Cultural Intelligence in the Adaptation Process: A Conceptual Paper

Abstract - The concepts of cultural intelligence and cultural adaptation were viewed from

numerous perspectives. This systematic review assesses the significance of concept the cultural

intelligent and the process of cultural adaptation. However, the past reseachers showed a strong

and consistent result rearding the uniqeness of cultural intelligence in cultural adaptation

process. Therefore, more research and study on cultural intelligent and adaptation process

should be doing in order to obtain a better under standing of these constructs .

Keywords: cultural intelligent , cultural adaptation .

1.0 Introduction

Past study about intelligence in psychology area got it attention from researchers

earlier since 1980s. However, around In the 1990s, researchers from switching directions and

focused to studies megenai intelligence emotion and next on In the 2000s, researchers from

give attention to issues related intelligence culture (Earley & Peterson, 2004). Basically,

cultural intelligence is an ability that can be found within each individual to adapt to the new

regulatory culture. While emotional intelligence explains the individual's ability to control

emotions when dealing with an alarming or problematic situation. However, this concept paper

focuses on the cultural intelligence in the field of psychology.

Earley and Peterson (2004), through his study stated that cultural intelligence not only

learned about new cultures, but also created a new framework for the process of understanding

a new culture based on past experience and what was observed. In line with that, researchers in

the same field, Thomas and Inkson (2005), describe these cultural intelligence as flexible skills

to understand new cultures, studying live interactions in the process of cultural adaptation and

slowly forming thoughts to focus more on the rules which are a new cultural settings as well
as improving the appropriate skills while interacting and adapting to the community in the

culture.

Hence, this cultural intelligence is able to give a good impact and influence to the local

community and the nation's development as well as the development of the global business

industry which certainly involves different cultural adaptations with culture in the home

country. By applying this cultural aptitude it is found to be able to provide positive success and

development to multinational companies involved with businesses globally. Hence, the top

leadership should be given awareness about the culture of intelligence first in the context of the

importance of applying and understanding the concept of cultural intelligence before migrating

abroad. This is because the process of adapting different cultures is seen to bring significant

changes and implications to the overall activities of daily life.

2.0 Literature Review

2.1 The Concept of Culture Intelligence

Cultural intelligence is a continuation of the intelligence suggested by Gardner (1993)

in a variety of contexts. However, over the years , studies related to intelligence are more

popular with studies involving emotional and emotional factors. Emotional intelligence and

social emergencies are seen to have a relevant understanding of cultural intelligence. Emotional

intelligence refers to the ability of individuals to understand and manage emotions, motivate

themselves, show emotions to others and create harmonious relationships in a relationship .

While social intelligence is defined as the ability to understand feelings, thinkers and behaviors

to suit the environment (Elenkov & Manev, 2009).

In line with that, studies on cultural intelligence have begun to attract the attention of

scholars with various definitions and views. Because of that, Trompenaars (2006) describes

cultural intelligence as a process of exploring a culture that is appropriate in to practice in the

context of the organization's environment by involving expatriates who have long served

abroad. This is because of the cultural intelligence that summarizes the relationship between

decision-making to stress management in diverse cultural situations. Cultural intelligence is

also found to have links with cultures where expatriates overseas begin to interact with different

cultural backgrounds to adapt to the new cultural environment (Thomas, 2006) .

The results of research of previous studies have found that cultural intelligence is a

construct that is knowledge of a culture (Gonida, Kiosseoglou, & Leondari, 2006). Past

researchers described the cultural intelligence as a multitude of constructs with knowledge with

four dimensions namely cognitive, meta-cognitive, motivation and behavior to cope with new

cultural rules (Ang et al., 2007). The meta-cognitive embodied in the cultural intelligence

includes the mental retaliation response to information and understanding the diverse cultural

needs. Cognitive dimensions also refer to general knowledge and structured knowledge of a

culture. These two dimensions involve knowledge of cultural differences and awareness of the

importance of a new culture. Subsequently, the next dimensions lead to aspects of behavior that

are appropriate to the environment and are associated with conduct when in a cross-cultural

situation which also involves various responses from other individuals. The motivational

dimension explains the individual's ability to directly study when in a cross-cultural situation.

Furthermore, the dimensions of behavior describe the individual's ability to adapt to interactions

in oral or non-verbal cultural diversity.

