In an innovative culture, high cultural intelligence (CQ) is present, valued and nurtured. The economic demands on organizations to become laboratories of innovation will require workforces made up of individuals possessing high CQ. As high CQ becomes more and more valued, and in turn becomes part of business school training, the wider culture will begin to find greater flexibility along the Hofstede’s cultural dimensions over time.
Something feels broken in our current recruiting system. Research tells us that firm success depends upon having the “right” workforce, emphasizing the alignment of corporate cultural values between organizations and their employees. However, companies invite candidates to interviews based on a system of keyword matching, looking for technical skills and previous experience, leaving out cultural fit considerations to the face-to-face meetings. But what are the chances that, under the current system, those “right” people will even get invited?
In unstable environments, there is no sustainable competitive advantage, only multiple temporary competitive advantages. If this is true, small-to-mid-sized firms may be the big earners of our time.