Ushus-Journal of Business Management

2020, Vol. 19, No. 4, 49-73

ISSN 0975-3311|https://doi: 10.12725/ujbm.53.5

Cultural Intelligence as a Mediating Factor

among International Students Adaptability
in India

Khyati K*, Joel Johnson†and VanditaMohta‡

Abstract

In this paper,the authors have analysed the problems

faced by foreign students in India while adapting to the
Indian academic and work environment. For conducting
the research, numerous international students from Christ
(Deemed to be University), Bangalore were interviewed,
and the problems faced by them were documented. The
Likert scale has been used to measure Cognitive,
Emotional and Physical CQ of both Indian and
international students. The paper has been curated ina
case study approach through primary research which
forms as a base for understanding the situation of foreign
students in India and recommending suggestions for
reducing cultural conflict.The paper identifies language,
cuisine and limited social circle as the major challenges
faced by foreign students. The paper also evaluates the
role that cultural intelligence plays as an enabling factor
for better cross-cultural adjustment. The researchers have
also suggested techniques for inculcating cultural
intelligence among students.
Keywords: Cultural Intelligence, Cultural Conflict, Cultural
Quotient, International Students

*Graduate Trainee (BBA Hons Graduate, CHRIST), Godrej & Boyce, India;
[email protected]
†Analyst, (BBA Hons Graduate, CHRIST), KPMG Assurance and

Consulting Services LLP, India; [email protected]

‡Account Manager, (BBA Hons Graduate, CHRIST), DeltaX, India

[email protected]

49
Ushus-Journal of Business Management, Vol.19, No. 4 ISSN 0975-3311

1. Introduction

With India becoming a major part of the world economy, an

increasing number of good quality universities and increasing
globalisation has led to a large number of foreign students to come
to India. There have been a lot of cases of confrontation between
Indian and foreign students. These cases constantly hit the
headlines, and many of them turn violent too. In such scenarios, it
is important to analyse the reasons for these clashes. The difference
in culture seems to be the major cause of this friction between local
and foreign student communities. Culture, according to (Serjanaj,
2016) “consists of the beliefs, behaviours, objects, and other
characteristics common to the members of a particular group or
society”. The lack of knowledge and awareness about different
cultures leads to a lack of understanding between local and
international communities leading to friction between them. With
increasing globalisation, cultural intelligence over the past decade
has emerged as a very important concept in bridging the gap
between different cultures. Cultural intelligence (Tay, 2007) is the
ability of a person to understand and adapt freely and easily in a
different culture and interact effectively with them, thus producing
maximum positive results. Cultural intelligence has been a driving
factor around the world in increasing productivity by reducing
conflicts. The lack of adaptability of people from different cultures
is a direct result of the lack of cultural intelligence and thus calls for
the development of the same among people. Cultural intelligence,
by reducing cross-cultural confrontation, can be a mediating factor
in helping foreign students to adapt to Indian culture and also for
Indian students to be more sensitive towards foreign students.
Thus, inculcating CQ among students can be an effective strategy
to reduce differences among Indian and foreign student
communities and building a more vibrant academic environment.

2. Review of Literature

2.1International Students
Akinkugbe (2013) studies how international undergraduate
students comprehend the impact of education in a different cross-
cultural environment. He found out that international student face

50
Khyati, Johnson and Mohta Cultural Intelligence as a Mediating Factor

problems in coping up with the new cultural environment. Every

year more than 700,000 students pursue higher studies in the
United States or Canada, according to Lipson (2008). They need to
adopt a new university’s system of learning and new cultural
environment.Manahil Wajid (2017)stated that foreign students
mostly face problems related to academic change than related to
social or peer status. According to him, various cultural and social
factors affect the academic life of international students. According
to Prashant (2018), the outflow of Indian students to other countries
are more as compared to the inflow of foreign students in India for
higher education.

2.2 Issues related to Acculturation

According toGazzoli (2013), all the international students who
move to foreign countries for their higher studies, face problems
related to the acculturation process, which impacts their social and
educational well-being. He conducted interviews of the
international students from Panama and later analysed that
students bear psychological, social and physical problems. Nishii
(2013) pointed out that people of different cultures tend to face a
situation of tension in the same workplace. People working in the
organisation are not integrated into the acculturation process and
don’t accept new things as they don’t have an open mind. Guzel
(2016) undertook a comparative analysis relating to acculturation
and acculturative stress among domestic and international
students. Acculturation refers to assimilation to a different
dominant culture. The paper thus studies on how acculturation
affects domestic and international students’ acculturative stress.
The outcome, as expected, was that international students face
more acculturative stress than the domestic students of the USA.

