Cultural Intelligence (CQ) is defined as an individual's ability to adapt and function in situations that involve a new cultural context. CQ is considered a useful tool because it can enable an individual to work effectively in multicultural environments. An individual can develop CQ skills through personal experiences such as traveling/studying abroad, working in an established company from a culture different from their own and also studying the many ways people from different cultures operate . CQ has been conceptualized as having these 4 components: metacognitive, cognitive, motivational and behavioral dimensions (Earley & Ang, 2003). They each play a different role in enabling people to adapt effectively to a different cultural context. Their roles are as follows: 1) Metacognitive CQ refers to the mental process in which an individual would use to obtain and understand things in relation to cultures. Those with high metacognitive CQ are quick to question cultural norms and assumptions associated with certain cultures. 2) Cognitive CQ refers to the individual's general knowledge about the norms, practices, and way of life of the other culture. This can be acquired through education or personal experiences such as traveling or working abroad. 3) Motivational CQ refers to the direction of a person's energy toward learning and functioning in situations where cultural differences and cross-cultural contexts are most present and predominant. 4) Behavioral CQ refers to an individual's ability to use appropriate verbal and non-verbal behaviors when presented in a culturally diverse context . They are able to exhibit appropriate words, gestures, tones and actions that are deemed acceptable to the cultures they encounter....... middle of paper ......business. Accessed March 27, 2014, from http://ijms.ut.ac.ir/article_21799_2165.htmlEarley, PC and Ang, S. (2003), “Cultural Intelligence: Individual Interactions Across Cultures”, Palo Alto, CA: Stanford University Press. Montgomery, J. (2011). Teaching cultural intelligence could provide benefits in the job market. Accessed March 26, 2014, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/25/cultural-intelligence-education_n_840660.htmlMaznevski, M. (2008). How cultural intelligence can improve performance. Retrieved March 26, 2014 from http://www.imd.org/research/challenges/TC081-08.cfmO'Reily, C. (2013) Why Cultural Intelligence Matters. Retrieved March 26, 2014 from http://www.trainingzone.co.uk/topic/soft-skills/why-cultuiral-intelligence-important/181942Stevenson, A & Lindberg CA (2010). New Oxford American Dictionary (3rd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press