Development Of Cultural Intelligence Research Articles

Unleashing cultural diversity knowledge for improved knowledge sharing and integration: an in-depth qualitative analysis

Purpose This study aims to investigate international students’ experiences through a lens of knowledge management perspective, emphasizing their strategies for knowledge management in tandem with cultural adaptation. The primary objective is to elucidate how international students navigate cultural differences and use knowledge management strategies to augment their learning and integration, thereby supporting their academic progress in a new academic environment. Design/methodology/approach An in-depth qualitative research strategy was used, using semistructured interviews with Pakistani doctoral students who were studying in Australia. A thematic analysis was conducted to identify recurring themes and patterns in the data. Findings The findings reveal that international students adeptly adopt various knowledge management strategies to facilitate cultural adaptation. These strategies encompass embracing otherness through a sense of belonging, engaging in both personal and shared learning experiences, achieving individual success, and using critical inquiry as a guiding framework for observations. Notably, this study underscores the pivotal role played by cultural competence in conjunction with social networks, influencing cultural intelligence and, subsequently, impacting knowledge sharing and integration for academic progress. Practical implications This study’s findings provide practical insights for higher education institutions and policymakers, emphasizing the importance of supporting international students in their cultural adaptation and knowledge management endeavors. These practical implications encompass fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment, supporting intercultural engagement, using technology for enhanced learning and communication and promoting the development of cultural intelligence among international students. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature on international student experiences and knowledge management by providing insights into the strategies used by international students to navigate knowledge of cultural differences to enhance their learning experiences and advance academic progress. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the intersection between cultural adaptation and core knowledge management concepts of knowledge sharing and integration in the context of higher education.

The odyssey of Turkish school leaders in Africa: An expedition into professional identity, challenges, and cultural adaptations

This phenomenological study explores the experiences of Turkish school leaders in international schools across 20 African countries, offering a novel perspective on educational leadership beyond the Anglo-Saxon context. In-depth interviews were conducted with 20 leaders selected through maximum variation sampling. The analysis revealed four themes: (i) factors that lead to working abroad, (ii) challenges of working abroad, (iii) perceived cultural similarities and differences, and (iv) reflections on international experiences. Findings illuminate a complex interplay of personal, altruistic, and professional factors driving these leaders’ decisions to work abroad. Participants reported navigating significant challenges at individual, professional, and environmental levels, necessitating the development of cultural intelligence, adaptive leadership styles, and crisis management skills. The study highlights a profound transformation in leaders’ professional identities from “outsiders” to “cultural mediators,” underscoring the critical role of culturally responsive leadership in diverse educational contexts. Results reveal how African sociocultural settings shape expatriate leaders’ mindsets, fostering more collaborative approaches and deeper cross-cultural appreciation. This highlights the evolution of leaders’ cultural understanding and effective communication skills, emphasizing the need for targeted support and professional development in cultural sensitivity and adaptive leadership. This research enhances the understanding of leadership complexities in multicultural settings, providing insights for global educational leadership and future research in cross-cultural management.

Managing global supply chain teams: human resource strategies for effective collaboration and performance

This study examines the role of human resource (HR) strategies in enhancing collaboration and performance within global supply chains, an area of increasing importance in the context of globalized business operations. The primary objective is to identify and analyze current trends in HR practices that contribute to effective global supply chain management, focusing on adaptability, technological integration, sustainability, and ethical practices. Employing a systematic literature review and content analysis as its methodology, the study draws on academic journals, conference proceedings, and industry reports from databases such as Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Key findings reveal that adaptability and flexible work arrangements, supported by digital HR technologies, are essential for operational resilience and employee engagement. The integration of sustainability and ethical considerations into HR practices is identified as crucial for maintaining competitive advantage and ensuring regulatory compliance. Furthermore, the development of cultural intelligence and inclusive leadership within global teams is highlighted as vital for fostering effective collaboration across diverse cultural landscapes. The study concludes that strategic HR management plays a pivotal role in navigating the challenges and leveraging the opportunities within global supply chains. Recommendations for practitioners emphasize the importance of continuous learning, embracing digital transformation, and integrating sustainability into HR practices. The study also outlines areas for further research, including the impact of emerging technologies on HR practices and the long-term effects of sustainable HR strategies on organizational performance. This research contributes valuable insights into optimizing HR strategies to enhance global supply chain collaboration and performance.