2.3 Cultural Differences

According to Bradley (2002), there are several types of cultural
differences which have been faced among international students in
different countries. One of the cultural difference among foreigners
is assertiveness. An empirical study has been done to find out the
perceived assertiveness among foreign students. It has been
considered as an important factor for personal mental health, self-
esteem, and advanced feelings. Furthermore, collectivism is

51
Ushus-Journal of Business Management, Vol.19, No. 4 ISSN 0975-3311

another cultural difference which is found among the international

students. For example, various findings state that Asian
international students are considered as less assertive and more
passive as compared to other international students.
As stated by Arthur (2004), understanding these differences isvery
challenging.It shows that it is very difficult to adjust to different
norms and culture of different places which makethe whole process
challenging, according to Sumer (2009). Coping witha new learning
environment is difficult as each and every norm of different culture
vary. Campbell (2011) talked about the solutions to the problem
and made certain recommendations about how to reduce such
differences. He thereby suggested the host country students give
the international students social and personal support so that they
don’t feel alienated in the host country. Chase (2011) also suggested
that an interpersonal programme can help the foreign students
develop a sense of belongingness, reduction in anxiety and many
more. This will also help in decreasing cross-cultural differences in
the future.

2.4 Psychological Changes

Another major problem which is found among the international
students isthe psychological problems, as stated byBoonchum
(2009). According to the research, international students positively
behave in the new cultural environment, but some of the
individuals face more problems because of their own individual
attitudes and behaviours. These foreign students try to adapt tothe
new cultural environment, according to Walton (2012). He stated
that going to college for higher education is an exciting experience,
but most of the students suffer from homesickness which affects
them psychologically. Students also go through loneliness and
depressionbecause of homesickness. These factors also create a fear
of failure in academics, which put a lot of pressure among the
students to perform well. But sometimes, because of the mental
problems caused by homesickness, they are not able to perform
well, which in a way affects their academic life.
Finally, Qing Gu (2009) explored the experiences of the
international students in terms of their development as well as their
adaptation in new cultural environment. He suggested that

52
Khyati, Johnson and Mohta Cultural Intelligence as a Mediating Factor

personal factors of the individuals affect their competence in terms

of adapting themselves in a new environment.

2.5 Cultural Differences and International Students

Hartini (2017) analysed how cultural intelligence has had an impact
on international students’ engagement. The education industry in
Malaysia has seen an increased inflow of international students
who face cultural shock and adaption difficulties in a new
environment. Cultural intelligence refers to an individual’s ability
to adapt to cultural changes and act accordingly among various
other cultural differences. Students’ engagement refers to the
involvement in activities of the educational institution. According
to the research paper, international students opt to study in a
foreign university so as to acquire experiences that result in
personal growth. The paper concludes, stating that cultural
intelligence is an essential element that accelerates international
students’ engagement.
Wang (2015) stated that a major challenge in the organisational
world today is the management of cross-cultural diversity. The
objective of this paper was to understand the contribution of
cultural intelligence in the adjustment of international students in
the United States. The research found that cultural intelligence
trajectories are, in fact, linked with positive psychological
indicators than with negative indicators. Future orientations of
students are also discussed in the paper. Thomson (2006) focused
on a particular university in Australia and how international
students have faced cultural shock on shifting into a new
environment. It discusses the social connectedness, lifestyle
balance, mental health and cultural stress among the international
students in the university. The findings revealed that cultural stress
largely depends on an individual’s background, their evaluation of
academic progress perceived, and communication skills within a
new culture. All of these elements account up for cultural
intelligence. Jian Wang (2002) discusses cultural differences with
the view of effective communication styles and processes in the
field of information services. The research was undertaken on the
basis of results drawn from samples selected from various
universities.

53
Ushus-Journal of Business Management, Vol.19, No. 4 ISSN 0975-3311

2.6 Cultural Intelligence and Impact on Organisations

Peterson (2017) stated the importance of intercultural
understanding and education, i.e. the concept of Cultural
Intelligence. It states how cultural intelligence affects the working
environment in multinational corporations and questions the
relationship between Intelligence Quotient (IQ) and its effect on
adaption to new cultural changes. It proposes to include
motivational, meta-cognitive, and behavioural components for
training that is required by a global manager. Higgins (2005)
emphasises on the fact that Intelligence Quotient, Emotional
Quotient and leadership behaviours are influenced by Cultural
Intelligence in global leadership success as it helps in better
understanding of different cultural leadership programs of
multinational firms.
Ang (2003) emphasises the importance of cultural intelligence in
the present era of increased multinational corporations and
working in international teams. The inability of cooperation due to
cultural differences results in conflicts and adversely affects
organisations. The book also states how a person with high
Cultural Intelligence is better with adapting to a new cultural
environment than one with low Cultural Intelligence. The paper
helps an individual to realise its natural ability to interpret its
environment and construct its CQ. It addresses issues like global
management, meta-cognition, cultural adjustment and intercultural
communication. It combines motivation with cognitive ideas of
intelligence and thus provides a new pathway for researchers.
Inkpen (2008) discusses in detail the importance of organisation
level cultural intelligence with offshoring (Form of International
Business Venture) as its basis of discussion. A three-dimensional
framework comprising of intercultural capabilities was created to
discuss managerial and theoretical implications. Livermore (2008)
emphasises on how cultural intelligence is constantly helping
organisations and individuals achieve their objectives by creating a
cooperative work environment. It also discusses how cultural
intelligence helps to gather creative ideas, experiences and learning
from the various cultural sources available. Glazer (2017) discusses
expatriate failures and how that affects organisations. There is an
increasing urge for the incorporation of cultural intelligence and

