Relationship Between Oncology Nurses’ Perception of Hospital Intellectual Capital and Their Cultural Competency

Abstract

The purpose of this quantitative, correlational research was to determine if and to what extent oncology nurses’ perceptions of hospital intellectual capital correlate with their cultural competency and its two components, cultural awareness and sensitivity and cultural competence behaviors, in the United States. The theoretical foundations were intellectual capital theory and cultural competency theory, which consist of three theoretical components: cultural awareness and sensitivity, cultural diversity, and cultural competency behaviors. The first research question addressed the relationship between perceived intellectual capital and cultural competency. The second research question addressed the relationship between perceived intellectual capital and cultural awareness and sensitivity. The third research question addressed the relationship between perceived intellectual capital and cultural competence behaviors. The researcher collected primary data from a SurveyMonkey panel of 146 oncology nurses using two validated survey instruments: The Knowledge Management for Hospital Professionals Questionnaire and the Cultural Competency Assessment Questionnaire. Pearson’s correlation results demonstrated statistically significant relationships between perceived hospital intellectual capital and cultural competency [r (144) = .457, p < .001], perceived hospital intellectual capital and cultural awareness and sensitivity [r (144) = .290, p < .001], and perceived hospital intellectual capital and cultural competence behaviors [r (143) = .435, p < .001]. These empirical findings justify further examination of the degree of relationship between perceived hospital intellectual capital and cultural competency within a diverse healthcare industry.