Abstract

The present research investigates one of the most influential competences in the 21st century, Cultural Intelligence (CQ). In our empirical research, we examined the cultural intelligence of full-time university students in Hungary and the organizational culture of several hundred companies. While we have found a correlation between the cultural intelligence of university students and the organizational culture of their future workplaces, it must be emphasized that the differences between the actual organizational culture and the desired one pose great challenges for higher education. The paper places cultural intelligence as the “fourth Q”, in a theoretical framework, and provides an overview of its most important components. The study highlights situations where these components play a crucial role, gives a brief survey of the ways cultural intelligence can be improved, and also details the methodology to measure CQ.