Abstract Background As engineering work has become increasingly globalized, prior studies have examined the intercultural attitudes and competencies of engineering students and practicing engineers. However, we lack tools to study how engineers engage in global work across industries, roles, and organizational contexts. Purpose The purpose of this study was to develop a tool to measure engineers' interest, confidence, and frequency in performing global work tasks. To this end, we designed the Global Task Performance (GTP) indices, which evaluate four dimensions of engagement in global engineering work. Methods Guided by Social Cognitive Career Theory and the Global Engineering Competency (GEC) framework, we developed and refined items through iterative team discussions, advisory board review, and think‐aloud interviews. We administered the Indices as part of an alumni study at three US institutions. Responses ( N = 1223) were analyzed to collect evidence of the instrument's validity. Results Analyses across the GTP indices provided criterion‐related evidence of validity. Confidence and interest in global task performance were associated with global career exposure, cultural intelligence, and identification as global engineers. GTP frequency (current role and across careers) correlated with global career level and self‐reported GEC. Conclusions Our initial validity evidence supports use of the GTP indices for assessing engineers' level of engagement in global work. These indices can inform research evaluating the career impacts of global education experiences and comparing global engagement across industries, roles, and organizational contexts. Understanding the global engagement of engineers can support data‐informed decision making in workforce development, educational program design, and talent evaluation.
Arinze et al. (Mon,) studied this question.