Exploring resilience as a mediator and moderator in the relationship between cultural intelligence and sociocultural adjustment: A study of expatriates in Switzerland

Recent studies suggest that cultural intelligence (CQ) and resilience play a key role in sociocul-tural adjustment in expatriate populations. The current study aimed to clarify the relationships between CQ, resilience and sociocultural adjustment in a population of expatriates in Switzerland. Participants (N = 126) completed validated, self-report measures of resilience, cultural intelli-gence, and sociocultural adjustment and hierarchical linear regression, mediation and moderation analyses tested relationships between the study variables. Preliminary results verified findings from previous research indicating that increased resilience and CQ predict fewer sociocultural adjustment difficulties. Additional analyses showed that the CQ Skills subscale explained a sig-nificant amount of variance in sociocultural adjustment while the other subscales, metacognition and knowledge, did not. Finally, we found that resilience partially mediates the relationship between CQ and sociocultural adjustment but does not act as a moderator in this relationship. The results have theoretical implications for understanding the process of sociocultural adjustment, as well as practical implications for implementing targeted training programmes to support expa-triate adjustment.

Automated summary

Recent studies show that cultural intelligence (CQ) and resilience are crucial for sociocultural adjustment in expatriate populations. This study aimed to examine the relationships between CQ, resilience, and sociocultural adjustment in expatriates in Switzerland. Results confirmed previous findings that higher levels of resilience and CQ are associated with fewer sociocultural adjustment difficulties. Additionally, the study found that the CQ Skills subscale is a significant predictor for sociocultural adjustment, while the other subscales, metacognition and knowledge, are not. Moreover, resilience partially mediates the relationship between CQ and sociocultural adjustment, but does not act as a moderator. These findings have theoretical and practical implications for understanding and supporting expatriate adjustment.