A preliminary study to assess the construct validity of a cultural intelligence measure on a South African sample

Abstract

Orientation: Cultural intelligence is an essential social competence for effective individual interaction in a cross-cultural context. The cultural intelligence scale (CQS) is used extensively for assessing cultural intelligence; nevertheless, its reliability and validity on a South African sample are yet to be ascertained.Research purpose: The purpose of the current study was to assess the construct validity of the CQS on a South African sample. The results of the psychometric assessment offer some important insights into the factor structure of the cultural intelligence construct.Motivation for the study: The current study sought to provide some practical validity confirmation of the CQS for the effective management of cultural diversity in the South African context.Research approach, design and method: The CQS was administered on a non-probability sample of 229 young adults in South Africa. Item analysis was performed to ascertain reliability. Exploratory factor analysis was used to test the unidimensionality of CQS subscales. The first-order and second-order factor structures underlying contemporary models of cultural intelligence were tested using confirmatory factor analysis.Main findings: Results indicated that the CQS is a reliable and valid measure of cultural intelligence as evidenced by the high internal consistency coefficients in all the subscales. Good construct validity for both the first-order and second-order models was obtained via confirmatory factor analysis.Practical/managerial implications: The study finds good measurement properties of the CQS in a South African context. The CQS can be confidently used for applications such as selecting, training and developing a more culturally competent workforce.Contribution: The study extends the body of knowledge on the reliability and construct validity of the CQS in the South African milieu. It further indicates that cultural intelligence can be represented by a general cultural intelligence factor that drives more specific dimensions of cultural intelligence.

Psychometric Properties of the Cultural Intelligence Scale in a Saudi Arabian Context

“…To ensure comparability with previous research examining the psychometric properties of the CQ (e.g., Ang et al, ; Khodadady & Ghahari, ; Mahembe & Engelbrecht, ; Moon, ; Şahin et al, ), this study used students as sampling units. The development of students’ CQ is important since they represent future employees and managers who are likely to work in culturally diverse context.…”

“…The CQS contains 20 items which measure one of the four factors of CQ: metacognitive CQ, cognitive CQ, motivational CQ, or behavioral CQ. Studies in the United States, Singapore, Turkey, Iran, and South Africa (Ang et al, ; Khodadady & Ghahari, ; Mahembe & Engelbrecht, ; Şahin, Gürbüz, Köksal, & Ercan, ) have found the psychometric properties of the CQS suitable for evaluating CQ. This is the first such study of the psychometric properties of the CQS in a Saudi sample.…”

The management of the international student experience in the South African context: The role of sociocultural adaptation and cultural intelligence

“…The largest group within the sample was from Zimbabwe (33%), followed by Nigeria (18.6%). A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) (Mahembe & Engelbrecht 2014) was performed to assess the fit of the CI constructs as well as the CA items. SPSS Amos was used for this process.…”

Evaluating Competencies of Graduates in Tourism as a Prerequisite for Future Employability

“…Then the good fit to data was proven using a structural equation modelling approach. In the psychometric study (Mahembe and Engelbrecht, 2014), the construct validity of the cultural intelligence scale was assessed with significant insight to the factor structure of the problem and proof of the scale as a reliable and valid measure for cultural intelligence.…”

“…Customer retention in Thailand, in the sense of revisiting the destination, is studied by Ngamsom (2001) using a sample of international travellers checking in for the departure to select inbound markets. In the studies (Van Dyne, Ang and Koh, 2008;Mahembe and Engelbrecht, 2014) the cultural intelligence scale is analysed using questionnaire surveys. Van Dyne, Ang and Koh (2008) used a factor analysis and confirm a four-factor structure of relations based on business school undergraduates in Singapore.…”