Abstract

Developing cultural competence is essential for project managers and leaders working in increasingly globalized and multicultural environments. Cultural Intelligence (CQ) — defined as the ability to function effectively across diverse cultural contexts — is a critical competency in 21st-century leadership. This multidimensional construct includes metacognitive, cognitive, motivational, and behavioral dimensions, each contributing uniquely to effective cross-cultural interaction, decision-making, negotiation, innovation, and adjustment. Project managers should actively assess and cultivate their CQ through mindfulness and intentional practice, leveraging tools and structured development steps to enhance their cultural responsiveness and leadership effectiveness. Additionally, overcoming barriers such as limited perception, ethnocentrism, stereotyping, prejudice, and power imbalances is vital to achieving genuine cultural competence, which in turn fosters organizational effectiveness and team cohesion in diverse settings.

Keywords: Multicultural competence; project managers; cross-cultural projects; intercultural sensitivity; cultural intelligence; cultural dimensions; training effectiveness

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Citation

Moses Afful JR., et al. “Developing Cultural Competence - A guide for Leaders and Project Managers". Clareus Scientific Science and Engineering 2.10 (2025): 32-37.

Copyright

© 2025 Moses Afful JR., et al. Licensee Clareus Scientific Publications. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license.