The Effect of Intercultural Communication Competence and Emotional Intelligence on Workplace Commitment and Employee Retention in International Companies

The purpose of this study is to investigate how intercultural communication competence, as well as emotional intelligence, affects the commitment to work and employee retention in multinational and international companies in Egypt. The study had two objectives: to fill the void of empirical attention given to these two competencies in their relationship to employee outcomes in culturally diverse workplaces. A quantitative research design using a cross-sectional approach was employed, and primary data were gathered using a structured questionnaire from 384 employees working in companies for tourism and tourism services in Egypt operating in international and multinational companies in the city. Data were analysed using SPSS with descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, multiple regression, hierarchical multiple regression, reliability test, validity test, common method bias test and discriminant validity test. The results showed that intercultural communication competence and emotional intelligence were found to have a significant positive influence on workplace commitment. Both predictors accounted for 67.4% of the variance in workplace commitment. Similarly, both intercultural communication competence and emotional intelligence showed a significant positive effect on employee retention, accounting for 61.2% of the variance in employee retention. The results confirm the importance of an employee’s intercultural and emotional competencies to foster higher organisational commitment and retention in multicultural organisations. The study adds to the fields of cross-cultural management, organisational behaviour, and international human resource management by integrating the concept of intercultural communication competence and emotional intelligence in one framework.