Intercultural maturity of managers

Purpose: Intercultural maturity is one of the more important issues that requires exploration in the area of management. It is understood as an awareness of cultural differences, their acceptance, as well as the ability to cooperate with culturally different people. The aim of the article is to diagnose the intercultural maturity of Polish managers and to make its comparative characteristics taking into account the criterion of company size. Design/methodology: The Intercultural Maturity Scale (IMS), developed by the authors, was used to examine intercultural maturity. A survey was conducted in 452 Polish organisations employing foreigners in 2023. The willingness and ability of Polish managers to cooperate with representatives of other cultures was diagnosed. Findings: The survey showed that Polish managers are at the level of ethnorelativism, but in its initial phase. They are generally aware of the existence of cultural differences and show a willingness to cooperate with representatives of other cultures, but their knowledge and skills in this area are not sufficient. Contrary to expectations, only in a few aspects was the relationship between the size of the organisation and the ability to cooperate with culturally different people confirmed. Research limitations: The survey was limited to the territory of Poland. Practical and social implications: Intercultural maturity considered in the cognitive, affective and behavioural dimensions has substantive justification. It is possible to identify which of these dimensions requires improvement. These involve the ability to understand other cultures and to take advantage of the opportunities offered by interacting with others (achieving cultural synergy). It should be emphasised that increasing cultural diversity poses new challenges for managers. Originality/value: The article presents a conceptualisation of cultural maturity and points to its dimensions, i.e. cognitive, affective and behavioural. A model of intercultural maturity is presented. The tool used to diagnose intercultural maturity has a high reliability index and has been tested with a group of managers. Its use is therefore justified in subsequent research processes.