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The Psychologist-Manager Journal, 15: 219–236, 2012
Copyright © The Society of Psychologists in Management
ISSN: 1088-7156 print / 1550-3461 online
DOI: 10.1080/10887156.2012.730442
The Role of Multicultural Competence
and Emotional Intelligence in Managing
Diversity
Donna Chrobot-Mason
University of Cincinnati
Jean B. Leslie
Center for Creative Leadership
Using a 360 degree feedback instrument, multicultural competency was shown to
predict managerial effectiveness. Managerial scores on emotional intelligence pre-
dicted others’ perceptions of multicultural competency as well as self-awareness.
Managers who scored higher on the Interpersonal and Stress Management factors of
emotional intelligence were rated higher on multicultural competence. Under-raters
were rated by others as most successful, followed by accurate raters, and over-raters.
Implications for future research and organizational diversity training are discussed.
The ability to prevent, diagnose, and resolve workplace problems that occur as
a result of employee diversity is a critical skill required for managerial success
in today’s multicultural work environment (Earley & Peterson, 2004; House,
1995; Mor Barak, 2005; Offerman & Phan, 2002). Employee differences in cul-
ture, background, ethnicity, religion, values, and assumptions create the potential
for greater inter-group conflict and decreased productivity (Jehn, 1995; Jehn,
Bezrukova, & Thatcher, 2008; Rahim, 2001). Organizational leaders skilled in
negotiating and managing such differences to achieve cooperation and reach a
mutually satisfying solution for all parties involved are said to be multiculturally
competent (Chrobot-Mason, 2003). Although the need for managers to develop
Correspondence should be sent to Donna Chrobot-Mason, Psychology Department and Center for
Organizational Leadership, University of Cincinnati, 5120-F Edwards I, PO Box 210094, Cincinnati,
OH 45221-0094. E-mail: chrobod@ucmail.uc.edu
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