The Influence and Application of Cultural Intelligence on Cross-Cultural Communication

This essay explores the influence and application of cultural intelligence (CQ) on cross-cultural communication. It defines CQ as the capability to understand, adapt to, and effectively communicate across different cultures. Highlighting its importance, the essay examines how cultural intelligence facilitates smooth communication, mitigates conflicts and misunderstandings, and enhances communication efficiency. It explores its application in areas such as multinational corporations, cross-cultural team collaboration, international trade, and education. Emphasizing the development of cultural intelligence through education and training, the essay concludes that cultural intelligence is crucial for bridging cultural gaps and promoting understanding in our interconnected world.

Cross-Cultural Auditing: Challenges in Global Practice

This study explores the challenges faced by auditors in cross-cultural contexts, focusing on cultural biases, communication barriers, regulatory complexities, and trust dynamics. The research aims to investigate the impact of these challenges on audit practice and proposes strategies to mitigate them. A comprehensive literature review is conducted to identify key findings and insights. Methodologically, the study adopts a qualitative approach, drawing on existing literature and case studies to examine real-world examples of cross-cultural auditing challenges. The results highlight the pervasive influence of cultural biases and stereotypes on auditor judgment, the significance of clear and transparent communication in overcoming communication barriers, the complexity of navigating diverse regulatory environments, and the crucial role of trust in facilitating effective audit engagements. Furthermore, the study identifies strategies such as cultural awareness training, language proficiency development, regulatory compliance measures, and relationship-building activities to address these challenges. The findings underscore the importance of cultural intelligence development among audit professionals and emphasize the need for ongoing research and innovation in cross-cultural audit practices.

Masculinity and Uncertainty Avoidance as Instruments for Cultural Intelligence Development

This paper shows how students' perception on the dominance of masculinity values and uncertainty avoidance characteristics relates with the level of students' cultural intelligence. In order to examine the phenomena, the research was conducted on a sample of 146 exchange programme students (ERASMUS exchange programme). The results indicate a positive and significant correlation between the variables uncertainty avoidance and determinants of cultural intelligence. Furthermore, the obtained results indicate a negative correlation between students' perception on dominance of masculinity values and metacognitive and motivational cultural intelligence, while relationships with cognitive and behavioural cultural intelligence were statistically non-significant. The results of this study can help teachers, researchers, and economic and social policy makers to build educational models that will help students develop an awareness of cultural disparities. As a result, individuals will be able to focus their efforts on developing and shaping the individual mental dimensions necessary for successful adaptation to the international environment.

Stereotype-target congruence appraisals contribute to the intercultural flexibility of individuals high on cultural metacognition✰

This research examined the interplay between social cognition and individual differences in cultural metacognition to explain flexibility in intercultural judgements. Three studies using a minimal group procedure tested whether individuals high (vs. low) on cultural metacognition attend more to stereotype-target congruence and use these appraisals to calibrate judgements of stereotype relevant targets. Consistently, in all studies a stereotype target congruence (vs incogruence) manipulation affected judgements of individual outgroup targets and the outgroup as a whole more under high (vs. low) cultural metacognition. Contrary to a behavioral integration account, Study 2 showed that this pattern disappeared when participants had no cultural stereotype to rely on for their appraisals. Study 3 directly induced target congruence appraisals and ‘trained’ low on cultural metacognition individuals to display judgement patterns typical of highly metacognitive individuals under default. Implications are discussed for metacognition and the development of cultural intelligence facilitating flexible intercultural judgements in diverse societies.

