ESP-4369

Published

2026-02-04

Issue

Vol. 11 No. 2 (2026): Publishing

Section

Research Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Duan Yao*, Lily Suriani Mohd Arif

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

The journal adopts the Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0), which means that anyone can reuse and redistribute the materials for non-commercial purposes as long as you follow the license terms and the original source is properly cited.

Author(s) shall retain the copyright of their work and grant the Journal/Publisher rights for the first publication with the work concurrently licensed since 2023 Vol.8 No.2.

Under this license, author(s) will allow third parties to download, reuse, reprint, modify, distribute and/or copy the content under the condition that the authors are given credit. No permission is required from the authors or the publisher.

This broad license intends to facilitate free access, as well as the unrestricted use of original works of all types. This ensures that the published work is freely and openly available in perpetuity.

By providing open access, the following benefits are brought about:

  • Higher Visibility, Availability and Citations-free and unlimited accessibility of the publication over the internet without any restrictions increases citation of the article.
  • Ease of search-publications are easily searchable in search engines and indexing databases.
  • Rapid Publication – accepted papers are immediately published online.
  • Available for free download immediately after publication at https://esp.as-pub.com/index.php/ESP

 

Copyright Statement

1.The authors certify that the submitted manuscripts are original works, do not infringe the rights of others, are free from academic misconduct and confidentiality issues, and that there are no disputes over the authorship scheme of the collaborative articles. In case of infringement, academic misconduct and confidentiality issues, as well as disputes over the authorship scheme, all responsibilities will be borne by the authors.

2. The author agrees to grant the Editorial Office of Environment and Social Psychology a licence to use the reproduction right, distribution right, information network dissemination right, performance right, translation right, and compilation right of the submitted manuscript, including the work as a whole, as well as the diagrams, tables, abstracts, and any other parts that can be extracted from the work and used in accordance with the characteristics of the journal. The Editorial Board of Environment and Social Psychology has the right to use and sub-licence the above mentioned works for wide dissemination in print, electronic and online versions, and, in accordance with the characteristics of the periodical, for the period of legal protection of the property right of the copyright in the work, and for the territorial scope of the work throughout the world.

3. The authors are entitled to the copyright of their works under the relevant laws of Singapore, provided that they do not exercise their rights in a manner prejudicial to the interests of the Journal.

About Licence

Environment and Social Psychology is an open access journal and all published work is available under the Creative Commons Licence, Authors shall retain copyright of their work and grant the journal/publisher the right of first publication, and their work shall be licensed under the Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0).

Under this licence, the author grants permission to third parties to download, reuse, reprint, modify, distribute and/or copy the content with attribution to the author. No permission from the author or publisher is required.

This broad licence is intended to facilitate free access to and unrestricted use of original works of all kinds. This ensures that published works remain free and accessible in perpetuity. Submitted manuscripts, once accepted, are immediately available to the public and permanently accessible free of charge on the journal’s official website (https://esp.as-pub.com/index.php/ESP). Allowing users to read, download, copy, print, search for or link to the full text of the article, or use it for other legal purposes. However, the use of the work must retain the author's signature, be limited to non-commercial purposes, and not be interpretative.

Click to download <Agreement on the Licence for the Use of Copyright on Environmental and Social Psychology>.

How to Cite

Duan Yao, & Lily Suriani Mohd Arif. (2026). The Role of Social Media in Shaping Cultural Intelligence among Expatriates. Environment and Social Psychology, 11(2), ESP-4369. https://doi.org/10.59429/esp.v11i2.4369

The Role of Social Media in Shaping Cultural Intelligence among Expatriates

Duan Yao

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia,School of Human Resource Development and Psychology, Johor Bahru,81310,Malaysia

Lily Suriani Mohd Arif

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia,Faculty of Social Sciences & Humanities, Johor Bahru,81310 ,Malaysia


