Cross-Cultural Social Intelligence: An Assessment for Employees Working in Cross-National Contexts

Purpose – To discuss (a) the concept of cross-cultural social intelligence (CCSI), (b) its relevance for both selecting and developing expatriates and other employees working in crosscultural contexts, (c) the development of a situational judgment test to assess CCSI, and (d) practical “lessons learned” in each of these areas. In addition, this instrument is offered (free-of-charge) to any interested managers or HR practitioners. Design/methodology/approach – The four phases of the development and validation of the CCSI measure (using a total of 184 cross-cultural SMEs) were developing (a) the scenarios and (b) the response alternatives, (c) the content analysis, and (d) establishing construct validity. Findings – The results from the content analysis and construct validation provide support for the use of the CCSI in cross-cultural situations. Research limitations/implications – The CCSI has not yet been validated in a criterion-related way (i.e., based on relations to job performance). This should be done before using for selection. Practical Implications – Possible uses for the CCSI in organisations include selection and/or promotion of expatriates and other employees in cross-cultural contexts and several types of training and development initiatives. Originality/value – Despite the expressed need for instruments of this sort, nothing similar currently exists (especially not a theoretically-grounded and empirically sound instrument). In addition, the “lessons learned” provide practical advice to others engaged in similar undertakings