The Role of Education and Gender in Cultural Intelligence
Abstract
The aim of this thesis is to identify how education and gender influences an individual’s level of
cultural intelligence. This is a relatively young field that is growing, as the world is getting
smaller.
Initially, the theory on the subject is presented through different perspectives on cultural
intelligence and previous studies connecting the relationship between cultural intelligence and
both antecedents and outcomes.
By using analysis of variance, we have researched and analyzed the relationship between gender,
education and other factors that might have an explanatory power on the level of cultural
intelligence.
We have used the scientifically approved test BCIQ-38, developed by Ilan Alon, Michele
Boulanger, Judith Meyers and Vasyl Taras, and questioned students at the University of Agder.
The results proved that there were differences between the genders and levels of education when
it comes to cultural intelligence. Education had a significant impact on the global knowledge
dimension, and females turned out to have higher motivational cultural intelligence. Number of
countries lived in was the only variable which resulted in having significant effect on the total
cultural intelligence score.
These findings emphasize the importance of taking a higher education, and to grasp the
opportunity of studying abroad.
Description
Master's thesis Business Administration BE501 - University of Agder 2017