Toward global leadership: factors influencing the development of intercultural competence among business students at a Canadian University

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore the factors influencing the development of intercultural competence among business students at a Canadian university. A sequential mixed methods methodology is utilized which includes: 1) a survey designed specifically for the current study, the Intercultural Competence among Canadian Business Students survey (ICCBS), 2) the Cultural Intelligence Scale (CQS) (Ang, Van Dyne, Koh, Templer, Tay, & Chandrasekar,2007), and 3) telephone interviews conducted with study participants. The research results indicate that although the university's business program does feature international content, few program components per se raise intercultural awareness. According to participants, program components that explicitly raise their awareness about cultural differences, however, do improve their intercultural competence. The following program variables have the strongest positive association with study participants' self-ranked and reported intercultural competence development: comparisons of business practices in different cultural contexts; textbooks, articles, or videos originating from other countries; and extra-curricular activities. Participants view the university's diverse setting as a valuable natural resource. However, the majority of students interviewed identify other students' attitudes as the key barrier to intercultural competence development. Data gathered in response to open-ended survey items and through interviews illuminate missed opportunities for developing intercultural competence, among business students. The CQS findings underscore the need for including more intercultural learning opportunities. Research findings surprisingly indicate no statistical association between participants' self-ranked intercultural competence and their composite CQ, even though CQ is measured with high reliability and the self-ranked competence seems subject to little social desirability. Together, these research results have important implications for business curriculum and co-curricular development, intercultural competence assessment and development, and future research.