Test Adaptation and Cross-Cultural Assessment From a Business Perspective: Issues and Recommendations

Test adaptation and cross-cultural assessment activities are skyrocketing as the demand for educational opportunities and personnel selection grow both within the United States and across the industrializing world. We chose a qualitative, case study approach to identify central themes encountered by ACT, a not-for-profit organization that has accumulated considerable experience in cross-cultural assessment and test adaptation. Based on 16 projects and 28 interviews, we present a cross-cultural assessment guide within the context of how business administration, marketing, and research and technical issues interplay. It is apparent that business expectations and cultural differences in client groups have an important influence on technical and research decisions during the test adaptation and validation processes of testing institutions. Recommendations for future research regarding this interplay of issues are discussed.