos, S., Galant-Miecznikowska, M., de Jongh, B., & Stansfeld, S. (2016). Perceptions of work stress causes and effective interventions in employees working in public, private and non-governmental organisations: A qualitative study. BJPsych Bulletin, 40(6), 318–325. doi: 10.1192/pb.bp.115.050823
Bremser, K., & Abraham, V. (2022). Exploring the influence of tourist ethnocentrism and risk perception on the hospitality and tourism industry. EuroMed Journal of Business (ahead-of-print). doi: 10.1108/EMJB-09-2021-0137
Bücker, J. J. L. E., Furrer, O., Poutsma, E., & Buyens, D. (2014). The impact of cultural intelligence on communication effectiveness, job satisfaction and anxiety for Chinese host country managers working for foreign multinationals. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 25(14), 2068–2087. doi: 10.1080/09585192.2013.870293
Bush, V. D., Rose, G. M., Gilbert, F., & Ingram, T. N. (2001). Managing culturally diverse buyer-seller relationships: The role of intercultural disposition and adaptive selling in developing intercultural communication competence. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 29(4), 391–404. doi: 10.1177/03079450094234
Chen, A. S.-y., Wu, I. h., & Bian, M.-d. (2014). The moderating effects of active and agreeable conflict management styles on cultural intelligence and cross-cultural adjustment. International Journal of Cross Cultural Management, 14(3), 270–288. doi: 10.1177/1470595814525064
Chen, M. (2019). The impact of expatriates’ cross-cultural adjustment on work stress and job involvement in the high-tech industry. Frontiers in Psychology, 10. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02228
Demerouti, E., Bakker, A. B., Nachreiner, F., & Schaufeli, W. B. (2001). The job demands-resources model of burnout. The Journal of Applied Psychology, 86(3), 499–512.
Doğru, Ç. (2019). The interactions between cultural intelligence, job burnout, and task performance of expatriates. In D. B. A. M. Khosrow-Pour (Ed.), Breaking Down Language and Cultural Barriers Through Contemporary Global Marketing Strategies (pp. 22–41). Hershey, PA: IGI Global.
Earley, P. C., & Ang, S. (2003). Cultural Intelligence: Individual Interactions Across Cultures. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.
Gudykunst, W. B. (2004). Bridging Differences: Effective Intergroup Communication. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Hair, J. F., Black, W. C., Babin, B. J., & Anderson, R. E. (2019). Multivariate Data Analysis (9th ed.). Andover, Hampshire: Cengage Learning EMEA.
Hammer, M. R., Gudykunst, W. B., & Wiseman, R. L. (1978). Dimensions of intercultural effectiveness: An exploratory study. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 2(4), 382–393. doi: 10.1016/0147-1767(78)90036-6
Hansen, J. D., Singh, T., Weilbaker, D. C., & Guesalaga, R. (2011). Cultural intelligence in cross-cultural selling: Propositions and directions for future research. Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, 31(3), 243–254. doi: 10.2753/PSS0885-3134310303
Harrison, N. (2012). Investigating the impact of personality and early life experiences on intercultural interaction in internationalised universities. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 36(2), 224–237. doi: 10.1016/j.ijintrel.2011.03.007
Hà Nam Khánh Giao, & Bùi Nhất Vương. (2019). Giáo trình Cao học Phương pháp nghiên cứu trong kinh doanh cập nhật SmartPLS. TP.HCM: NXB Tài Chính.