Cultural Intelligence and Interpersonal Trust as Drivers for Innovative Work and Intellectual Capital Development at Organizations

The main purpose of this study is to determine how cultural intelligence and interpersonal trust impact innovative work behaviour and intellectual capital development in organizations. Research conducted by various authors shows that managers with higher levels of cultural intelligence have higher levels of interpersonal trust. As a result, they are more flexible in the adoption and creation of new ideas and solutions. Most of them are not afraid to share their knowledge and experience by accepting different opinions and creating an appropriate organizational culture. It enables an opportunity to strengthen all elements of intellectual capital and facilitates the competitiveness of the organization. Cultural intelligence and interpersonal trust create opportunities for innovative behaviour in organizations by developing intellectual capital. The scientific literature presents various studies about cultural intelligence and its impact on organizational performance. Most of the studies focused on the integration of migrants into the organizations’ work. Currently, the working environment is cross-cultural, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic and considering globalization and digitalization issues. Despite the various benefits of working in a multicultural environment, there are some significant challenges organizations face, such as interpersonal trust development and cultural intelligence. The current study focused on local employees at organizations: 93 managers of higher education institutions from Latvia were interviewed. The author used qualitative and quantitative research methods for data collection and analysis. Semistructured interviews were used for data collection. The research tool was developed on the basis of scientific literature using different statements about interpersonal trust, work engagement and level of cultural intelligence. One of the significant results found during research is that managers with international experience (working or studying abroad) are more critical of working in international teams and building interpersonal trust within cross-cultural teams. This fact could be the research object in future research. The research results can be used for future research exploring factors influencing cultural intelligence development in cross-cultural organizations and its role in innovation development and intellectual capital management.

The road to an international career: The “Erasmus effect” on resilience, intercultural interactions and cultural intelligence

This study is part of a framework that views study abroad programs as an opportunity for experiential and transformative learning. Using a mixed-methods approach with a quantitative multi-wave study, this research examined the relationship between cultural intelligence and the internationalism career anchor – the individual predisposition and desire for international mobility for work. This study considers the role of resilience and intercultural interactions as predictors of cultural intelligence. In addition, we examined the transformative learning process by relating the development of cultural intelligence to specific critical incidents or critical experiences in intercultural interactions that can be considered triggers of the learning process. A sample of 170 outgoing Italian Erasmus students completed a self-report questionnaire prior to departure and another upon return home. The study also included a control group (n = 52) consisting of students from the same university who had not participated in the Erasmus program. The results revealed the positive value of the Erasmus experience, particularly in terms of strengthening the internationalism career anchor, cognitive cultural intelligence and resilience. The results also showed that students’ pre-departure resilience and intercultural interactions with other international students from different countries can explain higher levels of cultural intelligence and the desire to work abroad or take on global work assignments. No significant change across time was found for the same variables in the control group. In addition, the critical experiences reported by students highlighted a strong cognitive and motivational component associated with the Erasmus program. Some practical implications for higher education are discussed.

International experience and cultural intelligence development: A longitudinal assessment of Australian and French exchange students

Cultural intelligence is an important capacity related to effective functioning in intercultural contexts, but questions remain as to how international experience supports its development. This longitudinal study assessed how the four facets of cultural intelligence developed during a semester-long student exchange program with Australian (N = 203, age M = 20.94, 66.5% female) and French students (N = 232, age M = 20.72, 69.8% female). Participants completed measures before, during, and directly after their exchange experience. Longitudinal multilevel modelling results showed that exchange enhanced cognitive, metacognitive and motivational cultural intelligence for both Australian and French students, while behavioral cultural intelligence only increased in Australian students. Importantly, the identified changes were found to be linear for all cultural intelligence facets, with the exception of metacognitive cultural intelligence in the Australian sample, showing that increases in cultural intelligence occurred throughout the duration of the exchange experience. Neither cultural distance nor previous travel experience influenced the amount of cultural intelligence change that occurred. The findings confirm that university student exchange is a valuable tool for promoting the development of cultural intelligence, supporting graduates to acquire abilities relevant to a global work environment.

Three Types of Change in Cultural Intelligence Development

Three Types of Change in Cultural Intelligence Development

Variance in the Self-Assessment of Cultural Intelligence Development: The Role of Reflection

In a global environment, cultural intelligence (CQ) becomes a key ability for employees. Intercultural experiential learning interventions are considered promising ways to acquire CQ. While learning research has mainly reported on the positive effects of reflection on learning in general, empirical CQ research to date has not considered the role of reflection. In this study, we consider potential drawbacks of reflectivity in self-assessed CQ development among participants in an intercultural experiential learning intervention. Survey results of 198 (wave 1) and 106 (wave 2) learners before and after participation in the intervention show that, on average, participants significantly increased their self-assessed CQ. However, higher levels of reflection – as expressed in learners’ reflection ability (reflective observation) and disposition to reflect (environmental sensitivity) – correlated with lower self-assessed CQ development. Prior international experience of high-sensitives did not change the result. Results are interpreted with reference to the overestimation effect. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Optimizing cultural intelligence development by considering different types of change

