Individual characteristics as predictors of cultural intelligence development: The relevance of self-efficacy

Cultural intelligence represents a promising development in the field of cross-cultural management. While foundational models and predictors of cultural intelligence have been proposed, there remains a need for more empirical research in cultural intelligence education and development. Theory relates cultural intelligence, and the development of this capacity, to a number of important considerations, including individual attributes and experiences. This research effort examines a multi-cultural group of over 370 managers and management students, testing theoretical relations between individual characteristics (i.e. general self-efficacy, international travel experience, management and work experience) with cultural intelligence development (meta-cognitive, motivation and behavior aspects). An experiential approach to cultural intelligence education is summarized. The findings suggest that general self-efficacy holds a key relation to predicting successful development of cultural intelligence capacities.