DOI: https://doi.org/10.59429/esp.v11i2.4369


Keywords: Cultural intelligence; social media use; expatriate adjustment; cross-cultural adaptation; WeChat; multinational organizations

Abstract

With global assignments emerging as a common aspect of the multinational enterprise, the capacity of the employees to adjust successfully to culturally diverse working environments has become all the more important. Cultural intelligence (CQ), which is a multidimensional ability that is defined as having metacognitive, cognitive, motivational, and behavioral dimensions, is commonly known as a prime predictor of expatriate adjustment and performance. Although the previous studies have focused on the conventional antecedents of CQ, which include international experience, proficiency in language, and formal training, the importance of social media as a digital channel of cross-cultural learning is not intensively studied; in addition, it is important to consider platform-related aspects of this learning. The present research is a study that examines the connection between cultural intelligence utilizing four dimensions and social media use among the Korean expatriates working in Beijing, using WeChat as the center of study. The survey data were gathered with the help of a quantitative cross-sectional survey design of 124 expatriates working in the Korean-owned companies. Measures of cultural intelligence were done using the Short Form Cultural Intelligence Scale and meeting social media was operationalized in terms of informational and socializing WeChat activities. Regression analyses indicate that the effects are differentiated. The belief in the use of social media demonstrates that it has a significant positive correlation with cognitive CQ (b = 0.45, p < 0.001) and motivational CQ (b = 0.414, p < 0.001): the use of the platform facilitates the acquisition of cultural knowledge and the motivation to engage in intercultural interaction. Conversely, the use of social media is neither positively related to metacognitive CQ (b = [?]0.012, p < 0.05) nor behavioral CQ (b = [?]0.053, p < 0.05) thus, the implication is that it has little impact on reflective cultural strategy and adaptive behavioral enactment. These results reveal that social media is more of an informational and a confidence-building tool and not a complete process of building deeper levels of intercultural competence. The present research contributes to the current knowledge regarding the role of digital tools in selectively facilitating the development of expatriate capability and emphasizes the significance of balancing the learning process based on social media with the use of structured interaction, feedback, and reflective practices by placing the inquiry into the platform-specific China-based context of CQ analysis.

References

[1]. 1.G. Gu, “Exploring the Relationship of Cultural Intelligence, Employee Performance, and Cross-cultural Adjustment in the Context of Transnational Operations,” Journal of Education, Humanities and Social Sciences, vol. 23, pp. 316–322, Dec. 2023, doi: 10.54097/EHSS.V23I.12907.

[2]. 2.L. Haikuo, “Exploring the impact of cultural intelligence on multicultural literacy in university students: a serial mediation model of cultural exposure and cross-cultural communication skills,” Front. Psychol., vol. 16, p. 1661899, Sep. 2025, doi: 10.3389/FPSYG.2025.1661899/BIBTEX.

[3]. 3.U. Chanveasna, T. Chanthuch, S. Veasna, and K. Sovannara, “The Effects of Social Support and Cultural Intelligence on Expatriate Adjustment and Performance,” Open J. Soc. Sci., vol. 12, no. 06, pp. 299–327, 2024, doi: 10.4236/JSS.2024.126016.

[4]. 4.G. Morin and D. Talbot, “Exploring the effects of international experiences on cultural intelligence,” J. Int. Dev., vol. 36, no. 8, pp. 2959–2985, Nov. 2024, doi: 10.1002/JID.3947;CTYPE:STRING:JOURNAL.

[5]. 5.M. Noman, N. Akhtar, M. K. Khan, and S. Qaisar, “Cross-cultural adjustment of Chinese expatriates to Pakistan: investigating the role of social support as a moderator,” Acta Psychol. (Amst)., vol. 256, p. 105025, Jun. 2025, doi: 10.1016/J.ACTPSY.2025.105025.

