02/10/2022
Cultural Intelligence (CQ),
what is it and why it is important.
Cultural Intelligence, also called cultural quotient, is abbreviated as CQ. Cultural Intelligence and Cultural Competence are terms that essentially mean the same thing and refer to an individual or organization's ability to successfully interact and work with others from different nationalities, cultures and ethnicities.
Cultural intelligence is different than Intelligence Quotient (IQ), a total score derived from a set of standardized test. CQ cannot be quantified with a score. There are no scales to use when measuring CQ. Instead, CQ should be viewed as a skill that can be developed and improved on over time.
Cultural intelligence is an essential skill to have for any individual or organization operating in a globalized environment. In a world where we cross geographical, political and cultural barriers every day, it is important to know how to effectively interact and work with people who have different backgrounds than we do.