The two models that I would choose to apply at the international school in Jeddah are "The Multicultural Personality Model" and "The Cultural Intelligence Model"
Intercultural competence is compromised of three aspects intercultural traits, intercultural attitudes and worldviews, and intercultural capabilities. An individual who possesses these three attributes can be interculturally effective.
The Cultural Intelligence Model
- Cultural intelligence (CQ) is conceptualized as a set of malleable capabilities that enable an individual to effectively function in and manage culturally diverse settings
- The cultural intelligence model comprises four factors: (a) metacognitive cultural intelligence (i.e., the mental capability to acquire and understand cultural knowledge), (b) cognitive cultural intelligence (i.e., knowledge and knowledge structures about cultures and cultural differences), (c) motivational cultural intelligence (i.e., the capability to direct and sustain energy toward functioning in intercultural situations), and (d) behavioral cultural intelligence (i.e., the ability of behavioral flexibility in intercultural interactions)
There are 5 models that are used to measure intercultural competence.
The Multicultural Personality Model
- Measures five specific, narrow traits deemed predictive of multicultural effectiveness: (a) emotional stability, (b) social initiative, (c) open-mindedness, (d) cultural empathy, and (e) flexibility
- The multicultural personality model (Van der Zee & Van Oudenhoven 2000) is rooted in the view that stable dispositions are reliable, albeit modest, predictors of performance (Barrick & Mount 1991, Hurtz & Donovan 2000).
The Multicultural Personality Model
Measures the following
- (a) emotional stability
- (b) social initiative
- (c) open-mindedness
- (d) cultural empathy
- (e) flexibility
The above are important to measure when recruiting new staff to an international school. Many times people feel that they can handle a career overseas however reality is often different that imagination. Using the multicultural personality questionnaire as way to gauge whether someone is ready for an international career is a good tool to narrow down candidates.
I have seen new staff struggle during their first year and most of the time it is based on the emotional stress they feel with the change they’re experiencing. This stress may cause issues at work with the work itself, with other staff members and with the students as well. This is why it is important to make sure that the person being hired will be able to handle and manage the change as smoothly as possible. Doing this questionnaire won’t eliminate all the issues one may face when they relocate however it will give administration a chance to see how well or poorly they will manage.
The Global Leadership Competency Model
- The model comprises 17 dimensions organized into three broad factors: (a) perception, (b) relationship, and (c) self-management.
- The global leadership competency model is relatively new, but it is promising because of its comprehensiveness
The Global Mindset Model
- GMI is based on a mixed model that combines traits (such as passion for diversity and quest for adventure), worldviews (such as a cosmopolitan outlook), and capabilities (such as diplomacy)
- A global mindset is characterized as a cognitive filter that embraces the complexity and paradoxes inherent in global interactions (Rhinesmith 1992).
The Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity
- Bennett’s (1986, 1993, 2004) Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (DMIS), with cultural worldviews as its conceptual basis (Bennett 1986, 1993), posits that intercultural competence advances along a developmental continuum, with increasing complexity and sophistication in the perception and understanding of cultures and cultural differences.
- Across six distinct stages, intercultural competence progresses toward an ethnorelative mindset characterized by a complex understanding of cultural commonalities and differences and the ability to shift between cultural perspectives. These six stages are (a) denial, (b) defense, (c) reversal, (d) minimization, (e) acceptance, and (f) adaptation (Hammer 2011).
The Cultural Intelligence Model
The cultural intelligence model comprises four factors:
- (a) metacognitive cultural intelligence
- (b) cognitive cultural intelligence
- (c) motivational cultural intelligence
- (d) behavioral cultural intelligence
The cultural intelligence model is important because it looks at whether people have the skills needed to live and work with another culture. When training new staff it is important they are taught about the culture they will be working with and how to manage differences. Due to the fact that we do live in a world that is highly globalized, new staff may have cultural intelligence to a certain degree however it is important to build on that. This is especially important in Jeddah as there is no place like it and the culture there differs greatly than any of the other cultures in the world. Getting trained on cultural intelligence for Saudi Arabia will benefit new staff greatly.
References
Leung, K., Ang, S., & Tan, M. (2014). Intercultural Competence (1st ed.). The Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior. Retrieved from http://file:///Users/danahamzeh/Downloads/2014_AnnRev_Intercultural_competence_Leung_Ang_ML.pdf
Activity 1: Models of Cultural Intelligence
Donna Hamzeh