Transforming diversity into competitiveness through cultural intelligence
The ability to embrace different cultures in the workplace as a business resource
Cultural intelligence (CQ) is a useful tool for growing a business in new and complex contexts, such as those we find ourselves in today. In such contexts, diversity is almost the norm and can truly make a difference. These ideas form the basis of Said Toumi’s recently defended doctoral thesis in administrative sciences at the University of Québec, titled ‘The impact of cultural intelligence on work performance: Evidence from the Arab world’, starts with the observation that literature on cultural intelligence (CQ) and its impact on intercultural management in international professional settings is gaining increasing interest in academic and professional circles. But what is cultural intelligence? CQ can be understood as an individual’s ability to work effectively in different cultural contexts. In other words, turning diversity into a strength for growth rather than an obstacle.
Said Toumi’s research aims to enrich our understanding of this concept by studying the impact of cultural intelligence (CQ) and informal networks within multinational organisations, with a particular focus on expats and inter-organisational relationships in the Arab world.
The work consists of three chapters, each of which addresses a different aspect of this complex topic. The first chapter provides an overview of studies on the impact of cultural intelligence on expats up to December 2024, while identifying the main directions for future research. The second chapter examines ‘Wasta’, an informal inter-organisational network prevalent in the Arab world, and its effect on satisfaction and performance in B2B relationships in the Maghreb region. Finally, the third chapter explores the impact of CQ on informal networks, with a particular focus on the supervisor-subordinate relationship in intercultural organisational contexts.
Toumi’s work is valuable because it provides insight into a topic that is not well understood or widely applied in most companies.
The impact of cultural intelligence on work performance: Evidence from the Arab world
Said Toumi
Thesis, Doctorat en sciences de l’administration, Université Lava, Quebec, 2025
The ability to embrace different cultures in the workplace as a business resource
Cultural intelligence (CQ) is a useful tool for growing a business in new and complex contexts, such as those we find ourselves in today. In such contexts, diversity is almost the norm and can truly make a difference. These ideas form the basis of Said Toumi’s recently defended doctoral thesis in administrative sciences at the University of Québec, titled ‘The impact of cultural intelligence on work performance: Evidence from the Arab world’, starts with the observation that literature on cultural intelligence (CQ) and its impact on intercultural management in international professional settings is gaining increasing interest in academic and professional circles. But what is cultural intelligence? CQ can be understood as an individual’s ability to work effectively in different cultural contexts. In other words, turning diversity into a strength for growth rather than an obstacle.
Said Toumi’s research aims to enrich our understanding of this concept by studying the impact of cultural intelligence (CQ) and informal networks within multinational organisations, with a particular focus on expats and inter-organisational relationships in the Arab world.
The work consists of three chapters, each of which addresses a different aspect of this complex topic. The first chapter provides an overview of studies on the impact of cultural intelligence on expats up to December 2024, while identifying the main directions for future research. The second chapter examines ‘Wasta’, an informal inter-organisational network prevalent in the Arab world, and its effect on satisfaction and performance in B2B relationships in the Maghreb region. Finally, the third chapter explores the impact of CQ on informal networks, with a particular focus on the supervisor-subordinate relationship in intercultural organisational contexts.
Toumi’s work is valuable because it provides insight into a topic that is not well understood or widely applied in most companies.
The impact of cultural intelligence on work performance: Evidence from the Arab world
Said Toumi
Thesis, Doctorat en sciences de l’administration, Université Lava, Quebec, 2025