Cultural Intelligence in the Study of Intelligence

Abstract

Intelligence officers often interact in culturally diverse settings different from the settings in which they grew up. Yet, there is a lack of academic research about the integration of culture and the study of intelligence. Researchers have made Cultural Intelligence (CQ) measurable via the Cultural Intelligence Scale (CQS) and successfully applied it in the business world as a predictor of success in multi-cultural environments. This article describes an application of the CQS, using the Observer Report questionnaire to assess the memoirs of three successful intelligence officers to ascertain the degree that CQ applies to the success of officers in United States Intelligence Community (USIC) in multicultural environments. The study results indicated each intelligence officer possessed a high degree of cultural intelligence that assisted in the course of their duties and the CQS is a good assessment tool to measure cultural intelligence.