Measuring intercultural business competence of tertiary students: Development of a four-factor Scale

Abstract

This study aims to develop a brief scale for measuring the intercultural business competence (IBC) of tertiary students majoring in international trade, based on the theoretical model proposed by Johnson et al. (2006). Qualitative and quantitative data sources were utilized to develop and validate the IBC scale. Feedback from the pilot-test participants and content experts was used for face and content validity analyses. The main study data (n = 754) were used in the reliability and construct validity analyses via exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and correlational analysis. After a series of reliability and validity analyses, a 16-item IBC scale was established, with four factors extracted: business adaptation, intercultural communicative confidence, antecedents, and cultural distance. This study provides empirical support for measuring and cultivating students’ IBC based on measurement results.