Examining Factors in Cross-Cultural Competence Development in Taiwan College Students

The recent large-scale movement of people across the globe has triggered many cross-cultural opportunities that were quite rare in the past, but now occur almost every day. However, these cross-cultural opportunities have also introduced a variety of cultural tensions and visible exclusionary practices, which are of serious concern. The summation of these opportunities and phenomena has resulted in a greater demand for cross-cultural competence (CCC) of individuals living in a diversified global community. In Taiwan, within recent years, there has been a significant influx of international students and in effect, this increase has gradually transformed the university campus into a more diversified community. In order to promote cross-cultural exchange and a mutual understanding between the growing number of international students and local college students, it is important to develop their cross-cultural competence early in their college lives. Consequently, this paper details an empirical study on the mediating effects of social factors on the development of a local college student’s cross-cultural competence, including the school climate, family and home, peers, personal value system, and traditions. Using a modified CCC scale developed by Chen and Ching (2012), a total of 933 valid responses were gathered and analyzed. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze and develop a model of relationships among the social factors. Results show that student exposure to a cross-culturally tolerant environment has greatly enhanced their cross-cultural competence. In addition, the SEM results have also shown a significant path from student school climate, individual perspective (personal value system and traditions), and cross-cultural competence. In conclusion, in order for Taiwan college students to become better equipped with adequate cross-cultural skills, additional interventions and opportunities should be encouraged.