Relationship Between Cultural Intelligence with Communication Skills and Social Interactions of Emergency Department Staff: A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Objectives: Globalization is accompanied by cultural diversity. Although cultural differences are considered an integral part of this phenomenon, it seems that language barriers would make communication difficult. This study aimed to investigate how cultural intelligence correlates with the communication skills and social interactions of emergency department (ED) staff members. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 197 ED staff members of three hospitals in Zanjan, Iran, in 2019. The tools used for data collection included the Cultural Intelligence Scale, Communication Skills Scale, and Social Interactions Questionnaire. Results: The results of this study revealed that the participants’ total mean scores of cultural intelligence and communication skills were 85.78 ± 6.24 out of 140 and 55.41 ± 3.9 out of 90, respectively. In terms of social interactions, the mean score of the positive thoughts dimension of the subjects (47.86 ± 4.14) was higher than that of negative thoughts (33.01 ± 3.92). The total score of cultural intelligence had a positive correlation with communication skills; accordingly, an increase in the cultural intelligence level resulted in an increase in positive thoughts and a decrease in negative thoughts (P < 0.001). Conclusions: An increase in the cultural intelligence of ED staff members is accompanied by an increase in their communication skills and positive thoughts. For the improvement of the communication and service quality of the ED, leaders are recommended to provide some courses to enhance the cultural intelligence and cultural competence of their employees.