This year's prize of the advisory board of the Master's programme International Project Management was awarded during the 51st advisory board meeting to Athira Palamoottil Reji for her outstanding thesis.
The master's thesis "A quantitative study on self-perceived vs. assessed motivational cultural intelligence among junior project managers leading global virtual teams for Germany-based organizations." sheds light on the disparities between self-perception and objective assessment of motivational CQ, revealing significant cognitive biases at play. It critically evaluates existing assessment tools like the Cultural Intelligence Scale (CQS), emphasising their limitations in capturing context-specific nuances and susceptibility to biases.
In today's globalised landscape, where organisations strive to excel in diverse cultural contexts, the role of Cultural Intelligence (CQ) becomes paramount. Cultural Intelligence (CQ) plays a central role in driving the success of Global Virtual Teams. It is essentially a vital skill set for project managers operating in international and multicultural environments. The research examines the gap between self-perceived and objectively assessed motivational Cultural Intelligence (CQ) among junior project managers leading global virtual teams for Germany-based organisations.
The findings underscore the necessity for more nuanced and context-sensitive evaluation tools in assessing CQ accurately. Moreover, the study pioneers the development of a novel tool tailored for measuring motivational CQ objectively in Global Virtual Teams, thus bridging the gap between perception and reality in cultural intelligence assessment.
By providing practical insights beyond academic discourse, the study offers actionable recommendations for organisations and project managers aiming to enhance CQ in global project management settings. As organisations strive to thrive in diverse and multicultural environments, enhancing cultural intelligence emerges as a cornerstone for achieving sustainable success in the global arena.
The Advisory Board Award was funded by ZECH Hochbau AG.