Increasing globalization and cultural diversity have accentuated the importance of developing cross-cultural competencies like cultural intelligence (CQ). Typically, scholars and professionals have viewed and operationalized CQ development as a quantitative change in mean CQ scores over time. This work argues that research and practice will benefit from expanding the operationalization of CQ development to include CQ reconceptualization and CQ measurement recalibration because these types of change are also integral to the CQ development process. This work highlights that by not examining the presence of CQ reconceptualization and CQ measurement recalibration before examining changes in mean CQ scores over time, scholars and practitioners could fail to recognize the presence of CQ development when it happens, create a threat to the substantive interpretation offindings, and further contribute to the inconsistent and conflicting research results. Methodologies for assessing different types of change in CQ development are discussed with implications for improving cross-cultural competence research and practice. The main contribution of this work lies in providing ways for improving the rigor of CQ development studies to enhance the quality of CQ development research and practice.

Changing the Paradigm of Inclusion: How Blind People Could Help People without Disabilities to Acquire New Competences

People with disabilities have been increasingly regarded as the most powerful and overlooked workforce in the labor market, although frequently confronted with ineffectiveness in cooperation with colleagues without disabilities. The traditional paradigm of inclusion considers blind people as dependents needing help. Inclusive society is highly aimed at effective interactions between the workforce with and without disabilities. The present article regards people with disabilities as those having diverse potentials which stem from different cultural backgrounds, and behaving differently during intercultural interactions with individuals without disabilities. This article proposes a new disability inclusion paradigm involving successful blind professionals in mentoring activities, to share their experience with top managers and experts in Russian organizations. Through focus groups and in-depth interviews, this article finds specific differences in explicit and implicit interactive behaviors between individuals with and without blindness. Furthermore, the present article highlights the positive effect of a disability inclusion paradigm on cultural intelligence development of organizational managers and experts.

A Narrative Approach to Understanding the Development of Cultural Intelligence Among Migrant Domestic Workers

Filipino migrants all over the world naturally engage in encounters that necessitate the use of cultural intelligence (CQ) or the ability to interact effectively with people who are culturally different. Studies have shown that CQ improves the well-being of workers and aids in their adjustment in foreign environments. This study examines CQ development among migrant domestic workers who worked in Middle Eastern, East Asian, and Southeast Asian countries. A narrative approach was utilized to make sense of the data gathered from the semi-structured interviews with twelve migrant Filipina domestic workers. Findings show that trainings prior to migration, self-initiated strategies for cultural learning, environmental factors, pagtitiis or perseverance during migration, and adopting cultural values from their former host countries are crucial in the development of their CQ. This study highlights the need for further research on the development of CQ in the informal migrant sector. Our findings contribute to the dearth of qualitative research on CQ and its development, and these may be useful for manpower agencies and governments with migrant workers.

Cultural intelligence development during short-term study abroad programmes: the role of cultural distance and prior international experience

ABSTRACT Cultural intelligence (CQ) is critical to students’ academic and career success. Drawing on experiential learning theory, the current study investigates the extent to which students’ prior international experience and short-term study abroad destinations foster the development of their CQ. We examined the learning of 121 undergraduate students participating in two-week global business immersion programmes in four different locations (Russia, the UAE, the United States and Vietnam). Survey data collected pre- and post-immersion show these short-term study abroad programmes serve as a cultural eye-opener for students with low international experience and contribute to fostering a significant level of CQ development in culturally close countries. Our study uncovers a cultural distance paradox, suggesting that programme destinations with similar cultures to the students’ home cultures facilitate a higher increase in the development of students’ cultural intelligence. The study provides important implications for higher education institutions in the design and development of short-term study abroad programmes as an affordable, fast-growing and effective format for student mobility.

