Vol.:(0123456789) Asian Business & Management https://doi.org/10.1057/s41291-020-00112-4 ORIGINAL ARTICLE The efects of cultural intelligence on leadership performance among Chinese expatriates working in Thailand Xiaoyun Guang 1  · Peerayuth Charoensukmongkol 1 Received: 10 May 2019 / Revised: 14 February 2020 / Accepted: 3 April 2020 © Springer Nature Limited 2020 Abstract There are numerous diferences between Chinese and Thai cultures and work styles. Chinese expatriates unable to understand Thai culture, or those unwilling to adjust their behaviors to align with Thai cultural preferences, can potentially lead their Thai employees to perceive Chinese expatriates as inefective leaders. Drawing upon social exchange theory, this study investigates the efects of cultural intelligence (CQ) of Chinese expatriates on supervisor support, perceived leadership efective- ness, and subordinates’ commitment to the supervisor. This study utilizes survey data from 169 pairs of Chinese expatriates and Thai subordinates employed by Chi- nese subsidiaries located in Thailand. Using Partial Least Squares structural equa- tion modeling to analyze the data, the results reveal that Thai subordinates evalu- ate Chinese expatriates as possessing high CQ and perceive them more favorably in terms of supervisor support. Additionally, supervisor support mediates the positive efect of CQ of Chinese expatriates for leadership efectiveness and subordinates’ commitment to the supervisor. Keywords Leadership · Cross-cultural management · Cultures · Diversity · International business Introduction In international business management, a key factor infuencing the success of mul- tinational enterprises (MNEs) in expansions to foreign markets is expatriates’ efec- tiveness handling of overseas operations in a host country (Farndale et al. 2014). * Peerayuth Charoensukmongkol peerayuth.c@nida.ac.th Xiaoyun Guang cathyxyg@outlook.com 1 International College, National Institute of Development Administration, 118 Moo3, Serithai Road, Klong-Chan, Bangkapi, Bangkok 10240, Thailand