Abstract
Cultural intelligence (CQ), an individual's capability to function effectively in culturally diverse settings, has been proposed as a key competency enabling multicultural teams to leverage diversity for performance. The literature, however, remains fragmented. This meta-analysis synthesizes the CQ-in-teams literature using 47 independent samples (PRISMA) and fixed- and random-effects models, examining total CQ and its four dimensions across eight team-level outcomes. CQ significantly predicts individual task performance and individual creativity within teams, but not overall team performance. Metacognitive CQ uniquely predicts team learning and innovation; cognitive CQ shows the strongest effect on team creativity ; and all dimensions converge on cohesion. These findings resolve key theoretical debates and offer evidence-based guidance for CQ-based selection, training, and team composition in global organizations.