How much can our universities do in the development of cultural intelligence? A cross-sectional study among health care students

BackgroundCultural intelligence reflects the competence to adapt to new cultural settings. Universities offer students various opportunities to gain cultural learning and develop cultural intelligence. However, there has been little empirical research to compare the effects of cultural learning and other related psycho-social factors in this process. ObjectiveThis study explores the importance of cultural learning and identifies the unique contribution of cultural education in universities to health care students' cultural intelligence. DesignCross-sectional survey study. Methods271 health care students completed a survey measuring social desirability, demographics, personality, prior cultural exposure, previous cultural learning and cultural intelligence. ResultsHierarchical regressions showed that cultural learning could affect cultural intelligence and its three components (i.e., metacognition, cognition, motivation, and behaviour) under the control for related psycho-social factors. However, its effect on the behavioral component was not significant. Considering the different types of cultural learning, overseas study experiences were more related to cultural intelligence, compared to in-class cultural learning. ConclusionCultural learning, especially overseas study experiences, plays a significant role in the development of health care students' cultural intelligence.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Cultural Education Training: Cultural Competence and Cultural Intelligence Development among Nursing Students.

Background: Since 2012, education standards in medical faculties in Poland have allowed medical universities to introduce content related to multiculturalism. On the one hand, this creates a necessity to introduce new strategies, forms, and techniques of education aimed at the development of knowledge, skills, and attitudes in terms of multiculturalism. On the other hand, there is a need to evaluate their effects. The main goal of this study was to evaluate the cultural competence and cultural intelligence of master’s degree nursing students before the commencement of and two months after cultural education training in the form of the intercultural communication workshops included in the study program. Methods: The following questionnaires were used in the study: the Cross-Cultural Competence Inventory (CCCI) and the Cultural Intelligence Scale (CQS). Two consecutive classes (2019 and 2020) of master’s nursing students were tested twice (pre-test, post-test). The study was conducted at a leading medical university that educates nurses at a master’s level in Poland. In total, 130 master’s nursing students took part in this evaluative study: 64 individuals in 2019 (study 1) and 66 individuals in 2020 (study 2). Results: In comparison to the pre-test, the post-test showed that the surveyed students in both study 1 and study 2 obtained significantly higher overall results in terms of cultural intelligence (p = 0.001; p = 0.004, respectively) as well as in the behavioral (p = 0.001; p = 0.002) and cognitive (p = 0.001; p = 0.008, respectively) subscales. The cultural competence results were also higher overall, but the difference was insignificant. Conclusions: The study shows the efficiency of training/workshops in the development of culturally specific knowledge and cultural intervention skills. At the same time, it postulates the need to plan and organize cultural education programs in a form that aims to improve the development of culturally sensitive attitudes.

The imitation game: building cultural intelligence as a social learning capability to boost SMEs' international performance

PurposeDrawing on the upper echelons theory and resource-based view, the purpose of this paper is to investigate how SMEs' decision-makers can develop cultural intelligence to improve firms' adaptive capability and performance in foreign markets. The study addresses this need by using social cognitive theory as an appropriate tool to measure cultural intelligence development.Design/methodology/approachUsing a sample of 244 Italian SMEs, data were collected through an online survey and analyzed with structural equation modeling techniques.FindingsThe results show that decision-makers of resource-constrained SMEs can rely on modeled behaviors to inform their decisions when dealing with diverse cultural contexts. The findings also reveal that the development of cultural intelligence can foster adaptive strategies and support SMEs in achieving superior performance outcomes in international markets.Research limitations/implicationsOther variables can be taken into account to expand the model and recognize new determinants able to affect the link between the constructs. Other learning theories could provide additional interpretations of cultural intelligence development.Practical implicationsSocial cognitive processes nurture cultural intelligence in helping SMEs' owner-managers become more flexible and adaptive in responding to the requests of local settings. When facing the uncertainties of foreign markets, decision-makers can effectively make inferences from the observation of successful modeled behaviors. This helps owner-managers better coordinate, recombine and allocate resources to address the needs of diverse cultural markets.Originality/valueThis study demonstrates that social cognitive theory is a relevant tool to measure cultural intelligence development in small business settings.

Cultural intelligence development in internationalising SMEs: experiential and social learning mechanisms for successful owner-managers

Cultural intelligence development in internationalising SMEs: experiential and social learning mechanisms for successful owner-managers