Scale Description

The Influence Tactics Scale (ITS-18) is an assessment instrument used to examine the different strategies and tactics individuals employ to influence the behavior, decisions, or opinions of others.

Influence tactics represent an important area of research in leadership, management, and interpersonal relations. Within organizational and social contexts, individuals may attempt to influence colleagues, subordinates, supervisors, or other members of a group in order to achieve particular objectives.

The scale provides a structured approach to examining these influence processes and contributes to understanding how individuals attempt to shape the attitudes and behaviors of others within interpersonal and organizational relationships.

Objective

The primary objective of the ITS-18 is to assess individuals’ perceptions and experiences regarding the use and effectiveness of different influence tactics.

The scale can help identify which influence tactics are used or experienced most frequently and contribute to examining their perceived effectiveness.

Its application may also provide insight into different leadership and management styles and the ways in which influence processes operate within professional and social relationships.

Data Analysis and Use

Data obtained from the ITS-18 can be analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical methods.

Descriptive analysis may include frequencies, means, standard deviations, and response distributions to determine how frequently different influence tactics are reported as being used or experienced.

Where appropriate, the internal consistency of the scale or its dimensions may be examined using reliability analysis. Factor-analytic approaches may also be employed to investigate the underlying structure of the responses.

Comparative analyses can be conducted across occupational or demographic groups, while correlational or multivariate methods may be used to investigate relationships between influence tactics and variables related to leadership, management, and organizational relationships.

Scoring

The ITS-18 consists of statements describing different influence tactics.

According to the original document, participants indicate how frequently they use or experience each tactic using a five-point Likert scale ranging from “Never” to “Very Often.”

Higher scores for a particular tactic or dimension indicate a greater reported frequency of using or experiencing that form of influence.

The exact coding and calculation of individual or composite scores should follow the scoring procedures associated with the specific version of the instrument being administered.

Applications

The ITS-18 can be applied in research within organizational psychology, occupational behavior, leadership, human resource management, and interpersonal relations.

It may be particularly useful for investigating how individuals attempt to influence others within organizational structures and for examining differences in influence behavior across hierarchical levels or occupational groups.

The scale may also be incorporated into studies exploring relationships between influence tactics, leadership behaviors, management practices, and organizational outcomes.

Interpretation of Results

The interpretation of ITS-18 results primarily focuses on the reported frequency with which different influence tactics are used or experienced.

Higher scores indicate that a particular tactic is reported more frequently, whereas lower scores indicate less frequent use or experience of that tactic.

Results should be interpreted within the relevant organizational and interpersonal context, taking into consideration the participant’s role and the nature of the relationships being examined.

Importantly, a higher frequency of a particular influence tactic does not necessarily indicate that the tactic is more effective or appropriate. Assessing effectiveness requires consideration of additional information and the specific context in which the influence behavior occurs.

References

Yukl, G., & Tracey, J. B. (1992). Consequences of influence tactics used with subordinates, peers, and the boss. Journal of Applied Psychology, 77(4), 525–535.

Kipnis, D., Schmidt, S. M., & Wilkinson, I. (1980). Intraorganizational influence tactics: Explorations in getting one’s way. Journal of Applied Psychology, 65(4), 440–452.

Falbe, C. M., & Yukl, G. (1992). Consequences for managers of using single influence tactics and combinations of tactics. Academy of Management Journal, 35(3), 638–652.

Schriesheim, C. A., & Hinkin, T. R. (1990). Influence tactics used by subordinates: A theoretical and empirical analysis and refinement of the Kipnis, Schmidt, and Wilkinson subscales. Journal of Applied Psychology, 75(3), 246–257.

Yukl, G. (2013). Leadership in Organizations (8th ed.). Pearson.