54
Khyati, Johnson and Mohta Cultural Intelligence as a Mediating Factor

cross-cultural competence among individuals in organisations and

institutions with the introduction of globalisation in the world. For
organisations to succeed, effective management along with
improvement in cultural intelligence is a must.

2.7 Cultural Intelligence and its Evaluation

Deardoff (2006) wanted to formulate a proper evaluation method of
cross-cultural competence. The data was collected by a set of
samples of higher education management teams. The conclusion
accounted up for formulation of effective evaluation methods using
qualitative and quantitative methods which were agreed upon by
both the scholars and the administrators. Mendenhall (1990) found
out that there has been an increase in internationalisation in the
various sectors of society, which has increased inter-cultural
contact with people across the world. However, since most of this
contact has not been very successful, inter-cultural training must be
focused on. On research, it was found that cross-cultural training is
effective in general. The paper provides a framework on the basis
of social learning theory to fill in gaps for research undertaken in
the past and to provide a basis for research in the future.

2.8 Development of Cultural Intelligence

Miriam (2013),in his study, says that online experiential
programmes can be conducted for students in a multicultural
group over the internet.Thishas been proven to be a good source of
inculcating practical cultural intelligence characteristics into
students and helps put theoretical knowledge gained in college into
a practical context. The learnings from the project havebeen seen to
remain in students for a longer period of time. Jacob (2013), in his
study, specifies that cross-cultural management courses taught in
an academic setting havebeen seen to increase the overall cultural
intelligence of students. Students with the only experience in
multicultural work environments who haven’t taken any cross-
cultural management courses have been seen to have lower cultural
intelligence. According to Fischer (2011), lecture series and
simulation games have been proved to improve cultural
competence among students, especially the ones with a more open
mind. These programmes help in improving their knowledge about
different cultures and help in improving overall cultural

55
Ushus-Journal of Business Management, Vol.19, No. 4 ISSN 0975-3311

competence. Melody Chao (2016) figured out that exchange

programmes for students which acts as a strong method to increase
cross-cultural interaction act as a strong way for students to
increase their cultural competence and helps in overall cultural
intelligence development of students. Evan Wooda (2015) found
out that short term study tour acts as an experiential learning
method and helps in converting the experience into knowledge
which further enhances overall cultural intelligence. Study tours
have been seen to positively improve metacognitive CQ, cognitive
CQ and motivational CQ. Rebecca (2015) specifies that events like
classroom training, the training group work, role-play helped in
increasing overall CQ. These structured activities help in
improving the cultural intelligence of students.

3. Research Gap

Many studies have been previously conducted for understanding

the problems faced by students who go to Malaysia, United States,
United Kingdom, and Canada for their higher education. No study
has been conducted so far, which talks about the difficulties faced
by international students who come to India even though the
country is famous for its diverse culture. There was no research
done for finding out the problems with the solutions in India,
which is known for its diversity.
Due to the globalisation and increased inclusion of international
students in India, it is very important to conduct research about the
main problems which international students face in India. It is very
important to conduct the study to help reduce friction among local
and foreign students.
Not even a single research has been done, which is applicable to the
Indian scenario, which is the main reason for conducting the
research on this topic. We will be bridging the gap by conducting
this study in India.

56
Khyati, Johnson and Mohta Cultural Intelligence as a Mediating Factor

4. Research Methodology

4.1 Objectives of the study

There are various objectives of conducting this study which isas
follows-
 To study the experiences of foreign students in India
 To study the challenges faced by foreign students in
adapting to a new cultural learning environment
 To examine the techniques used by international students to
adapt to their new cultural learning environment
 To measure and study the cultural intelligence quotient of
foreign students studying in India
 To analyse the current level of cultural intelligence among
students and its impact on their cross-cultural relationships
and experiences
 To study the impact of the level of cultural intelligence
among domestic students on international students

4.2Scope of the study

This study mainly attempts to analyse the difficulties faced by
foreign students in adapting themselves in a new cultural
environment. There was no research conducted regarding the
foreign students’ adaptability in India even though it is known for
its diversity. This study will help us to make people of the host
country understand the importance of accepting international
students. The study also measures the cultural intelligence of the
interviewees and compares those results with their individual
experiences.

