The professional development of students through global experiences

As globalization increases from advancing technologies and innovation, more businesses are entering the international market. With this, comes a demand for a culturally competent workforce. To possess cross cultural skills, college students must develop Cultural Intelligence. According to the Cultural Intelligence Center, Cultural Intelligence (CQ) is defined as the ability to relate and work effectively in culturally diverse situations. Research shows that college students who go abroad have a higher probability of standing out to employers due to the knowledge and risks associated with going global, and make further efforts to immerse themselves in cultures (10 Benefits to Studying Abroad). Previous analysis of Cultural Intelligence Assessments in the College of Business at the University of Northern Iowa demonstrates a 10 percent increase in average scores from study abroad participants after their time abroad. The tests conducted in this research takes into account standard deviation and mean to determine if these changes are significant. To prove studying abroad develops and improves cultural intelligence, statistical tests on Cultural Intelligence Assessments were conducted to prove five research hypotheses. The objective is to measure development, encourage students to pursue experiences abroad, and project an understanding of the positive outcomes. In an economic period of declining public funding and increasing cultural integration, these quantitative findings provide some incentive to invest in more funding to increase study abroad participation. With more study abroad participation comes a higher population of college graduates with the skills to work effectively in a global environment