Biculturalism and integrative complexity: Testing the Acculturation Complexity Model

With more companies operating globally and more and more employees at all levels working abroad, the role played by second-culture exposure in shaping socio-cognitive skills is become increasingly important. However, it has received little theoretical and empirical attention. The aim of this paper is to address this knowledge gap by exploring the relationship between acculturation strategies and integrative complexity. Following the predictions of the Acculturation Complexity Model (ACM, Tadmor & Tetlock, in press), we suggest that biculturals will reach higher levels of integrative complexity than will assimilated and separated individuals in both the cultural and general domain. These hypotheses were supported in a study of Asian-American college students (study 1) and replicated in a sample of Israelis working in the US. We further tested the direction of causality hypothesized in the model-that biculturals' higher levels of integrative complexity are the result of the acculturation process. Through the use of priming manipulations, we were able to show support for this hypothesis (study 3). Implications for international management theory and practice are discussed.