4.3 Data Collection/Sources of the study

The different sources of data collection sources includeopen-ended
interviews, observation during interviews and the survey, which is
in line with the qualitative research method of
phenomenology.Data have been collected through primary
research wherein foreign students of Christ (Deemed to be
University) were interviewed to collect relevant information and go

57
Ushus-Journal of Business Management, Vol.19, No. 4 ISSN 0975-3311

forward with the research. The main purpose of using the primary
source was to avoid discrepancies.

4.4 Tools and Techniques used

 Descriptive phenomenological analysis(Akinkugbe,
2013)has been used to study the difficulties of international
students in adapting themselves in the new environment
and understand their individual experiences by asking them
interview questions(see appendix) in a face to face format.
 Likert scale questionnaire from (Ang, 2003) was used to
diagnose the cultural intelligence of both the local students
and the international students in India to analyse the
cognitive, physical and emotional CQ of the students.

4.5 Conceptual framework

Face to face interviews with five international studentsfrom Congo,
Germany, Thailand, Saudi, and Nepal were conducted who gave us
first-hand information about the problems they faced when they
came to India for their higher studies. It also helped us to
understand the experiences of each individual. Cultural intelligence
of all the participants have been measured using the framework
given by (Ang, 2003) in their acclaimed HBR publication wherein
Scaling Method is used to measure the cultural intelligence of all
the participants. It constitutes of three sources, i.e. cognitive CQ,
which is related to mind, physical CQ, which is related to the body,
and emotional CQ, which is related to the heart. Socultural
intelligence of all the participants hasbeen measured with the help
of the Likert Scale, which is shown in the Appendix-1.Then
descriptive phenomenological analysis was used to analysethe
relationship between the cultural intelligence of the individual and
their own unique experiences.A case study approach has been used
to articulate the results of the interview and structured cultural
intelligence test.

5. Analysis and interpretation

For our research, we conducted a face to face interview with some

of the international students who gave us information about the
problems which they faced when they came down to India for their

58
Khyati, Johnson and Mohta Cultural Intelligence as a Mediating Factor

higher studies. We talked to students from Congo, Germany,

Thailand, Saudi, and Nepal. Conducting a personal interview gave
us more insight intothe problems they faced in the country and
how did they overcome those problems, etc. Each individual came
up with a different problem which they faced related to their social,
academic life. We have made case studies for each student where
they will be stating the difference in the culture which they came
across in India. Cultural intelligence of all the participants hasbeen
measured with the help of the Likert Scale, which is shown in the
Appendix-1. Generally, an average of less than 3 reflects calling for
an improvement, while an average of more than 4.5 reflects a great
CQ strength.

Case Study-1 (Student Name- AyonjanSaha, Place of Origin-

Saudi)
AyonjanSaha is born and brought up in Saudi. He came to India
before his class 12. He saw various differences in the learning
environment between the two countries. The concept of co-ed
schooling was new to him; however, it did not create a problem for
him. Communicating with the students and the seniors was
themajor problem that he faced being a foreign student. He almost
took 6-7 months to overcome this problem. After that, approaching
his fellow students was not a problem. The diverse nature of India
changed his lifestyle in a way that he was able to adapt.
He got the exposure related to academic and social life in India
which he did not get in Saudi. The exposure which he got after
coming to India, especially Christ in terms of the curricular and co-
curricular activities helped him to overcome his problems.
Whatever problem he faced,he overcame it by being optimistic. He
considers himself as fluid as water, taking the shape of any vessel
it’s poured into. He strongly believes that he can adjust anywhere
with anybody and still remain happy.
Descriptive phenomenological analysis of the interview
 He chose India because of the ample opportunities and
exposure, which he would not have got in Saudi. The
learning environment is different in both countries, along
with cultural differences.

59
Ushus-Journal of Business Management, Vol.19, No. 4 ISSN 0975-3311

 The major problem which he faced in India was the

communication problem. He was not able to approach
either his friends or his seniors initially during his 12thclass.
 He understood the importance of understanding and
accepting the new culture within himself before he joined
Christ.
 He accepted the new culture,and the people accepted him
because of his optimistic nature. Diverse nature of India has
changed his lifestyle.
Results of the Cultural intelligence test
 His cognitive CQ and physical CQ was 3.5 which is more
than 3 and less than 4.5, which indicates that his cultural
intelligence is average, i.e. he is able to relate with the
culture with fewerdifficulties. He is able to understand the
new culture with fewerproblems.
 His Emotional CQ was 3.75, which indicates that he has the
confidence to deal with people of a different culture.
 Overall if we take an average of his cognitive, physical and
emotional CQ, it comes up to 3.78, which is an average
measurement of the cultural quotient. He is able to work
and relate to a new culture with fewerdifficulties.

