Organizational Psychology / Management Theory of Intercultural Communication Alex Vranas

The measure of a person’s ability to quickly and successfully enter foreign intercultural social interactions. Extremely valued trait by employers for it’s benefits to international business relations. Measured as Cultural Quotient or CQ.

CQ (Cultural Quotient) is measured in a similar fashion to IQ (Intelligence Quotient). Measured as Cultural Quotient or CQ. Four main variables. (Peterson, 2004) Strategy Knowledge Motivation Behavior Combined scores measured in each area determines the overall CQ

Ability to quickly adapt to a foreign culture’s social norms and successfully communicate. Scored by the amount of time required to devise a strategy to successfully communicate within a foreign culture. Higher CQ’s result from quick adaptation, which can be as short as several hours. Lowers CQ’s are generally scored from excess time to adapt which, for some, can take weeks. Perfected by practicing developing informed strategies to communication. (Thomas, 2004)

General Knowledge of other cultures’ values and norms, as well as of your own. Scored through paper examination or interview. Important in being informed prior to engaging in an interaction between cultural boundaries. Can be improved though study of differences between cultures.

Emotional capacity to approach direct interaction between cultures. Scored through psychological examination and interview. Can be improved by maintaining high self-esteem and confidence in your ability to communicate. Often benefitted by a deeper understanding of a culture’s origins and their effect on people’s emotions.

Ability to conform to a foreign culture’s norms for verbal and non-verbal communication. Verbal aspects include salutations, proper names, and short-talk. Non-verbal aspects include posture, physical gestures, and general body-language. Measured by observing adherence to acceptable verbal and non-verbal communication Perfected by practicing self-control through observation and exposure to intercultural social scenarios.

Center for Leadership and Cultural Intelligence. (2004, October 4). Retrieved March 22, 2010, from B. Peterson. (2004). Cultural Intelligence: A Guide to Working with People from Other Cultures. Yarmouth, ME: Intercultural Press, Inc. Retrieved from D. Thomas & K. Inkson. (2004). Cultural Intelligence: People Skills for Global Business. San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc. Retrieved from P. Earley & E. Mosakowski. (2004). Cultural Intelligence. Retrieved on 3/30/10 from ce-HBR.pdf ce-HBR.pdf