DEVELOPMENT OF OPENNESS TO EXPERIENCE PROGRAM FOR ENHANCING CULTURAL INTELLIGENCE OF STUDENT NURSES: AN ANALYSIS OF MULTILEVEL MEDIATING STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODELING
Abstract:
This study aims to 1) to study the level of cultural exposure, cultural intelligence, and cross-cultural adaptability among nursing students, 2) to develop and validate a causal model for the effect of cultural intelligence as a multilevel mediator on cross-cultural adaptability, and 3) to develop and examine a cultural exposure program for enhancing the cultural intelligence of nursing students. The research instruments are a questionnaire using 5-point rating scales, reported self-assessment of cultural exposure, cultural intelligence, and cross-cultural adaptability levels, and an openness to experience program for enhancing cultural intelligence. The samples, randomly selected, consisted of 288 lecturers from whom were collected the self-assessment of cultural intelligence and faculty support, and 1,405 nursing students for collecting the self-assessment of cultural exposure, cultural intelligence, and cross-cultural adaptability. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and ANCOVA using SPSS 22.0, and multilevel structural equation modeling (MSEM) with cross-level mediator effect using Mplus 8.0. The findings are summarized as follows. 1) The mean levels of cultural exposure, cultural intelligence, and cross-cultural adaptability among the nursing students showed that the means of all the variables separated by faculty types were not different, and the mean for cultural exposure was near to a low level (M=4.70, SD=2.25). Meanwhile, the mean for cultural intelligence was at a middle level (M=3.41, SD=0.44) and the mean for cross-cultural adaptability (M=3.64, SD=0.56) was near to a high level. 2) The causal model of cultural intelligence as a multilevel mediator affected cross-cultural adaptability. In addition, the model was valid and fit the empirical data (chi-square (39, Nw=1405, Nb=288) = 52.61, p = .072, CFI = .99, RMSEAw = .01, RMSEAb = .13). The findings revealed that cultural intelligence was a predictor of cross-cultural adaptability and a multilevel mediator of the model. The direct effect of cultural exposure on cross-cultural adaptability was statistic significant at .05 (beta = 0.88, p < .001) and the indirect effect through cultural intelligence on cross-cultural adaptability was statistically significant at .05 (beta = .60, p < .001). 3) The openness to experience program was composed of 3 dimensionsgeneral living, social, and work opennessand there were 6 activities in the program. Examining the openness to experience program for enhancing the cultural intelligence of nursing students indicated that the mean for the students cultural intelligence for the group participating in the program was higher than the non-participating group at a statistically-significant level of .05 (F (4, 54) = 20.72, p < .001). The effect size of the program on cultural intelligence was .593.