Helping Organizations Unlock the Power of Culture
Trusted by Organizations, Universities, and Governments
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Cultural Differences Exist. How We Navigate Them Matters.
Cultural differences are part of every organization. Leaders, teams, and individuals often do not approach these differences in the same ways.. The IDI identifies how people and groups are currently navigating cultural differences. Having this knowledge makes actionable development possible and gives you the framework for building greater effectiveness and outcomes.
What the IDI Is
Cultural differences are part of every organization. Leaders, teams, and individuals often do not approach these differences in the same ways.. The IDI identifies how people and groups are currently navigating cultural differences. Having this knowledge makes actionable development possible and gives you the framework for building greater effectiveness and outcomes.
What You Can Put to Work
Every IDI project can be tailored to the goals of your team or organization. Once participants complete the IDI, you can choose the approaches that best support what you are trying to achieve.
- Debriefs — A Qualified Administrator facilitates a Debrief as part of the IDI experience, providing an opportunity to understand and discuss the results and connect them to your goals.
- Individual Profiles — Each participant gains insight into their own approach to cultural differences.
- Intercultural Development Plans — Included with each Individual Profile, the IDP provides tailored activities and reflections based on a participant’s IDI results.
- Group Profiles — Provide team, department, or organization-level insight into how the group approaches cultural differences.
Why Teams Love the IDI
- Cultural Competence You Can Actually MeasureThe IDI provides a validated measure of how people approach cultural difference, so you can establish a baseline and track development from there.
- A Framework for DevelopmentThe IDI does not sort anyone into a type, and it does not tell people whether they are good or bad at working with others. It identifies an individual’s or group’s current approach to cultural differences and what opportunities they have to develop further.
- Backed by ResearchThe IDI has been rigorously validated in large-scale studies and shown to be applicable regardless of a person’s cultural background. It has been cited in more than 100 academic publications, with new research added every year.
- Works for Teams of All Sizes and ScaleWhether you’re working with one team, multiple teams, or an entire organization, the same framework and measure provides clear data and information that can guide next steps
Getting Started: From First Conversation to Measurable Development
- Tell Us About Your GoalsStart with a conversation with us about what you want to accomplish. From preparing students for study abroad, developing leadership cohorts, strengthening intercultural learning across a campus, or building capability across an organization, we can help you determine how best to use the IDI.
- Become a Qualified Administrator or Connect with OneYou or someone on your team attends the IDI Qualifying Seminar to become licensed to administer the IDI, interpret results within the IDI framework, and facilitate Debriefs. Or, you can partner with a QA to provide these services for you.
- Administer the IDIParticipants complete the assessment online in about 15 to 20 minutes. The Qualified Administrator shares and explains the results through Individual and Group Debriefs.
- Support Ongoing DevelopmentThe IDI provides a starting point for individual, team, and organizational development. Individuals can use their Intercultural Development Plans to put new strategies into practice, while teams and organizations can use IDI results for broader learning and development initiatives. The IDI can be administered again to track changes over time.
Where the IDI Comes From
The IDI was developed to answer a fundamental question: How do individuals experience and make sense of cultural differences? Rather than focusing on what people know about any particular culture, the IDI explores the ways people approach cultural differences themselves.
This distinction remains central to the IDI today. Cultural knowledge can help us understand others, but knowing about culture does not necessarily tell us how we will respond when we encounter cultural differences. The IDI focuses on these perspectives, providing insight into an individual’s or group’s approach and a proven framework for development.
- 1,000,000+people assessed
- 4,000+organizations and institutions
- 100+academic publications
The Intercultural Development Continuum
The Intercultural Development Continuum (IDC) is the model and theory that provides the foundation for IDI results. It describes how individuals and groups can develop a deeper understanding of cultural differences and build the skills to navigate them more effectively.
Denial · Polarization · Minimization · Acceptance · Adaptation
What Organizations See After Administering the IDI
- A clear read on strengths and challenges. Organizations see where their teams and individuals are strongest and where the greatest challenges sit, which makes for better decisions about where to put time and budget.
- Better relationships across difference. Higher IDI results predict higher quality interactions with managers as rated by their own staff, and greater recognition and appreciation of differences.
