Prof. David Thomas with Prof. Mark Wexler

How comfortable are you interacting with people from other cultures?  Do you see things in black and white or are you able to spot nuances and cultural shades of grey? If you’re not sure, David Thomas, professor of international management at Simon Fraser University, has just the test.

In partnership with 12 international researchers, Prof.Thomas has developed a unique software program that evaluates cultural knowledge and cross cultural skills such as tolerance for ambiguity, perceptual acuity and empathy.

The test was designed with businesses in mind as people in this field are often faced with cultural interaction—more so than the average person, said Prof. Thomas.

“With the effects of globalization, business now must incorporate a multicultural work force and client base,” he said.

Of course, the test can be used by any organization or individual, he added, including law enforcement, health care and peace-keeping.

The idea of cultural intelligence is nothing new but before this quiz, there has never been a way to measure it.  Generally, those who score higher on the test are able to adapt quickly across cultures and are sensitive to how others will react. Certain responses show more appreciation of cultural difference than others. The real gold mine of information comes in the verbal answers the participant gives in sections one and two of the quiz.

In these sections, the participant must give examples from his or her own life about cultural differences and respond to a few short videos by ‘thinking out loud.’

 For example, in one video, a white businessman visits a potential partner from a company in Mexico.  Both have very different ideas about time. The white business man seems anxious and in a rush to close the deal while the Mexican businessman would prefer to use the day as an opportunity for his guest to learn more about Mexico’s rich history.  You are then prompted to think out loud about their different understandings of time and business practice.
So far, Prof. Thomas has received positive feedback from cultural researchers and the select few who have taken the test.

But now comes the next part — validating the test’s effectiveness in making predictions. Prof. Thomas and his associates already know that the test measures cultural intelligence but they don’t know if it accurately predicts who will make the best cultural leaders or how people will react in certain cultural situations.

Once the test is validated, it will be available to the public. Until then, here are a few sample questions.