Examining Chen and Starosta's Model of Intercultural Sensitivity in a Multiracial Collectivistic Country

Abstract

This study examines the applicability of Chen and Starosta's model of intercultural sensitivity in Malaysian culture using university student samples. A total of 447 randomly selected undergraduate students of a multicultural public university completed self-administered questionnaires. The study could not reproduce the five-factor structure formulated by Chen and Starosta. Instead, a three-factor structure (interaction attentiveness and respect, interaction openness, and interaction confidence) is devised from 21 items of Chen and Starosta's instrument for further theoretical and measurement validation.

Validation of intercultural sensitivity three-factor model in Malaysian context

“…A CFA of ISS within Malaysian collectivistic setting by Tamam [14] failed to reproduce the five-factor structure; the model fit the data poorly. Hence EFA was applied to determine the dimensionality of the scale.…”

“…Tamam's [14] three-factor model indicated that ISS is not culture-free. Nonetheless, with high reliability coefficients and construct validity, the three-factor model is a promising alternative IS model for Malaysian context.…”

“…Nonetheless, with high reliability coefficients and construct validity, the three-factor model is a promising alternative IS model for Malaysian context. Tamam [14] however recommended for validation of the model through replication studies.…”

“…However, there is very limited reliable instrument available to measure intercultural sensitivity within Malaysian context. One of the very few instruments available is Tamam's [14] intercultural sensitivity threefactor model which is a local version of the Chen and Starosta's five-factor Intercultural Sensitivity Scale (ISS).…”

“…Despite that, in Malaysian context, very limited reliable instruments are available to measure intercultural sensitivity. A study using Malaysian dataset by Tamam (2010) found a three-factor model of the Chen and Starosta's five-factor model of Intercultural Sensitivity Scale (ISS); however, the model was exploratory and has yet to be validated. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to further validate the intercultural sensitivity three-factor model within Malaysian collectivistic and multicultural context.…”