Cultural Intelligence

Cultural Intelligence is defined as “an individual's capacity to function and manage effectively in culturally diverse settings” (Ang et al., 2007). CQ is conceptualized into four different dimensions that correspond to the depth, breadth, and flexibility of an individual's cultural strategies, knowledge, drive, and skills. There are three broad types of CQ measures: (1) self-reported measures; (2) informant-based measures; and (3) performance-based measures. CQ is associated with personality traits in that personality traits influence behavioral tendencies and personal experiences that in turn impact the development of CQ. Experiential learning theory suggests that CQ is enhanced through a learning cycle of (1) engaging in direct cross-cultural experiences, (2) critically reflecting on the experiences, (3) abstracting these reflections into general concepts that guide future behaviors, and (4) actively experimenting with the new behaviors and to assess their effectiveness.