Cultural Intelligence in Global Educational Leadership: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Globalization in education has heightened the complexity of educational leadership in multicultural contexts, requiring educational leaders to possess cross-cultural adaptive capabilities. One key competency gaining increasing attention is cultural intelligence. However, empirical and conceptual studies on cultural intelligence in global educational leadership remain scattered and lack comprehensive synthesis. This study aims to analyze and synthesize research findings on the role of cultural intelligence in global educational leadership through a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) approach.Literature searches were conducted in reputable international databases, including Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, and Google Scholar, covering publications from 2010 to 2026. Articles meeting inclusion criteria were analyzed using thematic analysis guided by PRISMA guidelines. The review findings indicate that cultural intelligence plays a significant role in enhancing educational leadership effectiveness, particularly in implementing culturally responsive leadership, managing diversity, strengthening organizational culture, and improving teacher performance and student academic adaptation.Nevertheless, existing literature still shows fragmentation in studies and a tendency to position cultural intelligence as an individual attribute rather than an integrated leadership capability within global education systems. The novelty of this research lies in positioning cultural intelligence as a core competency of global educational leadership and developing a conceptual synthesis that integrates findings across contexts and regions. This study is expected to enrich the theoretical foundation of global educational leadership and provide practical implications for policy development and programs preparing culturally intelligent educational leaders.