Jeong, Y.-W., & Kim, J.-H. (2022). Depression, anxiety, stress and anger of the cabin crew during the COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea. Healthcare, 10(10), 1952. doi: 10.3390/healthcare10101952
Johnston, R. (1997). Identifying the critical determinants of service quality in retail banking: Importance and effect. International Journal of Bank Marketing, 15(4), 111–116. doi: 10.1108/02652329710189366
Lee, H. E. (2015). Does a server's attentiveness matter? Understanding intercultural service encounters in restaurants. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 50, 134–144. doi: 10.1016/j.ijhm.2015.08.003
Liou, R.-S., Nisar, S., Lee, K., Dixon, D., & Pennington, J. (2021). Unpacking cultural intelligence: Cultivating ethnorelativism in international business education. Journal of Teaching in International Business, 32(2), 154–175. doi: 10.1080/08975930.2021.1960244
MacDonald, L. A., Deddens, J. A., Grajewski, B. A., Whelan, E. A., & Hurrell, J. J. (2003). Job stress among female flight attendants. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 45(7), 703–714. doi: 10.1097/01.jom.0000071509.96740.dd
Nadeem, M. U., Mohammed, R., Dalib, S., & Mumtaz, S. (2022). An investigation of factors influencing intercultural communication competence of the international students from a higher education institute in Malaysia. Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, 14(3), 933–945. doi: 10.1108/JARHE-03-2021-0111
Neuliep, J. W., & McCroskey, J. C. (1997). The development of a U.S. and generalized ethnocentrism scale. Communication Research Reports, 14(4), 385–398. doi: 10.1080/08824099709388682
Nosratabadi, S., Bahrami, P., Palouzian, K., & Mosavi, A. (2020). Leader cultural intelligence and organizational performance. Cogent Business & Management, 7(1), 1809310. doi: 10.1080/23311975.2020.1809310
Rafiq, N., Abbasi, A. S., Ali Sair, S., Mohiuddin, M., & Munir, I. (2020). Emotional labor and its association with emotional exhaustion through cultural intelligence. Transnational Corporations Review, 12(4), 392–405. doi: 10.1080/19186444.2020.1846670
Ratasuk, A. (2020). Contribution of cultural intelligence to job performance of domestic hotel employees in Thailand: The mediating roles of communication effectiveness and job stress. Thammasat Review, 23(2), 170–191.
Samovar, L. A., Porter, R. E., & McDaniel, E. R. (2020). Communication between Cultures. Boston, MA: Wadsworth.
Semchuchota, N., Soontornnaruerangseeb, W., & Bodhisuwan, W. (2021). Thai flight attendants’ intercultural sensitivity and topics in intercultural communication with Muslim passengers. LEARN Journal: Language Education and Acquisition Research Network, 14(1), 87–117.
Sizoo, S., Plank, R., Iskat, W., & Serrie, H. (2005). The effect of intercultural sensitivity on employee performance in cross‐cultural service encounters. Journal of Services Marketing, 19(4), 245–255. doi: 10.1108/08876040510605271
Smith, C. A., & Lazarus, R. S. (1993). Appraisal components, core relational themes, and the emotions. Cognition and Emotion, 7(3–4), 233–269. doi: 10.1080/02699939308409189
Suthatorn, P., & Charoensukmongkol, P. (2018). Cultural intelligence and airline cabin crews members' anxiety: The mediating roles of intercultural communication competence and service attentiveness. Journal of Human Resources in Hospitality & Tourism, 17(4), 423–444. doi: 10.1080/15332845.2018.1449559
Van Dyne, L., Ang, S., Ng, K. Y., Rockstuhl, T., Tan, M. L., & Koh, C. (2012). Sub-dimensions of the four factor model of cultural intelligence: Expanding the conceptualization and measurement of cultural intelligence. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 6(4), 295–313. doi: 10.1111/j.1751-9004.2012.00429.x
Wetzels, M., Odekerken-Schröder, G., & Van-Oppen, C. (2009). Using PLS path modeling for assessing hierarchical construct models: Guidelines and empirical illustration. MIS Quarterly, 33(1), 177–195.
Yeke, S., & Semerciöz, F. (2016). Relationships between personality traits, cultural intelligence and intercultural communication competence. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 235, 313–319. doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2016.11.036
Young, C. A., Haffejee, B., & Corsun, D. L. (2017). The relationship between ethnocentrism and cultural intelligence. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 58, 31–41. doi: 10.1016/j.ijintrel.2017.04.001
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2023 JOURNAL OF ASIAN BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC STUDIES
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
