The Intercultural Conflict Style Inventory (ICS) is always a revelation to students and they later report that they were able to use their personal insights about their own style not only immediately on campus, but that it proved a very practical tool during their overseas study abroad experience as well.  Students tell us that the knowledge gained through this . . .  inventory opens their minds to alternative conflict styles, offers new ways to deal with stressful situations and frequently changed their behavior from an ‘automatic’ reaction to a more thoughtful, and appropriate, response to encountering conflict.

Dr. Bruce La Brack, Professor Emeritus, University of the Pacific

In my 40 years of cross cultural consulting and training, the Intercultural Conflict Style Inventory Assessment has become one of my most valued tools.  It is easy to administer and score, and the implications of conflict style differences are quickly obvious to participants. This insight immediately reduces defensiveness and allows individuals to engage in cultural learning and dialogues that could otherwise be fraught with defensiveness. 

Donna M. Stringer, Ph.D., Cross-cultural consultant

[The Intercultural Conflict Style Inventory (ICS)] measures one's conflict style in a cross-culturally valid manner. Since the ICS is about conflict, it is inherently about communication with people of different styles and backgrounds. This is a core link to diversity and cultural difference. It is effective in "domestic" and "international" or cross-border applications as a team development instrument and to help individuals become more culturally competent leaders of or participants in diverse organizations.

Peter Bye, Principal, MBD Group

The ICS plays a key role in IOR’s group management trainings, introducing the segment on intercultural communication. We use it not only to illustrate the dimensions of directness and emotional expression, in order to help the training group differentiate itself and the target culture, but to help the team members recognize and accept the differences in the room.

Doug Stuart, Director of Intercultural Training & Development, IOR Global Services

What Other People say about the Intercultural Conflict Style Inventory (ICS):

• “This incredibly clever Inventory opens up hidden cultural assumptions about how people handle conflict. It will alert you to your personal conflict style as well as styles different from your own.”

• “Face it—we live with conflict everyday! We need to understand style differences so that we can communicate effectively, not be stymied by them”

• “Fantastic! I want to use it for my cross-cultural training sessions and team building”

• Great tool to put conflict into a whole different perspective”

• "I really appreciated the content! I've never thought of these concepts or in this mindset before.

• I feel like I've gained a greater awareness and better understanding of others."

• "Very useful -- not a topic that I've had much exposure to in all the management/leadership training that I've experienced."

• "Fantastic! I want to use it for my cross-cultural training sessions and teambuilding."Learning my own style enables me to analyze my co-workers."

• "Provides a framework for understanding cultural differences."

• "The ICS inventory is fascinating, easy to understand and simple to administer."