Cultural intelligence: From intelligence in context and across cultures to intercultural contexts

In this chapter, we take the view that intelligence and context are deeply intertwined. Within this view, we show how three different streams of intelligence research emerge from different conceptualizations of context: (1) intelligence in context; (2) intelligence across cultures; and (3) cultural intelligence (CQ). "Intelligence in context" responds to the traditionally narrow focus of intelligence as IQ by defining different intelligences for different contexts beyond academic settings. "Intelligence across cultures" adopts an ethnological perspective and examines how views of intelligence are shaped by national cultures. CQ integrates the first two perspectives on intelligence by shifting the research focus from a cross-cultural comparison of intelligence to examining a capability to function effectively in the specific context of intercultural interactions. We discuss implications and future research directions for CQ and intelligence in the Anthropocene epoch, with the goal to mitigate global conflicts and sustain humankind.