Multicultural by choice or by chance? The effects of early immersive culture mixing

Abstract

With the rising proportion of multicultural employees in organisations, this thesis seeks to explore psychological variation among multicultural individuals and how it may influence the way they contribute to organisations. In this thesis, I develop a theory of why some multicultural individuals think and identify differently to others, based on early developmental processes. I suggest that a key antecedent to psychological differences among multiculturals is the experience of multiple, interacting cultures simultaneously at home while growing up. I call this phenomenon early immersive culture mixing. I introduce a distinction between two types of multicultural individuals: innate multiculturals (defined as individuals who have experienced early immersive culture mixing) and achieved multiculturals (individuals who have become multicultural in other ways).

Across three studies, I investigate variation among multiculturals stemming from early immersive culture mixing. In the first study, a between-subjects quasi-experiment, I test whether innate and achieved multiculturals differ in cultural frame switching (indicative of variation in cultural schemas) and cultural identity hybridity (blendedness). In the second study, I explore how early immersive culture mixing is related to cultural (dis)identification. In addition, I attempt to provide further evidence for the results found in my first study, using a different method (within-subjects quasi-experiment). In the third study, a between-subjects quasi-experiment, I test whether early immersive culture mixing leads to differences in cultural frame switching in the work context, as well as variation in work preferences and cultural identity imbalance among multiculturals.

Key findings include that early immersive culture mixing is associated with: a hybrid cultural schema; a hybrid cultural identity; certain patterns of cultural identification and disidentification; and lower cultural identity imbalance. The findings from this thesis open a new avenue in management research on multicultural employees. I discuss the implications for theory and practice in international management, organisational behaviour and human resources management.