Eighteenth International Conference on Diversity in Organizations, Communities & Nations

Abstract

Major successes have been attained in terms of the South African education system; however, much is left to be desired in the area of cultural sensitivity and cultural intelligence (CQ). Ubiquitous reports citing racism, violent school deaths, and sexual harassment perpetrated against learners are endemic in schools. This may be an indication that leaders in diverse school settings often do not possess the required capabilities to comprehend, reason, and behave appropriately in situations which characterise culturally diverse environments. This paper proposes a capability model for culturally intelligent school leadership which may provide guidelines for South African school leaders who function within multicultural contexts. The paper provides clarity on cultural intelligence as a construct and highlights particular capabilities school leaders require to function in such settings. The study is located within the phenomenological paradigm and adopts Stewardship Theory as a theoretical framework. Applying the 4 factor CQ model as the base for school leaders’ practice, the capabilities model proposed in this paper may enable school leaders to manage cross-cultural interactions.