Abstract

Past research indicates that interpersonal ability is one of the vital skill sets in the area of knowledge and capability that should be possessed by information management (IM) professionals. However, the existing educational programs in academic institutions tend to overlook this aspect of training but focus instead on information technology (IT) capabilities. Based on this premise, this study aims to perform a comparative analysis on multiple intelligences (emotional intelligence, social intelligence, and cultural intelligence) of IT/IM students in Canada, China, and Taiwan. The findings of the investigation will contribute toward the formulation of future educational programs for IT/IM and selection of IT/IM personnel by corporations. Students in Canada differ significantly from students in China or Taiwan in the area of emotional and cultural intelligence. However, there is no significant difference between students in China and Taiwan in the area of emotional and cultural intelligence. In terms of social intelligence, there is a significant difference among students in the three study domains. Lastly, there is also a significant difference between genders in both emotional and social intelligence, whereas there is no significant difference in cultural intelligence between the genders. The reasons underlying the differences in multiple intelligences among IT/IM students are also discussed.