Case Study 2 (Name- Rattiya Dacanay, Place of Origin- Thailand)

She is a second-year student currently in Christ (Deemed to be
University) pursuing her undergraduate program. She is born and
brought up in Thailand. She seemed to be an easy-going person.
When we asked her about her decision of choosing India for her
higher studies, she talked about the exposure and various
opportunities which she would get in India. When we asked about
the differences in the learning patterns between Thailand and
India, she talked about the usage of more practical knowledge in
her home country. More attention is given to the theoretical
knowledge in India. She talked about the strict rules and
regulations of the college here, especially maintaining the dress
code etc. In her home country, there were no rules to follow. The

60
Khyati, Johnson and Mohta Cultural Intelligence as a Mediating Factor

learning environment was pretty informalin terms of maintaining

dress code etc.
When we asked about the cultural shock which she faced after
coming to India, her main problem was communication due to
language barriers. Initially, in Christ, students used to make fun of
her accent. They used to laugh at her accent. Back in her home
town, the only medium of conversation was the Thai language.
Here she saw most of the students speaking in Hindi. She was not
able to converse with the other students because of the language
problem. Initially, she faced a problem, but now,she has overcome
it. It affected her academic life at that time, but now she feels fine.
Her second problem was adapting to a new environment. The food
culture here is very different from Thailand’s. However, now she
has also adapted the food culture during the course of her living.
Taking about her social life, she faced problems in making friends
initially. However, she realised that people in India are friendly,
and they accepted her and did not alienate her. She was very
positive about her adaptability in India. It took time to adapt to this
country, but now she is doing fine.
Descriptive phenomenological analysis of the interview
Food Culture- Rattaya’s main difficulty was in accepting the food
culture as it was very different from what she used to eat in
Thailand. It took some time for her to adapt herself to relate to the
new environment.
Communication Problem- She used to speak only Thai Language
when she came to India. She learnt English in Christ. Students used
to make fun of her because of her language.
Social Life- Initially, she faced problems in making friends because
of her accent. But as she said, people in India are friendly who
accepted her and involved her in everything.
Results of the Cultural intelligence test
 Cognitive CQ- Rattaya’s Cognitive CQ is 3.25, which is
more than 3, but still needs improvement in this area. She is
able to confront with the new environment.

61
Ushus-Journal of Business Management, Vol.19, No. 4 ISSN 0975-3311

 Physical CQ- Her Physical CQ is 2.5, which is less than the

average, thereby calls for an immediate improvement. It is
difficult for her to change her body language to relate to
other people from the new culture.
 Emotional CQ- Her Emotional CQ is 5, which indicates a
true CQ strength. She has enough confidence in herself if
she in case deals with people from a different culture. She is
confident that she can deal with the unfamiliar cultural
situation.

Case Study – 3 (Student Name – Coreana, Place of Origin –

Germany)
Coreana completed her junior school back in her home town after
which she moved to India about six years back. She came to India
initially to undertake social service projects. She was in Tamil Nadu
for about three years before she got admitted into Christ (Deemed
to be University) to pursue her higher studies in Journalism
Honours. For the years that she worked in Tamil Nadu with
various Non-Governmental Organisations,she got acquainted with
the state and the people she was working with. It was easy for her
to associate with people because of the mutual cause they were all
working for. Her family members are in Germany, and they try
meeting up once a year during the Christmas break. Through her
studies and projects, she found India a very interesting place, and
she thus shifted to India with the idea of completing her projects by
being in the place of study. It took her some time to adapt to the
language and food of the country and overcome cultural
differences between Germany and India.
She is currently in her final year for her undergraduate degree, and
she feels that the educational environment is indeed different from
that of the world outside. International students have been treated
differently because of the narrow mindedness of the people. She
interned with The Times of India, and she feels that the working
environment is better than the educational environment for
international students. She also feels that Indian politics is
extremely negative and that very few provisions are made for easy
stay for international students. She has come across various people
from different cultural backgrounds and is very well versed with

62
Khyati, Johnson and Mohta Cultural Intelligence as a Mediating Factor

the culture in India. She feels that certain issues faced by her can be
taken over by broader mindsets and acceptance.
Results of the Cultural intelligence test
 Cognitive CQ- Coreana’s Cognitive CQ is 4, which is more
than 3, which reflects that she is able to work and relate in
the new cultural environment. She is able to confront with
the new environment.
 Physical CQ- Her Physical CQ is 2.5, which is less than the
average, thereby calls for an immediate improvement. It is
difficult for her to change her body language to relate to
other people from the new culture.
 Emotional CQ- Her Emotional CQ is 3.5, which indicates
that she has less confidence to deal with people of a
different culture than adapting to the lifestyle of a different
culture.

