Measuring Learning and Development in Cross-Cultural Competence

For deployed U.S. military personnel, cross-cultural skills are more important than ever before. Cross-cultural competence is critical to mission success, and specifically, because Soldiers can no longer predict where their next deployments may be, general cross-cultural competence (the ability to immediately adapt and assess in culturally unfamiliar environments to support mission success) is emerging as a critical competency. In the performance of this Phase II SBIR research and development effort, the research team conducted Cognitive Task Analysis methodologies with more than 400 Soldiers to create a developmental model of Army cross-cultural competence. This model describes the development of the knowledge, skills, aptitudes, and abilities that comprise cross-cultural competence in Army small unit leaders. Five unique, but interacting, factors of cross-cultural competence were identified through the research. The resultant model serves as a basis for an assessment methodology that includes self-report measures, situational judgment tests, and cultural vignettes. The model and metrics provided the foundation for the Cross-Cultural Assessment Tool (C-CAT), an online program that assesses an individual Soldier?s cross-cultural competence and provides mission-relevant competence ratings, descriptions of individual strengths/weaknesses and how these can impact mission performance, and suggestions for improvement.