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Cultural Assessment Tools and How They Compare

The Spectra Assessment may be used alone or in conjunction with other diversity and inclusion or cultural assessments such as the IDI. The benefit of the ‘dual’ assessment is that diversity and inclusion professionals can see the bigger picture in terms of where the organization is on key D&I measures.

The Spectra Assessment enables D&I consultants and other professionals to evaluate both the ‘outer ring’ (Management, Culture as well as the Policies, Practices and Procedures (3Ps) in addition to the ‘inner ring’ of Individual Beliefs and Interpersonal Skills.

Only by looking at both the inner and outer rings is it possible to see the entire D&I picture and understand what strategies may have the greatest impact.

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Using the Spectra Assessment in Conjunction with other Tools

Below is an abbreviated list of a few well-known cultural assessment tools and how they compare to the Spectra Assessment.
Only one checks all the boxes.

Spectra
Assessment
Intercultural
Development
Inventory (IDI)
Cultural
Quotient
Intercultural
Effectiveness
Scale (IES)
Cultural
Values
Assessment (CVA)
Catalyst
Inclusion
Accelerator
Measures the Individual
Measures the Organization      
Statistically Validated  
Individual Level Report  
Group/team Report
Custom sub-categories for data        
Custom open-ended questions      
Train-the-Trainer Facilitation Kit Option
No minimum or maximum # of participants No max / 750 min
  • The Catalyst Inclusion Accelerator and the Cultural Values Assessment (CVA) are cultural assessment tools that measure teams and the organization, but do not measure the individual. You can use the Spectra Assessment to capture an individual assessment because it measures both individuals and organizations.
  • The Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI®), Cultural Quotient (Cultural Intelligence) and the Intercultural Effectiveness Scale (IES) all measure the individual but do not measure the organization. Their “organization” reports are simply roll-ups of all the individual data. Use the Spectra Assessment with these assessments to get a better picture of the organization overall.
  • Some self-assessments require a minimum number of participants, while some require a maximum number. There are no minimums or maximums with the Spectra Assessment, we can work with groups of all sizes.

Using the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI®) with the Spectra Assessment

The IDI is a robust and well-developed self-assessment tool that is often used by our Change Partners in conjunction with the Spectra Assessment. Here is how one D&I consultant used both the IDI and the Spectra Assessment.

A small organization requested one of our Change Partners to implement a diversity and inclusion program. She started by administering a Spectra Assessment organization wide. The Enhanced Data Analysis found that there were issues related to the diversity and inclusion perceptions of Black/African American employees and Management behavior. 

She then administered the IDI with the organization’s managers/executives and followed it with special coaching. Finally, Individual Reports were rolled out in advance of D&I training sessions for all employees.  

Using the Spectra Assessment to uncover racial/ethnic issues and first coaching key stakeholders helped to ensure a successful organization-wide training initiative. The organization also made needed changes in several of its Policies, Practices and Procedures.

Spectra Diversity Assessment Case Studies

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