Abstract
•Pioneering study addressing cultural intelligence of chemical engineering students.•High variability in demographics factors upon cultural intelligence dimensions.•Motivational and behavioural dimensions are critical beyond cognitive intelligence.•Provides knowledge base for educators to develop cross-cultural strategies.
An empirical investigation into the influence of demographic characteristics as foundations of cultural intelligence of chemical engineering students is addressed for the first time in this study. Following a validated cultural intelligence methodology, 108 UK final-year BEng students responded to questions spanning the four dimensions of cultural intelligence: metacognitive, cognitive, motivational and behavioural cultural intelligences. Overseas students reported a wider understanding of cross-cultural situations (cognitive intelligence), whereas UK students were more confident of their capabilities to perform and adjust themselves in cross-cultural scenarios (motivational intelligence). Ethnicity also played a key role; Asian students showed the highest cognitive cultural intelligence but also the lowest motivational intelligence, whereas black minority ethnic (BME) students reported the highest motivational cultural intelligence.
A fundamental understanding of the relationships between demographic characteristics and the four dimensions of cultural intelligence is needed to drive the transition towards a more global engineering educational strategy, where students can receive an enhanced support to efficiently deal with decision making, adaptive and task performance and adjustment in cross-cultural academic environments.