An experimental study of the acceptance of a foreign newcomer into a workgroup

We examine the acceptance of a foreign newcomer into a local workgroup. Using Social Identity and Acculturation theories, we try to identify factors that help a foreign newcomer gain acceptance of a host group. We test the model using a group-level policy-capturing technique. Our results indicated that a workgroup's attitude towards a foreign newcomer was influenced by socially attractive behaviors of the newcomer, the apparent sincerity of such behaviors, the group's culture on the individualism dimension, cultural similarity between the newcomer and the group, and cultural intelligence of the newcomer as reflected in the individual's reputation of establishing a relationship with his/her host culture.