Aims: Cultural intelligence is a factor that plays an important role in the effectiveness of managers and the types of deal with conflicts. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between cultural intelligence on and effectiveness of managers and conflict management styles in the universities.
Methods: This descriptive-correlational study was done on 30 managers and 180 employees of Urmia Payame Noor University in 2014. Data were collected by Cultural Intelligence Questionnaire developed by Ang & L. Van Dyne and the Conflict Management Styles Questionnaire developed by Putnam and Wilson, and the Effectiveness Questionnaire developed by Pardakhtchi. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics analysis (Pearson Correlation Coefficient, stepwise regression analysis, analysis of variance and Tukey test).
Findings: There was a significant correlation between cultural intelligence and effectiveness of managers with a confidence level of 0.95 (p=0.011 r=0.288). There was a significant correlation between motivational and meta-cognitive components of cultural intelligence with effectiveness of managers, but, there was no significant difference between behavioral (p=0.130 r=0.173) and cognitive (p=0.231 r=0.136) component of cultural intelligence with effectiveness of managers. Also, The relationship between cultural intelligence with solutions-oriented styles (p=0.012 r=0.281) and control (p=0.003 r=0.328) was significant, but no significant correlation was found between cultural intelligence and non-avoidance style (p=0.685 r=0.046).
Conclusion: There is a correlation between cultural intelligence and conflict management styles and control but not with non-confrontational style.