Recent studies have found that the existence of newly introduced cultural intelligence

meets the needs of the organization to see the extent of adaptation and adaptation of the culture

takes place (Huff, Song, & Gresch, 2014; Sur & Ng, 2014; Moradi, Pishva, Ehsan, Hadadi, &

Farzaneh, 2011 ). The combination of emotional intelligence and social intelligence with

cultural intelligence is found to be an intelligence that gives meaning and importance to the

cultural diversity setting as well as affecting the management of different cultures. Johnson,
Lenartowicz and Apud (2006) describe that intelligence is an important element that needs to

exist in every individual. This is because adaptation to a new environment and atmosphere

requires a combination of cognitive and emotional intelligence elements. In view of this, the

need for emotional, social and cultural intelligence is seen to be helpful in adapting to different

environments and cultures to effectively and fluently perform internationally in accordance

with predetermined work procedures.

2.2 Measurement of Cultural Intelligence

Cultural intelligence is measured by using the Culture Intelligence Scale introduced by

Ang et al., (2007) to measure the constraints of the constructs of the four dimensions found in

cultural intelligence. Wu and Ang (2011) conducted a study to investigate the relationship

between four factors , namely meta-cognitive, cognitive, motivational and behavioral

dimensions in the cultural and dimensional intelligence model found in the big five personality

model. The findings show that there is a significant relationship with the dimensions of

awareness and meta-ko g nitif, agreement and emotional stability with behavior, extraversion

with cognitive, motivation and behavior. Openness with all four dimensions of the cultural

intelligence model.

In addition, other scholars Elenkov, Judge and Wright (2005) used the Scale of

Intelligence to directly investigate the impact on some of the variables found in marketing

innovation in Switzerland. Based on the data obtained from 237 companies, the findings show

that the use of the Scale of Intelligence of Culture is appropriate and timely to measure cultural

intelligence in the context of cultural diversity among expatriate workers comprising

multicultural and ethnic.

 Next, Bücker, Furrer, and Weem (2016) carry out a study to assess the four-

dimensional strengths contained in the Scale of Intelligence of Culture. The data were obtained

from 607 Chinese students and had experience migrating to foreign countries as study

respondents. Therefore, data findings reveal significant dimensions with student experience and

there are irrelevant dimensions. Study by Bücker et al ., (2016) explaining that there is obscurity

and ambiguity over the dimensions of the Cultural Intelligence Scale dimension which involves

the testing of cultural intelligence.

Study from Johnson and Buko (2014) indicates that cross-cultural knowledge transfer

in Ukrain and his use of questionnaires Cultural Intelligence Scale in the study. Quantitative

research is conducted to identify the obstacles found in the cross-cultural interaction process.

The Schema of Intelligence Scale was translated into Russian and Ukr ain (Gardner, 1993) to

facilitate respondents to understand and answer questionnaires effectively. The findings show

that respondents mostly consider emotional and thought issues during the cultural process .

Hence, sharing and knowledge sharing are important during the cross-cultural process and

involve elements of cultural intelligence. Cultural intelligence is perceived as the ability or

thinking ability that every individual needs to adapt to the new environment and environment.

Therefore, the use of the Culture Intelligence Scale is in line with the study conducted by

Johnson and Buko (2014) to study cross cultural linkages.

2.3 Trend of Culture Intelligence

Cultural intelligence is a continuation of the intelligence introduced by Gardner (1993)

once upon a time. There are two intelligences seen to be related to cultural intelligence which

are emotional intelligence and social intelligence. Emotional intelligence refers to the ability of

individuals to know and manage emotions, motivate themselves, emotionally affect others, and

engage in relationships with others (Pérez-González & Sanchez-Ruiz, 2014). For social

intelligence, it refers to the ability to understand feelings, what they feel and behave and act
according to the appropriate environment and atmosphere (Amichai-Hamburger & Vinitzky,

2010) .

In this regard, emotional intelligence and social intelligence are embodied in cultural

intelligence as the cultural cognition encompasses meta- cognitive, cognitive, motivational and

behavioral processes through cross-cultural processes. This is where intelligence habits are

usually related to the ability and ability to identify the information and knowledge appropriate

to the action taken by cross-cultural individuals. Hence, the use of cultural intelligence by

researchers is based on the relevant cultural and cultural contexts and related elements in the

cultural intelligence.

Previous studies have been widely discussed about cultural intelligence in various

contexts. The ability and ability to interact in diverse cultural situations are often used by

previous researchers (Muoa, 2010; Osman- Gani & Rockstuhl, 2009; Thomas & Inkson, 2005).