[6]. 6.U. Chanveasna et al., “The Effects of Social Support and Cultural Intelligence on Expatriate Adjustment and Performance,” Open J. Soc. Sci., vol. 12, no. 6, pp. 299–327, Jun. 2024, doi: 10.4236/JSS.2024.126016.

[7]. 7.K. Kokubun, K. Nemoto, and Y. Yamakawa, “Expatriates’ Cultural Intelligence Mediates the Relationship Between Lifestyle and Performance: A Cross‐Sectional Analysis and a Longitudinal Pilot Study,” Brain Behav., vol. 15, no. 5, p. e70576, May 2025, doi: 10.1002/BRB3.70576.

[8]. 8.A. Mammadov and A. Wald, “The role of cultural intelligence in a firm’s international activities: review, synthesis, and future research,” International Journal of Human Resource Management, vol. 36, no. 18, pp. 3251–3315, Oct. 2025, doi: 10.1080/09585192.2025.2592773;WGROUP:STRING:PUBLICATION.

[9]. 9.O. Khodirova, N. Mullabaeva, K. Kadirov, M. Karamyan, and O. Khodirova, “Influence of Emotional Intelligence on the Manifestation of Leadership Qualities of Personality,” Jan. 2026, doi: 10.21203/RS.3.RS-8424367/V1.

[10]. 10.S. Toumi and Z. Su, “A systematic review of the impact of cultural intelligence on expatriates’ behavior and outcomes: state of knowledge and research directions,” Journal of Global Mobility, vol. 13, no. 4, pp. 616–646, Dec. 2025, doi: 10.1108/JGM-02-2025-0019.

[11]. 11.J. V. Coelho, “Mapping expatriate resource gains: the impact of company policy design,” Journal of Global Mobility, pp. 1–25, Jan. 2026, doi: 10.1108/JGM-07-2025-0079.

[12]. 12.A. R. A. Arokiasamy, M. A. Zouba, K. Z. Z. Thet, A. Vasudevan, S. F. A. Hossain, and A. Al-Hunaiyyan, “Thriving in Transition: Unpacking the Keys to Expat Retention in Vietnam’s Higher Education Landscape,” Journal of Cultural Analysis and Social Change, vol. 2026, no. 1, pp. 1069–1086, Jan. 2026, doi: 10.64753/JCASC.V11I1.4034.

[13]. 13.I. C. López Morales, M. C. Dato-on, and G. K. McClure, “Welcome to Our Country: Improving Expatriate Assignment Success Through Host Country Managerial Involvement,” Thunderbird International Business Review, 2026, doi: 10.1002/TIE.70076;WGROUP:STRING:PUBLICATION.

[14]. 14.A. D. Amodu, “Tridimensionality of Social Health Concerns Among Black African Educational Immigrants in the UK,” Race and Social Problems 2025 18:1, vol. 18, no. 1, pp. 14-, Dec. 2025, doi: 10.1007/S12552-025-09481-X.

[15]. 15.V. S. Chouhan and A. Shukla, “The association between virtual communication and leadership in the post-pandemic era: the role of emotional intelligence,” Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Administration, vol. 18, no. 1, pp. 42–83, Jan. 2026, doi: 10.1108/APJBA-11-2023-0601.

[16]. 16.M. Singh, A. Mittal, V. Malik, R. Mittal, G. Singala, and A. Kaur, “Predicting the effects of cultural intelligence on innovation in start-ups,” WORK: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment & Rehabilitation, Jan. 2025, doi: 10.1177/10519815251358148;PAGEGROUP:STRING:PUBLICATION.

[17]. 17.D. C. Thomas et al., “Cultural intelligence: A theory-based, short form measure,” Journal of International Business Studies 2015 46:9, vol. 46, no. 9, pp. 1099–1118, Jan. 2015, doi: 10.1057/JIBS.2014.67.

[18]. 18.G. Morin and D. Talbot, “Contextual Ethical Leadership as a Lever for Integrating and Engaging Expatriates,” Thunderbird International Business Review, vol. 0, pp. 1–14, 2026, doi: 10.1002/TIE.70075;WGROUP:STRING:PUBLICATION.

