THE INFLUENCE OF CULTURAL INTELLIGENCE ON PERCEIVED EMPLOYABILITY AMONG UNDERGRADUATES IN MALAYSIA

Abstract

Cultural Intelligence (CQ) refers to the ability to adapt to a different environment by embracing diversity. In Malaysia, the government always strives to cultivate a better CQ, such as the introduction of a course on Ethnic Relations in universities. Research has shown, however, that Malaysian graduates are still lack this capability, which in turn contributes to high unemployment among Malaysian graduates. This study sought to extend the cultural intelligence literature by investigating the level of cultural intelligence among undergraduates, examine the difference of CQ between undergraduates who have and have not taken the Ethnic Relations course and measure the influence of CQ dimensions and perceived employability. Questionnaire collected from 286 undergraduates in Malaysia were analyzed using Independent Sample T-test and variance-based structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Results shown that more than half of the respondents have a CQ at intermediate level and that there is no significant difference in the CQ level between students who have and have not taken an Ethnic Relations subject. The results also indicated that all dimensions of CQ contribute significantly to perceived employability, with the behavioral CQ being the best predictor.