Brief Description

The questionnaire includes 48 statements that reflect supervisory behaviors, which are associated with two main factors: (a) adoption of a task-centered structural role (20 statements) and (b) attention to people – a human-centered approach (28 statements). The statements are rated by subordinates based on the extent to which they agree that these behaviors are present in their supervisor.

Purpose

The tool examines supervisory behavior, specifically: (1) the way the supervisor organizes, guides, and controls work (task-centered role), and (2) their human-centered approach toward subordinates, showing understanding, support, and respect.

Scoring Method

Responses are given on a five-point scale (0 = minimum agreement to 4 = maximum agreement). Total scores for each subscale (task-centered and human-centered) are calculated by summing or averaging the relevant statements.

Validity

The validity of the tool in its original English version is considered satisfactory and has been documented in a series of studies (Fleishman, 1953; Bass, 1990). In the Greek adaptation, no significant deviations from the original structure have been reported.

Reliability

The internal consistency index Cronbach’s alpha for the human-centered factor (12 statements) is 0.92, while for the task-centered factor (7 statements) it is 0.80, indicating high reliability.

Data Analysis and Use

The data can be analyzed using descriptive statistics (means, standard deviations) and comparative analysis (e.g., t-test, ANOVA), in order to identify differences based on participant characteristics (e.g., gender, position, experience). The tool can be used to assess leadership style in organizations and to inform leadership training and executive development programs.

References

Bass, B. M. (1990). Bass & Stogdill’s Handbook of Leadership. New York: Free Press.
Fleishman, E. A. (1953). The Description of Supervisory Behavior. Journal of Applied Psychology, 38, 1–6.
Spyridopoulou, A., & Tilleli, A. (1998). The influence of supervisors’ and subordinates’ values on acceptance of leadership style. Master’s thesis, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
Stafyla, A. (2000). Change climate, work team and leadership style: An empirical study on Information Systems Users in Greece. Sixth Americas Conference on Information Systems, Long Beach, CA, USA.
Stafyla, A. (2002). Socio-psychological factors contributing to the adoption of task-centered or human-centered supervisory styles. Doctoral dissertation, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.