Cultural Intelligence
Encyclopedia
Cultural intelligence, cultural quotient or CQ, is a theory within management
and organisational psychology
, positing that understanding the impact of an individual's cultural background
on their behaviour
is essential for effective business
, and measuring an individual's ability to engage successfully in any environment or social setting. A current trend is to use cultural intelligence in pre-employment assessments. First described by Christopher Earley and Soon Ang in Cultural Intelligence: Individual Interactions Across Cultures. The book was published in 2003 by Stanford University. In Singapore, Soon Ang has created the Center for Leadership and Cultural Intelligence. with its U.S. counterpart, the Cultural Intelligence Center based in East Lansing, Michigan
Christopher Earley and Elaine Mosakowski in the October 2004 issue of Harvard Business Review
described cultural intelligence. CQ has been gaining acceptance throughout the business community. CQ teaches strategies to improve cultural perception in order to distinguish behaviours driven by culture from those specific to an individual, suggesting that allowing knowledge and appreciation of the difference to guide responses results in better business practice.
CQ is developed through:
CQ is measured on a scale, similar to that used to measure an individual's intelligence quotient
. People with higher CQ's are regarded as better able to successfully blend in to any environment, using more effective business practices, than those with a lower CQ. Soon Ang worked together with Linn Van Dyne to validate the Cultural Intelligence Scale.
David Livermore has written several books applying cultural intelligence to various fields, including Leading with Cultural Intelligence and The Cultural Intelligence Difference.
Dr. Richard D. Bucher has also written on this topic: "Building Cultural Intelligence - Nine Megaskills." These megaskills are
Understanding cultural identity; Checking cultural lenses; Global consciousness; Shifting perspectives; Intercultural communication; Managing cross-cultural conflict; Multicultural teaming; Managing bias; and Understanding the dynamics of power - published by Pearson in 2008. Building CQ website
Cultural intelligence is a particular concern for expatriates in foreign environments where not knowing what to expect and the differences that can be encountered upon arrival and in the early stages of settling in can often result in culture-shock – the disorientation felt by a person subjected to an unfamiliar way of life.
Management
Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
and organisational psychology
Industrial and organizational psychology
Industrial and organizational psychology is the scientific study of employees, workplaces, and organizations. Industrial and organizational psychologists contribute to an organization's success by improving the performance and well-being of its people...
, positing that understanding the impact of an individual's cultural background
Culture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
on their behaviour
Human behavior
Human behavior refers to the range of behaviors exhibited by humans and which are influenced by culture, attitudes, emotions, values, ethics, authority, rapport, hypnosis, persuasion, coercion and/or genetics....
is essential for effective business
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
, and measuring an individual's ability to engage successfully in any environment or social setting. A current trend is to use cultural intelligence in pre-employment assessments. First described by Christopher Earley and Soon Ang in Cultural Intelligence: Individual Interactions Across Cultures. The book was published in 2003 by Stanford University. In Singapore, Soon Ang has created the Center for Leadership and Cultural Intelligence. with its U.S. counterpart, the Cultural Intelligence Center based in East Lansing, Michigan
Christopher Earley and Elaine Mosakowski in the October 2004 issue of Harvard Business Review
Harvard Business Review
Harvard Business Review is a general management magazine published since 1922 by Harvard Business School Publishing, owned by the Harvard Business School. A monthly research-based magazine written for business practitioners, it claims a high ranking business readership among academics, executives,...
described cultural intelligence. CQ has been gaining acceptance throughout the business community. CQ teaches strategies to improve cultural perception in order to distinguish behaviours driven by culture from those specific to an individual, suggesting that allowing knowledge and appreciation of the difference to guide responses results in better business practice.
CQ is developed through:
- cognitive means: the head (learning about your own and other cultures, and cultural diversityCultural diversityCultural diversity is having different cultures respect each other's differences. It could also mean the variety of human societies or cultures in a specific region, or in the world as a whole...
) - physical means: the body (using your senses and adapting your movements and body languageBody languageBody language is a form of non-verbal communication, which consists of body posture, gestures, facial expressions, and eye movements. Humans send and interpret such signals almost entirely subconsciously....
to blend in) - motivational means: the emotions (gaining rewards and strength from acceptance and success)
CQ is measured on a scale, similar to that used to measure an individual's intelligence quotient
Intelligence quotient
An intelligence quotient, or IQ, is a score derived from one of several different standardized tests designed to assess intelligence. When modern IQ tests are constructed, the mean score within an age group is set to 100 and the standard deviation to 15...
. People with higher CQ's are regarded as better able to successfully blend in to any environment, using more effective business practices, than those with a lower CQ. Soon Ang worked together with Linn Van Dyne to validate the Cultural Intelligence Scale.
David Livermore has written several books applying cultural intelligence to various fields, including Leading with Cultural Intelligence and The Cultural Intelligence Difference.
Dr. Richard D. Bucher has also written on this topic: "Building Cultural Intelligence - Nine Megaskills." These megaskills are
Understanding cultural identity; Checking cultural lenses; Global consciousness; Shifting perspectives; Intercultural communication; Managing cross-cultural conflict; Multicultural teaming; Managing bias; and Understanding the dynamics of power - published by Pearson in 2008. Building CQ website
Cultural intelligence is a particular concern for expatriates in foreign environments where not knowing what to expect and the differences that can be encountered upon arrival and in the early stages of settling in can often result in culture-shock – the disorientation felt by a person subjected to an unfamiliar way of life.
See also
- Emotional intelligenceEmotional intelligenceEmotional intelligence is a skill or ability in the case of the trait EI model, a self-perceived ability to identify, assess, and control the emotions of oneself, of others, and of groups. Various models and definitions have been proposed of which the ability and trait EI models are the most...
- Human fit
- Organisational culture
- Race and intelligenceRace and intelligenceThe connection between race and intelligence has been a subject of debate in both popular science and academic research since the inception of intelligence testing in the early 20th century...
External links
- Huffington Post 'Teaching Cultural Intelligence Could Provide Advantages In Job Market'
- Forbes 'CQ: The Test Of Your Potential For Cross-Cultural Success'
- http://www.buildingcq.com
- Economist 'In Search of High CQ'
- The Times 'Trend watch: Cultural intelligence' 2 December 2004
- Value Based Management
- Cultural Intelligence: Knowledge, arts and skills
- NBC's Education Nation ' CQ: The New IQ for American Students Competing in a Global Marketplace