A robust scientific foundation that put theory into practice, at scale
IDI’s scientific foundation, encompassing development psychology, action research, cognitive psychology, behaviorism and social psychology, provides a comprehensive framework for nurturing social intelligence in the workplace.
In essence, IDI’s scientific grounding ensures that our development platform is not merely a collection of tools but a structured approach to cultivating social intelligence that is grounded in rigorous research and inductive-based approach. This foundation enables IDI to effectively support individuals, groups and organizations in enhancing their social interactions.
Nurturing Social Intelligence
In today’s dynamic and interconnected workplace, the ability to navigate interpersonal relationships effectively is paramount to success. Social intelligence (SI) plays a crucial role in fostering positive work relationships, building rapport, and achieving organizational goals.
We define social intelligence as a set of interpersonal dynamic skills that everyone can learn. IDI provides insights without value judgments, emphasizing neutral descriptive data over subjective prescriptiveness. Recognizing that different skills may suit varying contexts, IDI does not label any tendencies as inherently “good” or “bad.” Building on this, users can feel confident that IDI supports interpersonal development and contextual flexibility.
Development psychology
Developmental psychology is the scientific study of how and why individuals change and develop across their lifespan. It focuses on various aspects of development, including cognitive, social, and emotional changes.
Development psychology, and especially Robert Kegans Constructive Developmental Theory, plays a key role in shaping the scientific foundation of IDI enriching the platform with insights into human growth, maturation, and the intricate interplay between cognitive, emotional, and social development. IDI’s context-driven methodology promotes social interactions as a catalyst for cognitive growth, fostering a collaborative environment that enhances social intelligence through shared experiences and knowledge exchange.
Action Research: A Catalyst in IDI Platform
IDI adheres to the principles of action research (by among others Kurt Lewin, Chris Argyris and Donald Schön), a cyclical process of action, reflection, and adaptation to drive continuous improvement. This process mirrors IDI’s approach to empowers individuals to take an active role in their SI development, identifying areas for growth and implementing strategies to enhance their interpersonal skills.
Cognitive psychology
Cognitive psychology delves into the mental processes that underpin human behavior, including perception, attention, memory, language, problem-solving, and decision-making. These cognitive faculties form the very foundation of social intelligence, allowing individuals to accurately perceive and interpret others’ intentions, emotions, and behaviors.
IDI’s approach aligns with this perspective, emphasizing the importance of self-awareness, the ability to decipher social cues, and the skill to adapt one’s communication and behavior accordingly. Our platform is deeply rooted in principles of cognitive psychology, particularly the work of Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky.
Kahneman’s groundbreaking research unveiled the dual systems that govern human thought processes. IDI seamlessly integrates these insights by fostering an environment that nurtures both intuitive, fast thinking and deliberate, slow thinking. In a work context, this dual-system approach becomes invaluable, allowing individuals to navigate the complex landscape of social interactions with heightened awareness and adaptive responses.
Behavioral research
Behaviorism is a psychological theory and approach that emphasizes the role of environmental factors in shaping behavior. Drawing inspiration from behaviorism, IDI recognizes the significance of environment in playing a crucial role in shaping behavior.
By focusing on the behaviors exhibited in the workplace context, IDI provides individuals with tangible insights into their actions and their impact on others. This behavior-centric approach enables targeted interventions for improving social intelligence.
Social psychology
Social psychology explores the social forces that shape human behavior and interactions. It explores the ways in which people’s thoughts, emotions, and behaviors are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others.
At the core of IDI is a profound understanding of social psychology, unraveling the intricacies of human behavior within organizational settings. IDI incorporates theories of group dynamics, social influence, interpersonal relationships, work and organizational psychology, allowing individuals to gain a deeper awareness of the social fabric in which they operate.
Integrating Scientific Principles
By combining these perspectives we create a holistic and practical framework for addressing real-world issues by considering psychological factors, social dynamics and observable behaviors in the design and implementation of our platform. This enables IDI to empower individuals, teams and organizations to notably enhance their self and other awareness, their ability to act, reflect and change perspective, leading to more effective communication and collaboration.
Our research process
Conducting an inductive research to measure interpersonal skills involves a systematic process of identifying and refining the key dimensions of interpersonal skills based on observations and data analysis.
We adapt these steps to fit the specific requirements and goals of our research.
- Scope and Objectives
- Literature Review
- Theoretical Framework
- Variables and Constructs
- Key Dimensions
- Measurement Tools
- Coding Scheme
- Collect Qualitative Data
- Data Analysis
- Refine the Measurements
- Validity and Reliability Studies
- Theory Development
- Interpretation and Conclusion
- Technical report
Because inductive research is exploratory, we are able to develop new theories and perspectives based on our long experience of interpersonell research in the workplace.
This is an area we are more than happy to discuss in breadth and depth.
If interested, we are happy to share our insights and reports with you (technical reports, validity and reliability, etc.)
Contact us
A robust scientific basis that enables a structured approach to cultivating social intelligence in the workplace.
Our platform
Learn about our platform an how it enables continuous growth by providing individuals with tangible insights into their actions and their impact on others.
About IDI
Read about the company and more on our unique outside-in approach to people development.
Built for everyone in your organization
An holistic approach to people development that enables an aligned organizational culture.
Individuals
IDI helps individuals increase awareness of themselves and others, and enhances their ability to act, reflect, and adjust perspective.
Leaders
IDI enables leaders develop a more conscious leadership that transforms individual potential into committed collective performance.
Teams and groups
IDI enable teams to have conversations with a value-neutral common language and increase awareness of the groups interpersonal dynamic.
Organization
IDI help organisations understand the composition of the interpersonal culture of the workforce, enabling organizational consciousness.