Os efeitos da inteligência cultural no sucesso de projetos: mediação do internal stickiness em ambientes multiculturais

Abstract

Knowledge transfer is a key determinant of global project success but is often hindered by Internal Stickiness (IS), barriers that obstruct the diffusion of practices and compromise performance. The literature suggests that Cultural Intelligence (CQ) may reduce these negative effects, yet the integration of these constructs remains underexplored in empirical project management studies. This research investigated the direct effects of CQ on Project Success (PS) and the indirect effects mediated by IS in multicultural contexts. It adopted the scale developed by Bücker et al. (2015), composed of the dimensions Internalized Cultural Knowledge (ICK) and Effective Cultural Flexibility (ECF), the IS scale validated in Brazil by Araújo et al. (2022), and the PS scale by Shenhar and Dvir (2007), in its three-dimensional version (Project Efficiency, Customer Impact, Team Impact). Data were collected through a survey of 247 Brazilian project managers and analyzed via Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Of the thirteen hypotheses tested, six were confirmed: Internal Stickiness showed a significant negative association with all three Project Success dimensions (H1a, H1b, H1c); Internalized Cultural Knowledge was negatively associated with stickiness (H2a) and showed a direct association with Team Impact (H3a₃); and the mediation of IS in the ICK-PS relationship was confirmed (H4a), ranging from full mediation in the more technical dimensions (Efficiency and Customer) to complementary partial mediation in the Team dimension. The effects of Effective Cultural Flexibility did not reach statistical significance in any tested path, suggesting that this behavioral component requires dense and continuous cultural exposure to manifest. Theoretically, the study contributed by identifying the cognitive component of CQ as the active mechanism in the CQ-PS relationship and by consolidating Internal Stickiness as the sociocognitive channel of that relationship. Practically, it proposes guidelines for cultural intelligence development programs, strategies to mitigate knowledge transfer barriers, and a governance-support framework for PMOs, aimed at reducing rework, accelerating organizational learning, and increasing stakeholder value.