Email this article 
Hide
Show all
Original Research
The management of the international student experience in the South African context: The role of sociocultural adaptation and cultural intelligence
Submitted: 02 April 2017 | Published: 29 January 2018
About the author(s)
Thabang M. Mokhothu, School of Economic and Business Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, South AfricaChris W. Callaghan, School of Economic and Business Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
Abstract
Research purpose: The aim of the research was to investigate the contribution of cultural intelligence to sociocultural adaptation and the role of cultural intelligence as a mediator of the relationship between sociocultural adaptation and academic performance of international students in the context of a large South African university.
Motivation of the study: The study was motivated by a lack of knowledge of the role of cultural intelligence in its contribution to sociocultural adaptation and academic performance of international students in the current South African academic context. This lack of knowledge was taken to be a problem for managers in the higher education context.
Research design, approach and method: A purposive sample of 263 international students from a large South African university was analysed using confirmatory factor analysis and multiple linear regression analysis.
Main findings: Unlike metacognitive, cognitive and behavioural cultural intelligences, only motivational cultural intelligence, together with sociocultural adaptation, was found to be significantly and positively associated with academic performance.
Practical and managerial implications: Given that motivational cultural intelligence reflects the interest and motivation of an individual to learn about and adapt to other cultures, university managers should seek to cultivate motivational cultural intelligence through university activities, as this orientation can be developed in sojourners.
Contribution or value-add: The results of this study contest broader predictions that all cultural intelligence orientations act equally to enable academic performance in this context.
Keywords
Metrics
Total abstract views: 5515Total article views: 8032
Crossref Citations
1. Academic Adaptation of International Students in China: Evidence from the Grounded Theory and Structure Equation Model
Junqi Zhu, Mengdi Gu, Li Yang, Shoukui Xun, Ming Wan, Jie Li
Sustainability vol: 15 issue: 1 first page: 692 year: 2022
doi: 10.3390/su15010692
2. International nursing students' culture shock and academic engagement: The moderating role of resilience
Maha Gamal Ramadan Asal, Mohamed Hussein Ramadan Atta, Ayman Mohamed El-Ashry, Abdelaziz Hendy, Mohamed Ebrahim Abdelkader Kheder, Ahmed Zaher Mohamed, Ahmed Abdelwahab Ibrahim El-Sayed
Nurse Education Today vol: 145 first page: 106499 year: 2025
doi: 10.1016/j.nedt.2024.106499
3. Internationalisation at a Distance and at Home: Academic and social adjustment in a South African distance learning context
Jenna Mittelmeier, Bart Rienties, Jekaterina Rogaten, Ashley Gunter, Parvati Raghuram
International Journal of Intercultural Relations vol: 72 first page: 1 year: 2019
doi: 10.1016/j.ijintrel.2019.06.001
4. How formal and informal intercultural contacts in universities influence students’ cultural intelligence?
Xue Lin, Geoffrey Q. P. Shen
Asia Pacific Education Review vol: 21 issue: 2 first page: 245 year: 2020
doi: 10.1007/s12564-019-09615-y
5. WhatsAppuse among African international distance education (IDE) students: transferring, translating and transforming educational experiences
Clare Madge, Markus Roos Breines, Mwazvita Tapiwa Beatrice Dalu, Ashley Gunter, Jenna Mittelmeier, Paul Prinsloo, Parvati Raghuram
Learning, Media and Technology vol: 44 issue: 3 first page: 267 year: 2019
doi: 10.1080/17439884.2019.1628048
6. Cross-cultural adaptation for international nursing students from the Belt and Road Initiative in China: A follow-up survey study
Haiyan Sun, Suqin Liu, Ayano Nagai, Lingling Guo, Yin Lű
Heliyon vol: 9 issue: 11 first page: e21898 year: 2023
doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e21898
7. Social adjustment of online learners in a multicultural environment (Ajuste social de los estudiantes de un programa en línea en un entorno multicultural)
Gulnar Khazhgaliyeva, Alena Gura, Olga Eremeeva, Ekaterina Belyaeva
Culture and Education vol: 35 issue: 2 first page: 309 year: 2023
doi: 10.1080/11356405.2023.2177007
8. Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, and Information System User Experience: A Comprehensive Approach to Cross-cultural Adaptation in Educational Management of International Students
Lin Lin, Zhanguo Su
Journal of Information Systems Engineering and Management vol: 9 issue: 3 first page: 24484 year: 2024
doi: 10.55267/iadt.07.14985
9. Beyond borders: The effects of perceived cultural distance, cultural intelligence, cross-cultural adaptation on academic performance among international students of higher education
Lingjie Tang, Chang’an Zhang, Yu Cui
International Journal of Intercultural Relations vol: 103 first page: 102083 year: 2024
doi: 10.1016/j.ijintrel.2024.102083
10. Expatriate academics’ adjustment experience at a higher education institution in South Africa
Annelize Van Niekerk, Moleen Mhlanga
Acta Commercii vol: 24 issue: 1 year: 2024
doi: 10.4102/ac.v24i1.1210
11. دور الذكاء الثقافي وأساليب التكيف في مستوى المشكلات التي يواجهها الطلبة العمانيون المبتعثون
مروة الراجحي
مجلة جامعة الشارقة للعلوم الانسانية والاجتماعية vol: 20 issue: 1 year: 2023
doi: 10.36394/jhss/20/1/7
12. A Systematic Literature Review of Challenges Experienced by International Postgraduate Students and Implications for Supervisory Practice at South African Universities
Manduth Ramchander
Africa Education Review vol: 18 issue: 1-2 first page: 99 year: 2021
doi: 10.1080/18146627.2022.2070507
13. A systematic review of personal and situational factors associated with intercultural adaptation of international students: Unravelling the resources and demands
Werede Tareke Gebregergis, Csilla Csukonyi
International Journal of Intercultural Relations vol: 108 first page: 102252 year: 2025
doi: 10.1016/j.ijintrel.2025.102252