Case Study – 4 (Student Name – Jael, Place of Origin – Congo)

Jael was born and bought up in Congo, Africa. He completed his
High School in Congo and came to India for his higher studies. He
is currently studying Bachelors of Business Administration in
Finance and International Business from Christ (Deemed to be
University). When asked why he chose India for his further studies,
he said that it was his father’s choice to send him here. His father is
in a profession where he is in constant contact with Indians from
the different cultural background and is familiar with the Indian
culture.
Jael took around more than a year to adjust to the cultural changes.
He faced major issues with the language and the food. The only
language that he knew was French before he came, and it was
extremely difficult for him to adapt to English as the medium of
language. Indian food is generally spicier from that of the food in
Congo, and for almost a month he couldn’t eat that food. He also
faced issues with the practice of group-ism among fellow Indian
students in the university. People tend to create groups on the basis
of their cultural backgrounds and don’t want to accept people from
outside. However, with time Jael started adapting to the new

63
Ushus-Journal of Business Management, Vol.19, No. 4 ISSN 0975-3311

culture and slowly took over the cultural shock. Now he loves
spicy food and has a great set of friends.
Results of the Cultural intelligence test
 Cognitive CQ- Jael’s Cognitive CQ is 4.25, which is more
than 3, indicates that he is able to work and relate to a new
different environment. He is able to confront in the new
environment, but he does not plan how he would be going
to relate to people from a different culture before he meets
them.
 Physical CQ- His Physical CQ is 4.5, which is more than the
average, which indicates that he can easily change the way
he acts after encountering new cross-cultural changes.
 Emotional CQ- Her Emotional CQ is 4.5, which indicates a
true CQ strength. She has enough confidence in herself if
she in case deals with people from a different culture. She is
confident that she can deal with the unfamiliar cultural
situation.

Case Study – 5 (Student Name – Mayank Agarwal, Place of

Origin – Nepal)
Mayank is born and brought up in Nepal. He completed his
schooling in Nepal and came to India for his higher studies. He is
currently studying Bachelors of Business Administration from
Christ (Deemed to be University). Initially, when he came to India,
he was bullied by his fellow mates. He was always called by
different names. His fellow mates called him a northeastern person
because of his eye.
He did not have any cultural shock, since Nepal is one of the
neighbour countries of India. He was well versed withthe diverse
culture of India when he came to CHRIST. He did not face any
difficulties in terms of confronting the new culture of India.
His social life was not good because of him getting bullied. It
resulted in psychological problems, which negatively impactedhis
academic life.
After some point time, people accepted him because of his friendly
nature. Students recognised him as one of his fellow mates. He did

64
Khyati, Johnson and Mohta Cultural Intelligence as a Mediating Factor

not have any problem related to food as the food culture was more
or less the same in both countries.
Descriptive phenomenological analysis of the interview -
 He hardly had any cultural shock since the culture of both
countries are more or less the same.
 He was mocked for his looks because he looked like a
northeastern fellow kid.
 He faced problems in the social as well as academic life.
Results of the Cultural intelligence test: -
 Cognitive CQ- Mayank’s Cognitive CQ 4, which is more
than average, which indicates that he is able to confront
himself in the new environment.
 Physical CQ- His Physical CQ is 4.25, which is again more
than the average, thereby does not call for an immediate
improvement. It is easy to change his body language to
relate to other people from the new culture.
 Emotional CQ- Her Emotional CQ is 4.75, which indicates a
true CQ strength. He has enough confidence in himself if he
in case deals with people from a different culture. He is
confident that he can deal with the unfamiliar cultural
situation.

Common Problems faced by International Students

 Communication/Language Issues- Communication was the
most common problem found in all the foreign students
which they were able to overcome during the course of
time.
 Food Culture- Since each studentis from a different country,
they faced issues related to food as most of them did not
like Indian food initially. But now, since they have adapted
themselves to the new environment, each one of them loves
Indian food.

65
Ushus-Journal of Business Management, Vol.19, No. 4 ISSN 0975-3311

 Psychological Problem- Student from Africa, Germany, and

Thailand faced psychological issues because people did not
accept them as individuals.
 Casual racism and discrimination by fellow students.
 Lack of social life and the inability to make new friends.

Techniques used to overcome cultural challenges

 By being positive and optimistic about the situation and not
being weighed down by the current situation or hardship.
 Having a broader mindset and accepting everyone as they
are.
 Not fretting and giving yourself enough time to naturally
adapt and adjust to the new environment and culture
 Being always willing to interact with more and more people
 Researching about the culture beforehand to not be
overwhelmed by the new environment.
 Having a friendly attitude towards peers

6. Conclusion

The objective of the study was to assess the role of cultural

intelligence in abridging the problems of cross-cultural differences
among foreign students in Indian universities. We selected a
sample comprising a number of foreign students studying in Indian
universities. While many other studies have been carried out on
cultural intelligence and foreign students, none of them specifically
focus on the Indian context, despite India being such a culturally
diverse country. On questioning about the challenges that they
faced due to the cultural shock, theiranswers differed from one
person to another based on their experiences in the new
environment. However, most of them have a great cognitive
cultural intelligence, indicating that they are comfortable with
adapting to a new culture, while some of them are low on physical
cultural intelligence, which indicates the inability to deal with body
language while meeting with people from different cultures. Most
of them seem to have a strong emotional cultural intelligence. We

