Twenty-fourth International Conference on Diversity in Organizations, Communities & Nations

Abstract

The Israeli society is diverse, consisting of various minority groups like Arabs, Russians, and Ethiopians, each differing in nationality, religion, language, and culture. These differences lead to gaps and tensions among both minority and majority populations, especially in times of socio-political turmoil. Intergroup conflict in Israel is marked by perceived social distance and limited daily interactions among these groups. Therefore, there is a need to explore the factors contributing to the improvement of intergroup relations and inclusivity in Israeli educational organizations and communities. Based on the culturally informed perspectives a quantitative study focused on cultural intelligence (CQ), willingness to develop cross-group relations (i.e. social distance conceptualized in the literature), and sense of belonging among students from diverse backgrounds. Self-report questionnaires were distributed to 168 undergraduate students. The majority and minority groups were defined by their choice of identity. The findings reveal that higher levels of CQ were linked to increased willingness for social contact with other groups and a stronger sense of belonging. Minority groups exhibited significantly lower levels of belonging compared to the majority. Arab students experienced the highest social distance perception compared to other groups. Implications: The study underscores CQ, social distance, and academic belonging as significant factors in understanding intergroup conflicts among diverse populations in socio-political context. The paper discusses the implications of these factors on intergroup relations in academic communities, highlighting the need for fostering CQ among students and staff and inclusivity of minorities from different backgrounds in educational environments.