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IDI Developmental Levels


The IDI describes a set of knowledge/attitude/skill sets or orientations toward cultural difference and commonality that are arrayed along a continuum from the more monocultural mindsets of Denial and Polarization through the transitional orientation of Minimization to the intercultural or global mindsets of Acceptance and Adaptation.  The capability of deeply shifting cultural perspective and bridging behavior across cultural differences is most fully achieved when one maintains as Adaptation perspective.  The continuum is adapted from the Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity originally proposed by Milton Bennett.


A Denial mindset reflects a more limited capability for understanding and appropriately responding to cultural differences in values, beliefs, perceptions, emotional responses, and behaviors.  Denial consists of a Disinterest in other cultures and a more active Avoidance of cultural differences.  Individuals with a Denial orientation often do not see differences in perceptions and behaviors as “cultural”.  A Denial orientation is characteristic of individuals who have limited experience with other cultural groups and therefore tend to operate with broad stereotypes and generations about the cultural “other”.  Those at Denial may also maintain a distance from other cultural groups and express little interest in learning about the cultural values and practices of diverse communities.  This orientation tends to be associated more with members of a dominant culture as well as members of nondominant groups who are relatively isolated from mainstream society because both may have more opportunity to remain relatively isolated from cultural diversity.  Be contrast, members of non-dominant groups who are more actively engaged within the larger, mainstream society are less likely to maintain a Denial orientation, because they more often need to engage cultural differences.  When Denial is present in the workplace, cultural diversity oftentimes feels “ignored”.


Polarization is an evaluative mindset that views cultural differences from an “us verses them” perspective, Polarization can take the form of Defense (“My cultural practices are superior to other cultural practices”) or Reversal (“Other cultures are better than mine”).  Within Defense, cultural differences are often seen as divisive and threatening to one’s own “way of doing things”. Reversal is a mindset that values and may idealize other cultural practice while denigrating one’s own cultural group.  Reversal my also support the “cause” of an oppressed group, but this is done with little knowledge of what the “cause” means to people from the oppressed community.  When Polarization is present in an organization, diversity typically feels “uncomfortable”.


Minimalization is a transitional mindset between the more Monocultural orientations of Denial and Polarization and the more Intercultural/Global worldviews of Acceptance and Adaptation.  Minimalization highlights commonalities in both human Similarity (basic needs) and Universalism (universal values and principals) that can mask a deeper understanding of cultural differences.  Minimization can take one of two forms: (a) the highlighting of commonalities due to limited cultural self-understanding, which is more commonly experienced by dominant group members within a cultural community; or (b) the highlighting of commonalities as a strategy for navigating the values and practices largely determined by the dominant culture group, which is more often experienced by non-dominant group members within a larger cultural community.  This latter strategy can have survival value for non-dominant culture members and often takes the form of “go along to get along.”  When Minimalization exists in organizations, diversity often feels “not heard.”



