The development and initial validation of the Multicultural Readiness Scale

Given the increasingly multicultural nature of the US workforce, organizations need to prepare employees to work effectively in settings where multiple cultures are represented. One way organizations can gauge employees’ level of preparedness for multicultural contexts is through an assessment of their multicultural readiness. I defined multicultural readiness as a set of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that aid in minimizing internal and external discomfort stemming from cultural differences. I conducted three studies to test the substantive, structural, and external validity of the new measure. Sample data included 1, 447 undergraduate students at a large Southwestern Univerity in the USA. Results provided support for a second-order, three-factor model comprising cultural identity, cultural self-efficacy, and cultural empathy. Model fit indices suggested that the second-order 13-item model yielded the best fit to the data. Results provided initial evidence of convergent validity (i.e., cultural intelligence) and divergent validity (i.e., personality, social skill). Additionally, I found that multicultural readiness was a significant predictor of international orientation, but not creativity. Overall, the findings indicated a need for a better understanding of the conceptual dimensions of multicultural readiness. Moreover, the results suggested that the pathway between multicultural readiness and creativity may be more complex. Thus, additional evidence is needed to support the predictive utility of multicultural readiness to important organizational criteria, beyond international orientation.