Popular questionnaire 
 

• Developed by Bjørn Z. Ekelund in Human Factors AS, since 1998.
• Normed and validated in 2004-5.
• Explosive growing interest the last years from all parts of the world
• Now available in 19 languages.

 

29. Jan. 2009 Bjørn Z. Ekelund was awarded the prize: “Consultant of the year 2008” for his international breakthrough with the instrument “Diversity Icebreaker”.

 

• The test is easy to use and a more positive alternative to Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), TMP and Belbin Team Roles.

• The tool creates a safe psychological climate to share ideas of differences between people, cultures and organizational units.

 

 

The 3 dimensions of Red, Blue and Green can be linked pedagogically to different objectives:

 

• Personality differences

• Team roles

• Preferred communication styles

• Categorization of self and others, prejudices

• In-group and out-group processes

• Taking social positions in opposition to others

• Different contributions in different stages of business processes

• Creating a psychologically safe climate of openness and learning

• Not least, collective reflection regarding language used in groups and organisations (Argyris level I, II and III).

 

Participants answer the questionnaire and score the results themselves in about 10-12 minutes. It is perfect for use in seminars. Normally consultants use between 1 and 3 hours with a group to introduce the questionnaire and create shared understanding of the concepts and how they can be relevant for the participants and the organisation.

 

 

It is most often used in:

 

• Training of relevance for team, projects, communication and negotiations

• Starting off seminars where openness, feedback and learning is important

• Before learning groups are established in personal development programs

• Cross-cultural training

The group exercises used in conjunction with Diversity Icebreaker promotes openness and a learning mode. They become shared concepts for understanding individual differences and promote self-correcting group processes. 
 

 

 

 

About Human Factors AS

Human Factors AS in Norway has been working with diversity in teams and organizations since its establishment in 1993. Psychological tools and measurements linked to organizational behavior have been one of the main focus areas. Almost 1000 consultants in different countries have been trained by Human Factors in different concepts. Human Factors has sister companies in England and Russia. A wide international network of academics and scholars in the field of cross-cultural management has practice based innovation. Diversity Icebreaker is the most successful concept in the history of Human Factors Norway. 

 

 

 

Student Awards

15th. January 2009 Human Factors has awarded Phd Student, Rotem Shneor, the Diversity Icebreaker Student award. This award is given to students that have contributed through their work to increased academic knowledge and practical use of Diversity Icebreaker. Rotem Shneor has been co-author on two of the chapters in the first Diversity Icebreaker book. He has gathered data in order to building norms and he has shared his PhD knowledge on internet enabled internationalization.  The award is 10 000 NOK (about 1300 US dollars). 

 

People central for Diversity Icebreaker

Bjørn Z. Ekelund is the founder of the Diversity Icebreaker concept and has since 1995 worked actively with the scientific research concerning the test as well as having developing it from a practical aspect. Consultants at Human Factors who have contributed to the development of the test: Trond Ivar Hegge in relation to statistical development and segmentation analysis in 1997-8, Kari Jørstad as co-author in 2001 when the concept was presented in a book for the first time, Joy Buikema Fjærtoft in designing seminars and training materials in 2003-6, Eva Langvik in building up scientific documentation and writing articles during 2004-7 and Rotem Shneor in marketing analysis of the concept and positioning of the DI in a global internet strategy.


 

CSR practice in Human Factors AS

10 % of the turnover of Diversity Icebreaker is based on royalties. Half of this sum will be given to a global NGO (non governmental organization) based upon nominations from buyers of the concept.
The gift for 2007 was given to Amnesty International.

The gift for 2008 was given to Combatants for Peace.

If you have suggestions for organizations to be chosen for 2009, please mail bze@human-factors.no. 


 

Local excellence representatives  

Experienced local consultants in different parts of the world, who have contributed to the ongoing learning processes concerning the Diversity Icebreaker, can receive the title “Local Excellence Representatives”. We hope that the Diversity Icebreaker will bring both professional and commercial success to consultants internationally. On our website our aim is to share a variety of ideas round current practice involving the use of the Diversity Icebreaker as well as results from different research projects.