What has been studied in cultural intelligence? Intellectual structure and current research

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine existing research in Cultural Intelligence (CI), in an attempt to understand the intellectual influences on current research and research trends. Design/methodology/approach The authors used a bibliometric study of cocitation and bibliographic coupling, supported by factor and network analysis. From a sample of 219 articles, the authors examined selected articles (60 for bibliographic coupling) and the references (32 for citation and cocitation). Findings The results indicate that Earley and Ang (2003) is the basis for the current research. The intellectual structure of CI was concerned with three themes: the Concept of CI; CI and the Cultural Context; and Operationalization of the CI Concept. This initial research has influenced current research in the Operationalization of the Concept of CI when investigating the effect of CI on cultural diversity and individual skills and abilities. Another front recognizes the relationship between CI and the cultural context, being oriented toward understanding the performance and leadership of individuals. Originality/value The authors identified a new research front related to the effect of CI on cultural diversity. It indicates promising new fronts considering culture in a multifaceted and multilevel perspective, and also the possibility of evaluating the construct's cognitive components in the original perspective of Earley and Ang (2003) with neuroscientific methods. From the analysis, the authors suggest that future research presents methodological challenges and the connection of the CI construct and the level of analysis, and the Latin American context, which are explored at the end of this paper.