Is intercultural competence acquired through international experience?
Intercultural competence is difficult to measure, and little is known about the factors that contribute to its development. This study presents a multidimensional conceptualization of intercultural competence, including personality traits and knowledge. A survey of 443 people from 27 countries and with varying levels of international experience shows that people with more international experience do also have a higher level intercultural competence. However, the effect is small, only 5 %. International experience can therefore not be used as a “proxy” for intercultural competence. The results also show that, when considering the different types and durations of international experience, travelling abroad, as a threshold level of experience, plays an important role for the development of intercultural competence.