We examine how cultural distance between sojourners' country of origin and their host country influences their engagement in intercultural exchange upon return. One might expect intercultural exchange to be much harder between culturally-distant countries than culturally-close ones, given that the former vary more in norms or expected behaviors from one's home country. Our novel theorizing, however, leads to precisely the opposite expectations. In particular, we hypothesized that cultural distance between the repatriates' home and host countries would be positively associated with being inspired by the host culture. In turn, this heightened inspiration would predict an increased sharing of knowledge about the host culture upon returning home (intercultural exchange). We combined measurement-of-mediation (Study 1) and experimental-causal-chain (Studies 2-3) approaches to test and confirm these hypotheses in three large samples of repatriates. We first examined whether cultural distance predicted greater intercultural exchange via repatriates' heightened inspiration (Study 1). We then tested the individual links in this postulated causal chain. In Study 2, a quasi-experiment, we examined the causal path from cultural distance to inspiration. In Study 3, we experimentally manipulated inspiration to test its causal effect on intercultural exchange. The findings advance theory and application around multicultural experience and intercultural exchange.

En entorno s inciertos como el actual, el papel del lider es esencial para llevar a las organizaciones a buen puerto. Seis profesores de la London Business School ofrecen en este articulo consejos acerca de como liderar para el bien en tiempos convulsos. La clave esta en implicarse de forma constructiva en las ideas; confiar en el equipo; liderar con responsabilidad; establecer una direccion estrategica clara y disenar procesos de abajo hacia arriba, para que las iniciativas de las personas en la base de la organizacion se puedan desarrollar; crear lugares de trabajo mas emocionantes y significativos para los empleados, y servirse de la lectura para convertirse en un mejor pensador y tomador de decisiones.

Los incentivos economicos, aunque importantes, no suelen ser suficientes para lograr que los empleados de una organizacion se impliquen al maximo en su trabajo y mejoren su productivi-dad. Y es que tener un proposito claro, una finalidad, juega aqui un papel de-terminante. Pero ?estamos seguros de que los trabajadores entienden cual es ese proposito? Para conseguirlo, la clave esta en hacer que este sea plau-sible (que este al alcance, que no sea demasiado idealista), que tenga carac-ter permanente (tiene que formar par-te, estructural y sistematicamente, de la organizacion) y que sea practico (los empleados deben saber que hacer pa-ra lograr esa finalidad).

Dan Cable's top ten books to help you get more out of life

Varios profesores de London Business School aportan su vision sobre las siete claves de los profesionales de exito. Aproveche estos habitos, que se ha comprobado que pueden transformar su negocio, su comunidad y su vida

Repatriation (returning home after having lived abroad) can be psychologically distressing. We theorized and found evidence that feeling nostalgic about a host culture contributes to repatriation success. We tested a sample of over 700 international teachers who worked in the United States (host culture) and then returned to their home countries. As hypothesized, nostalgia for the host culture was positively associated with repatriates' self-continuity (a sense of connection between one's past and present selves). Self-continuity, in turn, mediated the positive relation between host-culture nostalgia and psychological adjustment (self-esteem, approach motivation, job satisfaction). The findings have implications for the literatures on (a) multicultural experience and repatriation, and (b) the emotion of nostalgia and its relation to psychological adjustment.

New studies by LBS experts reveal startling findings in workplace behaviour and attitudes – with major implications for organisations

Successful leadership involves giving employees the scope to explore, experiment and improve. It's not about control, says Dan Cable

Feeling upbeat boosts performance. Fear kills creativity. Dan Cable explores emotional states and their organisational impact

Full transparency brings its own dangers. Dan Cable and Julian Birkinshaw explain

In a multi‐stage working life, with much competition for your time, it's more important than ever to act on your authentic choices

Dan Cable recommends you stop and ask seven important questions before implementing your grand change ambitions

In this paper we investigate the role of emotions in determining when and why employees try to beat competitors using creativity versus resorting to unethical behaviors. Building on theories of action and appraisal tendencies, we propose that when competition elicits anxiety, people will be more likely to focus on how they can increase their performance through unethical means. Drawing on theories of positive emotions and creativity, we predict that when competition elicits excitement, people will be more likely to strive for creative means to get ahead of their competitors. We tested these ideas experimentally with a sample of managers in a large retail bank. We find that when a negative career outcome was salient, managers experienced more anxiety in response to the competition, and subsequently were more likely they were to respond unethically to typical scenarios. When a positive career outcome was salient, managers experienced more excitement in response to the competition, and subsequently were more likely to choose creative rather than unethical behaviors.

Repatriation often fails, as manifested by low job satisfaction among the repatriates. Cultural distance between home and host countries exacerbates the challenges of repatriation. We theorized and found evidence that feeling nostalgic about a host culture (i.e., hostalgia) contributes to repatriation success. Specifically, we studied a sample of over 700 international teachers who worked in the U.S. (host country) and then returned to their home countries. Results suggested that cultural distance was negatively associated with repatriates’ job satisfaction when hostalgia was low but not when hostalgia was high, and that the relationship was mediated by self-continuity. The findings have implications for (a) the literatures on multicultural experience, international adjustment, and organizational effectiveness, and (b) the emotion of nostalgia and its contribution to repatriation success.

This research examined the affective, physiological, and cognitive effects of reflecting on ones core strengths in the laboratory setting. We tested a set of hypotheses based on the past research that psychosocial resources can increase ones psychological and physiological resilience. First, we found that reflected best self exercise (RBSE) increased positive affect and vagal tone physiological marker for positive emotions and social engagement. Second, beyond the immediate affective and physiological responses, we found that RBSE strengthened ones immune system (measured by an increase of secretory immunoglobulin A) and reduced aversive physiological arousal associated with stress. Third, individuals who participated in RBSE did better in creative problem-solving tasks than controls. Taken together, our study provides empirical evidence for the role of RBSE in promoting employee health and productivity.

Daniel M Cable , Professor of Organisational Behaviour at London Business School, studies organisational culture and its effects on sustained competitive advantage and leadership development. His research and book, Change to Strange: Create a Great Organisation by Building a Strange Workforce (Prentice‐Hall, 2007), laid the groundwork for his belief that business has entered a new era, one that means that the old paradigms governing change are no longer the road to success. He shared his current thinking with Georgina Peters .