Nevertheless, the concept used in previous studies is based on the concept of the term of cultural

intelligence that has recently been used in recent years by researchers today. Cultural

intelligence is also said to include knowledge and competence in dealing with different cultural

environments, practices that are appropriate to the cultural and behavioral environment and the

skills required to adapt to different cultural environments.

Meanwhile, other researchers, Ang et al., ( 2007) argue that the adaptability of the

individual in each individual is seen to be applied according to different cultural rules . This

happens if the individual understands the importance of adapting to the new culture. In addition,

through a study conducted by Earley and Peterson (2004), they said that the ability to associate

a behavior of n gan skills such as communication skills and attitude of intolerance in creating a

harmonious relationship through the adoption of attitudes and behavior which is compatible

with the community and the cultural context. In order to bring about a new cultural adaptation

process among individuals migrating to foreign countries, the need for a combination of flexible
attitudes, behaviors and knowledge as well as understanding or better known as cultural

intelligence on the cultural contexts practiced by society in the culture.

2.4 Model of Culture Intelligence

Cultural intelligence encompasses three major elements - meta-cognitive and conative,

motivational and behavioral (Huff et al., 2014). Meta-cognitive and cognitive explains the

ability to think, learn, and shape strategies. Motivational elements refer to self-confidence and

abilities that persist with personal values. While the element of behavior refers to how to exhibit

behavior to adapt to the new environment.

The framework of the cultural intelligence model consists of four parts: knowledge,

strategic thinking, motivation and behavior. The four parts of this help in completing the above

principles ter bladder in the cultural intelligence model which are acquire knowledge, build,

contemplate and do. The principle of acquiring knowledge explains the cross-cultural

interaction that is how a leader acquires knowledge while working in different cultures.

Knowledge resources are an essential foundation for cross-cultural exercises and need to be

incorporated into the cultural intelligence model. This is because the source of knowledge is

the requirement for each individual to either lead or manage, and as an element to manage the

cultural system. Foreign workers or trade names should know how a culture is produced,

interpreted and shared.

Some individuals argue that individuals of different cultural backgrounds need to search

information about new cultures such as understanding cultural intentions, symbols found in

cultures that are seen to have an impact on the practice of culture and attitudes practiced by the

community in the culture. The principle of acquiring knowledge in the cultural intelligence

model emphasizes the need for information and knowledge on new cultures to help facilitate
the process of practicing the new culture. This principle also states that what has been learned

and obtained will be stored in memory also known as cognitive.

The second principle contained in the model of cultural intelligence is to build strategic

thinking. Strategic thinking refers to how an individual thinks to deal with situations in his or

her life and uses existing knowledge to help improve when interacting with people from various

cultural backgrounds (Earley & Peterson, 2004). Through the study conducted by Earley and

Peterson (2004) found that individuals who understand and practice existing knowledge

practices in new situations are among those who can tolerate new or problematic situations.

Accordingly, this principle is said to be among the principles that help to develop individual

development stages and develop positive behaviors.

The third principle is to look at the ability to work while others are in the model of

cultural intelligence. This principle sees the overall ability and abilities inherent in each

individual and acts in a unusual state. This principle emphasizes the response to the interests

and motivation of the prevailing cultural interaction. In view of this, the principle of self-esteem

explains how individuals are wary of a new cultural environment to easily adapt to the culture.

This is where before traveling to a foreign country, the individual should be well prepared as to

obtain information on cultural backgrounds practiced in the country to be visited in order to

prevent repatriation, cultural overlapping and cultural shock.

In addition, mental, emotional, spiritual and physical preparedness should also be

emphasized for those who organize and conduct cross-cultural training amongst foreign

immigrants. This is because culture is a subjective and must be learned and practiced by every

individual in society. At the same time, it involves the process of self-diversion from the

original culture to the new cultural practice which at the beginning of the stage is difficult to

accept by some individuals as the cultural practices of the original country are well within
themselves. Despite this, this self-diversion process is seen to take some time and requires

support from various parties to successfully and launch this cultural adaptation process.

Thomas et al., (2008) in his study explaining the fourth principle contained in the model

of cultural intelligence is the principle of adapting to a new cultural environment. This fourth

principle emphasizes adaptability and the ability to behave in a new environment. At this stage,

individuals who are cross-cultural are seen to be able to adapt themselves to new culture and

atmosphere as well as to behave according to the environment. In line with that, high awareness

and understanding of the cultural significance among foreign immigrants are important for the

pursuit of cultural adaptation process. Individuals who are involved with this principle are seen

to have a change in behavior and tolerance to a change in a high cultural environment.