66
Khyati, Johnson and Mohta Cultural Intelligence as a Mediating Factor

thus conclude that with the reduction in global boundaries, cultural

intelligence is one of the abilities required for foreign students to
help them interact with people from various cultural backgrounds.
Since India is considered as a friendly country, most people do
accept international students but not everyone. Just like foreign
students take time to adjust, local students also take time to accept
them.
We can infer from the analysis of the various case studies that most
foreign students coming to India face various challenges, most of
which are cultural in nature in terms of having to adjust with
different customs, different accepted behaviours,food, language
and beliefs.These issues make it difficult for international students
to adapt toIndia. Thus, if these international students are more
culturally aware and intelligent, they won’t face any culture shock
and will be able to accustom themselves to this new environment
quickly with lesser difficulty.
At the same time, there were many cases where local students were
insensitive about their international peers, and these students went
through casual racism, discrimination and inability to make
friends. A lot of thisbehaviour is induced due to the lack of cultural
awareness among local students which make them ignorant and
inconsiderate giving international students a hard time. Thus,
having local students being more exposed to international cultures
and being more culturally aware can enable them to be more
accepting of their international peers and ensure no cultural clashes
among students from different parts of the world.
Thus we can conclude that it is very evident that the major cause of
friction between international and local students is due to
ignorance about each other’s cultures and customs and having a
very narrow view of the world. Therefore, ensuring greater cultural
quotient among students can ensure cultural intelligence acts as a
mediating factor for international students adaptability in India.

7.Suggestions

Since the research helps in establishing that cultural intelligence

can help in reducing problems faced by international students in
foreign countries the following are suggestions based on the

67
Ushus-Journal of Business Management, Vol.19, No. 4 ISSN 0975-3311

research thatcan be implemented by universities and colleges

across the world to increase cultural intelligence in their
institutions
 Need for the Cross-Cultural training- Cross-Cultural
training should be conducted in the colleges or the
workplaces for the foreign students as well as for the Indian
students. There is a need for this kind of training which will
help both the type of students understand each other’s
culture and accept them. As some of the Indian students are
apprehensive in accepting the foreign students, that’s why
there is a need for this kind of training.
 International students should be considered as an asset-
Efforts should be made by the host country to accept foreign
students as an asset and not a liability.
 Sensitivity training to the local students for accepting
international students- This type of training is important for
the Indian students, which emphasises on the acceptance of
international students. The students should be sensitised
towards the international students’ culture so that minimal
problems are faced by them.
 Establishment of Cultural Intelligence Cell inside the
college/workplace- Cultural Intelligence Cell should be
established separately inside the college or the workplace
where if any problems arise due to the cultural clashes, then
it should be solved in this redressal area.
 Being empathetic- Both international and Indian students
should be empathetic towards each other in understanding
each other’s culture.
Limitations of the study
There are several limitations of conducting the study which isas
follows
 Limited sample size- The sample size for the study is
limited to the number of interviewers. The number of
required participants are also limited within the area.

68
Khyati, Johnson and Mohta Cultural Intelligence as a Mediating Factor

 Personal bias- Personal bias of the interviewers also arises

during the interview. They have their own bias which
could affect the way they analyse the responses.

Appendix

Interview questions-
 Describe the educational learning environment in your
country.
 How is it different from the learning environment in our
country?
 What are the similarities which you found in both the
educational systems?
 Did you face cultural shock? How did you overcome
this?
 What are the current problems you are facing in terms
of the cross-cultural differences?
 How did people around you make a difference, either
good or bad?
 Did you face any problem related to your academic life?

