Soon Ang Nanyang Technological University

Cultural intelligence refers to an individual’s capability to function effectively across cultures – this can include national, ethnic, organizational as well as other types of culture (Ang & Van Dyne, 2008; Earley & Ang, 2003). Rather than expecting individuals to master all the norms, values, and practices of the various cultures encountered, cultural intelligence helps leaders develop an overall perspective and repertoire that results in more effective leadership. The driving question behind the idea of cultural intelligence or CQ is this: Why do some leaders easily and effectively adapt their views and behaviors cross-culturally and others don’t? Your honest engagement with that question can determine whether or not you lead successfully in our rapidly globalizing world. In this chapter we provide an overview of the cultural intelligence model and describe the four factors of cultural intelligence (Motivational CQ, Cognitive CQ, Metacognitive CQ, and Behavioral CQ) with the aim of helping you to think more deeply about your own cultural intelligence capabilities as well as helping you to apply these ideas and the CQ framework to the cases in this book. The Cultural Intelligence (CQ) Model Most of us know that IQ or intelligence quotient is a measurement of one’s intellectua