هوش فرهنگی و سبک رهبری در قسمت تعلیم و تربیت Cultural intelligence and leadership style in the education sector

Introduction Globalization is a complex issue with social, political, and economic implications that go beyond individual countries and societies. It has prompted the need for experiences and skills in relation to working in culturally diverse settings as the cultural composition of work teams can have both positive and negative impacts (Ng et al, 2011). Hence, there is a strong demand for leaders who have the necessary skills required to lead culturally diversified teams (Groves & Feyerherm, 2011; Ang et al, 2011). Cultural Intelligence (CQ) is one such construct which is “motivated by the practicality of globalization in the workplace” and it is a measure of an individual’s capability to function and manage effectively in culturally diverse settings (Ang & Van Dyne, 2008). In particular, educational institutions can be considered to be a microcosm of the globalization that is occurring throughout the world (Keung and Rockinson-Szapkiw, 2013). The Abu Dhabi education sector is culturally diverse and is reflective of the multinational nature of the population. Educational leaders who recognize the importance and value of Cultural Intelligence (CQ) can benefit from cultural differences by using CQ as a “strategic and competitive tool in order to help them achieve organizational goals” (Mahdi et al, 2012). Tying together the concepts of cultural intelligence, leadership and leadership style adaptability, the ultimate aim of this research paper is to explore how cultural intelligence influences the school leaders’ ability to adapt their leadership style in the Abu Dhabi Education Sector. The first section highlights the background of this research – which is cultural intelligence in a UAE context. The following section reviews the literature surrounding CQ and leadership. Theoretical Framework relevant to Cultural intelligence and Leadership Style Adaptability has been presented in the subsequent section. The next section presented research and methodological issues adopted for this research. Results of empirical findings and discussion were presented before concluding the paper.