Impact of Cultural Diversity on Employee Performance: A Study of Expatriates

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of cultural diversity on job satisfaction and its effect on expatriate work performance. Structured interviews were conducted to collect qualitative data from a sample group of expatriates five participants from mixed nationalities in a private sector organization based in the United Arab Emirates. Thematic analysis identified three emergent themes of culture that negatively impacted expatriates’ job satisfaction, causing reduced employee performance, and two themes were identified that increased expatriate performance at work (enhanced creativity and innovation). This research contributes to the body of academic knowledge about the effect of cultural diversity on expatriate employee performance. The value for praxis from this study are recommendations for managerial action to improve expatriate work performance.