Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI)
The Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) is a powerful assessment tool to help individuals and teams assess and reflect on stages of cultural sensitivity. The (IDI) was developed by Dr. Mitchell Hammer and Dr. Milton Bennett as an empirical measurement of intercultural sensitivity as conceptualized by Bennnett’s Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (DMIS).
The DMIS has been used extensively in intercultural education and training since 1986 as a framework for explaining the reactions of people to cultural difference. The DMIS identifies a set of cognitive structures (or “worldviews”) that act as orientations to cultural difference which move along a developmental scale from stages of ethnocentrism through stages of ethnorelativism. The IDI is a valid, reliable tool to measure an individual’s (or group’s) fundamental worldview orientation to cultural difference according to the DMIS stages.
What is the IDI?
• A theory-based (not opinion-based) inventory which meets standard scientific criteria for a valid and reliable psychometric instrument.
• A 50 item questionnaire available in 12 languages.
• The IDI is currently being used by over 1,200 Qualified Administrators in over 25 countries.
Why use the IDI?
• To assess cross-cultural competencies for teams or individuals working in cross-cultural situations.
• To understand and identify developmental stages of clients or partners.
• To encourage reflection and strategizing for multicultural teams.
• To determine areas that facilitate, or limit, cross-cultural competence for teams or individuals.
• To increase self-awareness of intercultural competencies and encourage further development.
• To establish a language and conceptual framework for discussing intercultural interactions.
What is the purpose of the IDI?
The IDI can help respondents to:
• Understand the developmental stages of intercultural sensitivity through which people move towards greater intercultural effectiveness.
• Increase self-awareness for each individual respondent and identify issues that may be impeding development.
• Increase organization-level understanding of intercultural issues.
• Determine training and educational needs.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of training, counselling and education endeavours.
• Improve the intercultural skills of respondents.
• Prepare to enter a new culture, such as a multinational environment, a new country, or a domestic situation with cultural diversity.
• Identify training and education needs of client populations
How does it work?
• Participants complete a confidential (password accessed) online inventory.
• A Qualified IDI Administrator creates a graphic profile (for a group or individuals).
• IDI Administrator explains stages of the Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (DMIS) which is the theoretical base of the instrument.
• IDI Administrator provides graphic profile and interpretation.
• Teams or individuals reflect on results of inventory, strategize for further development and achieve greater understanding of reactions to cultural difference.
How much does it cost? (time and money)
• Completion of the online inventory approximately 25 minutes.
• Information session and profile interpretation approximately 1.5 -2 hours.
• Individual profile interpretation 20-30 minutes. (Optional)
Fees:
• Fees for IDI Assessment and Inventory: $100.00 per person
• Special Rates for TRU faculty, staff, students: $25.00
• For first 100 TRU participants fall 2008 and winter 2009: Fee waiver
What are people saying about the IDI?
“Completing the IDI, provided an opportunity for me to deeply examine my views about cultural diversity and provided me with avenues to explore my own development of cultural sensitivity.”
- Penny Heaslip, Coordinator, Centre for Teaching and Learning.
“Since completing the IDI I try to ask myself ‘does the other person see things the way I do, and is there common ground where we can meet.’"
- Nancy Bepple, Career Education Department
"I was surprised by some parts of my results. It seems as if I have to find a better balance between my firm belief in the oneness of humanity and the weight I give to people's differences."
- Gail Morong, Instructional Development Research Group
“The IDI is an excellent tool to identify one’s strengths and weaknesses and how to enhance and build on cross-cultural skills.”
- Karie Russell, Coordinator, International Student Activity Program
“By having language to describe different understanding of cultural sensitivity and knowing, I have been able to reflect better on myself within my culture and how I may be perceived by others. It has opened me to a powerful skill set that has become part of my life.”
- Emma Bourassa, ESL Department