An Assessment Of Bias And Fairness Of The Culture Assessment Instrument

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the bias and fairness of the Culture Assessment Instrument (CAI), that is, to assess whether the mean culture scores of different groups (race, gender, age and language) discriminate on a total score and an item level. The sample consisted of 4066 respondents from five different companies, originating from various industries. The scores of the 56 CAI-items were factor analysed on two levels, followed by an iterative item analyses. Significant differences between race and language mean scores were identified on a total score and item level. Where differences on an item level were detected, such item-wordings were scrutinized to ensure that they were fair, non-prejudiced and not stereotyping any group. Based on these findings, it was concluded that the CAI in its current form is not biased against any particular group and is therefore fair. OpsommingDie doel van hierdie studie was om die sydigheid en billikheid van die Culture Assessment Instrument (CAI) te ondersoek, dit is om te bepaal of gemiddelde kultuurtellings van verskillende groepe (ras, geslag, ouderdom en taal) diskrimineer op ’n totaaltelling en itemvlak. Die steekproef het bestaan uit 4066 respondente uit vyf verskillende organisasies, afkomstig uit verskillende bedrywe. Die tellings van die 56 CAI-items is op twee vlakke gefaktoranaliseer, gevolg deur ’n iteratiewe itemontleding. Beduidende verskille tussen gemiddelde tellings van rasen taalgroepe is identifiseer, maar slegs ’n klein proporsie van die variansie kon aan kultuurverskille toegeskryf word. In gevalle waar verskille op itemvlak geïdentifiseer is, is sulke item-bewoordings ondersoek vir billikheid, bevooroordeling en die nie-stereotipering van enige groep. Gebaseer op hierdie bevindinge, is daar tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat die CAI in sy huidige vorm nie sydig teenoor enige groep is nie en gevolglik billik is.