EMPLOYEE LEARNING IN INTERCULTURAL INTERACTIONS - GROUNDED THEORY

Owing to the presence of multinational corporations (MNCs) worldwide and the global mobility of workforce, working in multicultural environments is a daily reality for a growing number of people. Such a workplace introduces unique challenges to employees, yet it is also abundant in learning opportunities. The aim of the paper is to depict employee learning in intercultural interactions in MNCs. The in-depth interviews with 38 informants were conducted to explore learning in intercultural interactions in 2 MNCs' subsidiaries. The grounded theory approach was applied to collect and analyze the data, which were further interpreted with regard to the existing theoretical concepts. The emerged theory states that employees in intercultural interactions face specific job demands that evoke their stress (cognitive dissonance). If they believe that they can handle with them, then they classify them as challenges, mobilize their resources and learn in interactions. Job resources offered by MNCs that facilitate cooperation in a multicultural environment are of vital importance too. The paper supports the positive view in the literature on cultural diversity in organizations, thus it contributes to the research conducted with the Positive Organizational Scholarship lens. Yet the study is limited due to application of the qualitative methodology, which does not allow for a generalization of the findings. The study indicates that managers need to invest in the development of organizational and individual resources to foster learning in intercultural interactions. Moreover, they should recruit employees whose need for growth is well-developed since those individuals can benefit more from such work settings.