Contextualizing Cultural Intelligence

Potential contributors are encouraged to reach out to alfred.presbitero@deakin.edu.au for ideas and any questions

In the rapidly globalising world, the concept of cultural intelligence has gained considerable attention. Cultural intelligence has been defined as the capability to function effectively in diverse cultural settings (Ang & Van Dyne, 2015; Thomas et al., 2015), with studies focused primarily on business and management contexts, such as corporate expatriation, global virtual teams, and global leadership in multinational firms (Groves, Feyerherm & Sumpter, 2023; Presbitero, 2021; Stoermer, Davies & Froese, 2021; Presbitero & Toledano, 2018; Lee & Sukoco, 2010). Furthermore, cultural intelligence has been explored in various disciplines beyond the business and entrepreneurial domains, providing value in areas like international education sector, the phenomenon of migration as well as in religious and missionary work (Le, Jiang & Nielsen, 2018; Presbitero, 2016; Presbitero, 2017; Livermore, 2012). These diverse applications underscore the versatility of cultural intelligence for individuals engaged in cross-cultural settings.

However, the existing studies on cultural intelligence often overlook or neglect to fully articulate the context of the investigation. As Johns (2018) explains, context encompasses factors such as “ambient background stimuli, more salient situational features, and changes in these variables over time” (p. 22). Additionally, context can cover the salience and strength of the situation (Johns, 2006) as it can significantly influence people’s actions and behaviours. Yet, many studies on cultural intelligence offer only a broad characterisation of cultural differences without thoroughly examining the specific contexts in which the research was conducted. Frequently, these studies simply state the existence of cultural differences, which justifies the need for cultural intelligence, without delving deeper into the nuanced contextual factors at play. This oversight limits our ability to fully understand and effectively apply cultural intelligence, as there are numerous contextual elements that warrant closer examination.

This call for chapters seeks to solicit studies that explore cultural intelligence with a specific focus and emphasis on context. The examples provided below demonstrate how this emphasis could be achieved. These examples are not exhaustive, and we are open to considering any studies that could deepen and advance our understanding of cultural intelligence, as long as the context is highlighted and emphasised.

First, studies that investigate novel or underexplored contexts for cultural intelligence, such as its applications in public policy and governance in multicultural societies, as well as its role in international humanitarian aid operations, would be of great interest. Contexts such as within-country cultural differences and consideration of regional and/or indigenous cultures could also spark new perspectives and extend our understanding of cultural intelligence. Furthermore, these may illuminate unique nuances and distinct mechanisms that may not be captured in examinations of cultural intelligence in formal business and conventional corporate settings.  

Second, studies that explore the influence of temporal-spatial context (e.g., history, geography, time); environmental context (e.g., technical, economic, political, social), and cultural context (e.g., behaviors, artifacts, values)(Shapiro, Von Glinow & Xiao, 2007) on cultural intelligence would also extend our current understanding and knowledge of this topic. Examining how organisational, national, international, and supranational institutional (formal and informal) factors shape our conceptualisation and empirical investigation of cultural intelligence would be interesting and also important avenues to explore.  

Third, studies that delve deeper into contextual nuances in settings where cultural intelligence has been previously examined (e.g., multinational companies; international education) are also encouraged. However, these studies should explore contextual factors beyond what has already been examined. For example, stretching the contextual nuances of cultural intelligence to surface the different layers and forms of “culture” beyond the usual societal, national or country-level culture would be valuable. This can inform and advance our understanding of cultural intelligence and its role in nurturing diversity and inclusion in contexts such as teams, organisations, and the wider society. New approaches to measuring cultural intelligence that take the context into consideration would also be a valuable addition to this body of work.      

We are open to considering any studies that could deepen and extend the scope of our understanding of cultural intelligence, as long as the context is highlighted and emphasised. The examples above are not exhaustive, and we welcome submissions that explore novel or underexplored contextualisation of cultural intelligence.