3.0 Research Methodology

The study uses a systematic review methodology. Systematic reviews are a process of

identifying all reliable evidence of clinical problems. This conceptual understanding of learning

aims to obtain a study of cultural intelligence in the cultural adaptation process published in

electronic search journals such as ProQuest, SAGE Publications, Science Direct, Emerald,

Wiley Online Library and Google Scholar. Search focused on the production of articles and

reading material from 2005 to 2017 only. There are 217 articles related to the title of the

systematic review of the systematics found, but only 108 only conforms to the study's title and

can be used in this study. The rest of the article is used to support the research title. The

keywords used to find this article are ' cultural intelligence', 'cultural intelligence in cultural

adaptation' and 'cultural adaptation intelligence'.

4.0 Discussions

4.1 The Unique of Cultural Intelligence

 Through the study of earlier studies found that the exploration of leadership culture at

the individual level and innovation towards achieving organizational goals was more seriously

concerned by previous researchers. However, contemporary researchers prefer to explore

something new by proposing a study on cultural intelligence that is a newly viewed concept

relating to expatriates while adapting to different cultures. Subsequently, cultural intelligence

gets attention from researchers and emphasizes on analysis at individual level. The cultural

intelligence is a concept of individual involving cultural values practiced by guided by

components such as meta-cognitive, cognitive, behavioral and motivational.

However, Johnson et al., ( 2006) states that the components found in cultural cognition,

cognitive, meta-cognitive, behavioral and motivation are important components and are needed

by an expatriate to deal with diversity and cultural adaptation at individual level. The studies

conducted by Livermore ( 2011 ), Muoa ( 2010 ) and Zhang ( 2012) once upon a time found

that cultural intelligence has been associated with cross-cultural adaptation among expatriates

while abroad. For individuals who are unfamiliar with the new culture and environment are

under pressure at the early stage of self-adaptation, they are able to overcome the well-being of

the past by understanding the causes and effects of the stresses. This is because cultural issues

are sensitive issues to be discussed and get attention from many other researchers. This is

because of the avoidance of cultural shock, cultural overlap and ambiguity of a culture.

Based on research from previous studies, it has found that cultural intelligence has its

own distinctive uniqueness. Cultural intelligence is a component that is tested continuously

among the public in a country. This is where if you do a search on cultural intelligence Google

found on the site of 2.7 million study found. While 1.5 million searches were found on articles

and reading materials related to cultural intelligence in the academic field (Earley & Peterson,

2004) . In addition, cultural intelligence also leads the leader or leader to gain a deeper

understanding of cultural differences. This is to facilitate the process of cultural adaptation by

giving awareness on how the culture works, values and beliefs, motivation and appropriate

behavior are practiced in the culture. Cultural intelligence also covers how individuals of

different cultures interact with individuals from other cultures. At the same time, it is also said

to be one way to increase and develop itself through processes involving cultural adaptation .

Accordingly, cultural intelligence is seen not only focusing on a culture. This is where the

cultural intelligence approach is broad and involves self-development skills such as awareness

and knowledge to help adapt and interact with diverse cultures around the world.

5.0 Recommendations for Future Research

This study suggests future researchers to emphasize understanding of the importance of

cultural intelligence towards the company and expatriates in more detail when receiving

international assignments overseas. This is due to the various implications that the companies

and expatriates and families do not understand the cultural intelligence deeper. In addition, the

management also involved in managing international expatriates and assignments should focus

on issues related to training to enhance understanding and awareness on the intelligence culture

more deeply. Experimental approaches and exposures by expatriate management need to be

made earlier, before the expat of the triat departs to foreign countries to avoid the inability of

cultural practices. Apart from that, this study also suggested that the company create a special

group to help and encourage and motivate expatriates who are unable to adapt to the new world

and face the problem of understanding the concept of this cultural intelligence.

6 .0 Conclusion

This conceptual study helps expatriates understand more about the issue of cultural

intelligence. The components contained in the cultural intelligence model are also described in

detail to facilitate understanding of the parties involved with the process of transition and

adaptation of different cultures in their lives. Therefore, the awareness of knowing the cultural
background is practiced in the local country need to be applied first among expatriates and

foreign workers so they can adapt themselves easily and effectively. Hence, this study also

provides recommendations to future researchers in the field of study to carry out detailed studies

on companies involved with the management of foreign workers in order to provide awareness,

exposure and a preliminary description of how the culture in the country is practiced to avoid

cultural issues such as cultural duplication, cultural shock and self-adjustment problems with

new people.