Navigating Multicultural Sports Teams: The Role of Cultural Intelligence in Leadership Effectiveness : Insights from Semi-Structured Interviews

Sammanfattning

Abstract Date: 2026-06-02 Level: Bachelor Thesis in Business Administration, 15 cr Institution: School of Business, Society and Engineering, Mälardalen University Authors: Ekström Elin Thessén Leo Zaar Hanna Title: Navigating Multicultural Sports Teams: The Role of Cultural Intelligence in Leadership Effectiveness Supervisor: Aziza Al Ghafri Keywords: Cultural Intelligence (CQ), Leadership, Multicultural Sports Teams, Team Cohesion, Team Performance Research questions How does cultural intelligence influence leadership effectiveness in multicultural professional sports teams? Purpose: The aim of the present study is to investigate the relationship between cultural intelligence (CQ) and leadership effectiveness within multicultural professional sport teams. Specifically, how leaders deal with the management of cultural differences through adapting their leadership behaviours and facilitating communication, trust and team cohesion in contexts of high-performance. Method: Qualitative data analysis was conducted through thematic analysis using Braun & Clarke’s (2006) six-phase model. Exploratory semi-structured interviews were used to gather data from participants regarding their experiences relating to: leadership, communication, trust, and cultural diversity in multicultural professional sports teams. Conclusion: Based upon all the findings, it can be concluded that cultural intelligence serves as a valuable complementary leadership competency enabling leaders to effectively manage cultural diversity, thereby creating more inclusive and cohesive team environments.