69
Ushus-Journal of Business Management, Vol.19, No. 4 ISSN 0975-3311

2. Survey for measuring Cultural Intelligence (Ang, 2003)

70
Khyati, Johnson and Mohta Cultural Intelligence as a Mediating Factor

References

Biggest Diversity Issues in The Workplace. (2019). Retrieved from

https://www.thiswayglobal.com/diversity/top-diversity-issues-in-
the-workplace/
Akinkugbe, M. O. (2013). The impacts of studying in a different cultural
environment.
Ang, P. C. (2003). Cultural Intelligence - Individual Interactions Across
Cultures. Stanford, California: Stanford Business Books.
Arthur. (2004). Counseling international students: Clients from around the
world.
Boonchum, P. (2009). A Study of Self-Identity Changes and Correlation of
Influential Factors of Thai Students Studying English.
Bradley, S. L. (2002). Relation between general self-efficacy, assertiveness,
spirituality, and acculturative stress among.
Campbell, N. ( 2011). Promoting Intercultural Contact on Campus: A Project to
Connect and Engage International and Host Students.
Chase, S. G. (2011). Internationalisation of higher education: integrating
international students into Canadian academic environment.
Deardorff, D. K. (2006). Identification and assessment of intercultural
competence as a student outcome of internationalization. Journal of
studies in international education, 10(3), 241-266.
Evan, D., & Wooda, H. Y. (2015). Short-term cross-cultural study tours:
impact on cultural intelligence. The International Journal of Human
Resource Management, 558-570.
Faruk, S.¸ &Ahina, S. G. (2014). Cultural intelligence (CQ) in action: The
effects of personality and international assignment on the
development of CQ. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 152-
163.
Fischer, R. (2011). Cross-cultural training effects on cultural essentialism
beliefs. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 767–775.
Gazzoli, G. (2013). International Students’Acculturation and Adaptation: The
case of an indigenous group studying in Switzerland.
Glazer, C. T. (2017). Cross-Cultural Competence and Cultural Intelligence in
the Workplace. SpringerBriefs .
Guzel, H. (2016). Demographic factors inrelation to accularitation and
Acculturative stress: A compasrison of domestic and international
students.The United States.
Hartini, H. (2017). The effects of cultural intelligence on international
students.Malaysia: International Journal of Business, Economics and
Law,12(2).
Higgins, I. A. (2005). Global Leadership success through emotional and cultural
intelligence.

71
Ushus-Journal of Business Management, Vol.19, No. 4 ISSN 0975-3311

Inkpen, S. A. (2008). Cultural Intelligence and Offshore Outsourcing Success: A

Framework of Firm‐Level Intercultural Capability.
Eisenberg, J., Lee, H. J., Brück, F., Brenner, B., Claes, M. T., Mironski, J.,
& Bell, R. (2013). Can business schools make students culturally
competent? Effects of cross-cultural management courses on cultural
intelligence. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 12(4),
603-621.
Jian Wang, D. G. (2002). Cross-Cultural Communication: Implications for
Effective Information Services In Academic Libraries. Johns Hopkins
University Press.
Lipson, C. (2008). Succeeding as an International Student in the United States
and Canada.
Livermore. (2008). The cultural intelligence difference: master the one skill
you can’t do without in today’s global economy.AMACOM, 14-16.
Wajid, M. (2017, November 29). Problems Faced by International Student.
Retrieved from https://cchowler.com/2697/editorial/problems-
faced-by-international-students/
Chao, M. M., &Takeuchi, R. (2016). Enhancing cultural intelligence: The
roles of implicit culture beliefs and adjustment. Personnel Psychology,
1-36.
Mendenhall, J. S. (1990). Cross-Cultural Training Effectiveness: A Review and
a Theoretical Framework for Future Research.
Miriam Erez, A. L. (2013). Going Global:Developing Management
Students’ Cultural Intelligence and Global Identity in Culturally
Diverse Virtual Teams. Academy of Management Learning &
Education,10(3), 330-355.
Nishii, L. H. (2013). The Benefits of Climate for Inclusion for GenderDiverse
Groups.
Peterson, P. C. (2017, November 30). The Elusive Cultural Chameleon:
Cultural Intelligence as a New Approach to Intercultural Training for the
Global Manager. Retrieved from journals.aom.org:
https://doi.org/10.5465/amle.2004.12436826
Prashant K. Nanda, A. R. (2018, August 17). More Indians going abroad for
studies, but foreign students aren’t coming in. Retrieved from
https://www.livemint.com/Education/qVtlWO1E9D923fiDD2o69I/
More-Indians-going-abroad-for-studies-but-foreign-students.html
Qing Gu, M. S. (2009). Learning and growing in a ‘foreign’ context:
intercultural experiences of international students.
Rebecca, J., & Reichard, S. A. (2015). Engagement in cultural trigger events
in the development of cultural Competence. Academy of Management
Learning & Education, 14(4), 461–481.
Ryan, J. (2011). Teaching and learning for international students: Towards a
transcultural approach.

72
Khyati, Johnson and Mohta Cultural Intelligence as a Mediating Factor

Serjanaj, A. (2016). Sociology by Teachers, Senior Students and

Professional Master Students for Teaching. European Journal of
Multidisciplinary Studies.
Sümer, S. (2009). International students’ psychological and sociocultural
adaptation in the united states.
Tay, C. K. (2007). Cultural Intelligence:Its measurement and effects on
cultural judgment and decision making,cultural adaptation, and task
performance. Management and Organization Review, 335–371.
Thomson, G. (2006). Cultural stress among students at an Australian
University. Australia.
Toledano, A. P. (2017). Global team members’ performance and the roles
of cross-cultural training, cultural intelligence, and contact intensity:
the case of global teams in IT offshoring sector. The International
Journal of Human Resource Management, 1-27.
Walton, C. A. (2012). Homesickness and Adjustment in University Students.
Wang, K. T. (2015). Cultural intelligence trajectories in new international
students: Implications for the development of cross-cultural competence.
International Perspective in Psychology: Research.

73