[19]. 19.I. Ali, S. Badghish, D. Korayim, A. Galgotia, M. T. D’Agostino, and R. Palladino, “Understanding the impact of peers’ knowledge hiding on employees knowledge manipulation and creative performance: the buffering role of emotional intelligence,” Journal of Knowledge Management, pp. 1–20, Jan. 2026, doi: 10.1108/JKM-04-2025-0530.

[20]. 20.R. A. Naufal and D. Sartika, “Cross-Cultural Adjustment: The Role of Cultural Intelligence and Pre-Departure Training,” Journal of Innovation in Educational and Cultural Research, vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 31–38, 2026, doi: 10.46843/JIECR.V7I1.2380.

[21]. 21.H. Alblooshi, M. Mustafa, Y. Rezgui, and T. Beach, “Infrastructure Resilience in Hyper-Arid fast-growing Cities: Public Perceptions, Institutional Confidence, and AI Trust in Dubai,” Jan. 2026, doi: 10.21203/RS.3.RS-8490604/V1.

[22]. 22.C. Zhao, “Using deep learning approaches to optimize cross-cultural management and global human resource allocation,” Human Systems Management, Jan. 2025, doi: 10.1177/01672533251350855;JOURNAL:JOURNAL:HSYA;REQUESTEDJOURNAL:JOURNAL:HSYA;WGROUP:STRING:PUBLICATION.

[23]. 23.I. Moodie and V. Greenier, “The Unfolding of Careers: Examining Why Expat English Language Teachers Quit the Profession,” TESOL Quarterly, 2026, doi: 10.1002/TESQ.70055;REQUESTEDJOURNAL:JOURNAL:15457249;CSUBTYPE:STRING:AHEAD.

[24]. 24.K. Chebli, A. Gritti, and C. Calia, “Bridging cultural sensitivity and ethical practice: Expert narratives on child and adolescent mental health in Kuwait,” Clin. Child Psychol. Psychiatry, Jan. 2025, doi: 10.1177/13591045251380307;WGROUP:STRING:PUBLICATION.

[25]. 25.K. B. Noh, “From Embeddedness to Implementation: A Transposition Theory Perspective on Reverse Knowledge Transfer in South Korean MNCs,” Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, vol. 64, no. 1, p. e70062, Jan. 2026, doi: 10.1111/1744-7941.70062.

[26]. 26.V. Worm, “The Role of Empathy and Compassion in the Management of Responsive International Business Organizations,” Responsive Structures in Multinational Organizations, pp. 141–152, Jan. 2026, doi: 10.1108/978-1-80592-717-420261008.

[27]. 27.R. Harahap and Mujiburrahman, “The Myth of Influence of Social Media in the 2024 Presidential Election: Insight from Indonesian Voters in India and Turkiye.,” Dirasat: Human & Social Sciences, vol. 53, no. 5, p. 1, Sep. 2026, doi: 10.35516/HUM.2026.8792.

[28]. 28.D. Li and Y. Tao, “Translanguaging space construction in a Chinese-Russian border city: a multimodal perspective from vlogs,” J. Multiling. Multicult. Dev., pp. 1–16, Jan. 2026, doi: 10.1080/01434632.2026.2613676.

[29]. M. A. Khaireddin, O. A. Alrababah, : األهداف‬, and A. Alrababah, “Attitudes of Media Professionals Working in Jordanian Satellite Channels (JSC) towards Employing Artificial Intelligence (AI) Techniques in Media Work,” Dirasat: Human and Social Sciences, vol. 53, no. 6, pp. 8656–8656, Jan. 2026, doi: 10.35516/HUM.2026.8656.‬



21 Woodlands Close #02-10, Primz Bizhub,Postal 737854, Singapore

Email:editorial_office@as-pub.com