Antecedents of Cross-Cultural Adaptation Stress in Short-Term International Assignments

This study examines the role of cultural intelligence, perceived language fluency, and number of previous international experiences during a short-term international community service project in a foreign country. Based on a sample of 171 undergraduate and graduate students, the findings suggest that motivational cultural intelligence significantly impacted lowering cross-cultural adaptation stress levels experiences during short-term trips, while perceived language ability significantly increased stress levels. In addition, the control variables of age and gender were also found to significantly impact stress levels. Implications for research and practice are discussed.