- Stronger team dynamics. Engagement with the IDI is associated with stronger team dynamics, more curiosity about differences, and greater satisfaction with cross-cultural relationships.
- A shared framework that continues beyond the program. Teams develop a common language and framework for understanding cultural differences that can continue to inform how they work together.
- Development that can be measured over time. The IDI can be used as a baseline for goals, projects, and initiatives and then administered again later so growth is measured rather than assumed.
How Organizations Use the IDI
- Academicacademic publications
- Non-profitorganizations and institutions
- Corporateacademic publications
Who Uses the IDI
How the IDI gets used depends on who you are and what you are working toward.
Start where you are.
Universities and SchoolsIntercultural learning for students, faculty, and staff. Support for international and globally focused programs, with development you can assess over time.
Agencies and Mission-Driven OrganizationsA validated framework that stands up to public scrutiny, with participant confidentiality protected throughout.
Companies and EnterprisesLeadership development, team effectiveness, and a defensible way to measure capability across many teams at once.
Individuals, Coaches, and ConsultantsBuild awareness of your own approach to cultural difference, set development goals, or bring the IDI into the coaching and professional development work you already do.
Join the QA Community
Qualified Administrators come from a wide range of fields, including education, student affairs, nonprofit leadership, consulting, coaching, training, and HR and learning. What brings them together is a commitment to helping individuals and organizations develop greater effectiveness in engaging across cultural differences.
What You Gain by Becoming an IDI QA
A globally recognized certification
The IDI is used worldwide across education, corporate, non-profit, and government sectors
The ability to administer the IDI
Use the IDI with individuals and groups as part of your professional, educational, consulting, or organizational work.
Training in the IDI framework
Learn how to interpret IDI results and facilitate Individual and Group Debriefs.
A credential you can take with you
Your QA status stays with you even if you change positions or organizations and does not require ongoing fees to remain active.
Ongoing support from the IDI office
Get dedicated support for your IDI work at no additional cost.
Resources to support your practice
Access the IDI Help Center, including 200+ articles, recorded webinars, and QA-only resources.
A community of Qualified Administrators
Connect with other professionals using the IDI.
Not Ready to Attend the Qualifying Seminar? Work With a QA.
Resources
Research & Publications
The academic work behind the IDI and the validity story in plain language.
Help Center
200+ articles, recorded webinars, and resources on the assessment, the platform, and administration.
Articles & Insights
Where we answer the questions people actually ask about culture and intercultural development.
Questions We Hear Most
How is the IDI different from other assessments?
Most tools sort people into a type and stop there. The IDI identifies the orientation a person or group is using to make sense of cultural difference, then provides a framework for developing beyond it.
Can the IDI be used for hiring or promotion decisions?
No. The IDI is developmental. It does not tell you whether someone is good or bad at working with others, and cannot be usedto decide who gets hired, promoted, or let go.
Do I need a Qualified Administrator?
Yes. Only a Qualified Administrator can administer the IDI, interpret results within the IDI framework, and facilitate Debriefs. Organizations can train their own staff as QAs or hire one. .If you are an individual interested in taking the IDI, contact our office.
How long does the assessment take?
Most people finish in 15 to 20 minutes online.
Is the IDI specific to certain cultures?
No. The IDI is a culture-general measure, appropriate for anyone regardless of cultural background. It does not ask you about specific cultural groups. You respond by considering your own culture or cultures in relation to others.
What do you mean by culture?
Culture refers to the groups and communities we are part of that shape how we view, understand, and experience the world. These may include groups connected to our national or ethnic background, as well as our region, gender, ability, religion, socioeconomic status, and many other aspects of our lives.
What does the IDI measure?
How a person or group makes sense of and responds to cultural differences. It is not a measure of how capable someone is in general, and it is not a test of how much cultural knowledge someone has.
Also From Our Team: The Intercultural Conflict Style Inventory
Love the IDI? The ICS is the companion piece. Where the IDI measures how people approach cultural difference, the ICS looks at how they handle disagreement and conflict across it. It works alongside the IDI or on its own, and it needs no administrator training.
