Subordinate Function Scale (SFS)

Abstract

The Subordinate Function Scale (SFS) is a component of a larger battery of instruments developed by Fischer and Kohr (1980) to measure Central Work Perceptions of Employed Persons (Zentrale Arbeitsperzeptionen Berufstätiger). The SFS specifically focuses on an individual’s perception of their role within the organizational hierarchy, assessing the degree to which an employee views themselves as subordinate. This scale comprises 9 items. It is typically administered alongside the complementary 10-item Superior Function Scale, which measures the extent to which an employee perceives themselves as fulfilling a supervisory role. Together, these two scales comprise 19 items designed to capture critical dimensions of perceived control, dependency, and authority in the workplace.

The development of the SFS was rooted in the premise that an individual’s socio-political attitudes are deeply influenced by their experiences in the core area of work, where daily interactions shape behavioral, cognitive, and emotional adaptation processes. Developed in German, the scale demonstrated good internal consistency in initial testing, with Cronbach’s Alpha ranging from .79 to .88 for the combined scales, based on a representative sample of the adult population in the Federal Republic of Germany (BRD) in 1976. However, specific documentation concerning validation was not provided by the original authors.

Keywords

Subordinate function, Superior function, Work perception, Organizational structure, Employee perception, Dependency, Leadership, Hierarchy, Occupational psychology

Authors

Fischer, Kohr, Ekkehart Lippert, Roland Wakenhut, Fritz-Felix Zelinka, Ralf Zoll

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Subordinate Function Scale (SFS) and its counterpart, the Superior Function Scale, is to quantify an employed individual’s subjective perception of their position within the formal hierarchy of their workplace. The scales were specifically designed to operationalize the degree of experienced dependency, control, and authority. By measuring these central work perceptions, the authors aimed to provide an empirical basis for understanding how an individual’s role function—whether subordinate or supervisory—influences their broader attitudes and behaviors, particularly in the socio-political context.

The development of these scales (SFS and Superior Function Scale) was undertaken as an extension and complement to existing scales focusing on “Socio-political Attitudes.” The underlying theoretical motivation was the belief that human behavior in the socio-political sphere cannot be adequately understood without accounting for the individual’s core experiences in their professional life. Therefore, the SFS serves as a tool to capture the perceived objective and subjective constraints and freedoms associated with being an employee.

Construct

The Subordinate Function Scale (SFS) measures the construct of Perceived Subordinate Function (Perzipierte Untergebenenfunktion). This construct reflects the extent to which an individual perceives their work role as characterized by dependency, adherence to instructions, and lack of autonomy. High scores on this scale indicate a strong perception of being controlled, monitored, and bound by external regulations and supervisory instructions.

The SFS is conceptually linked to the broader framework of Central Work Perceptions, which also includes the construct of Perceived Superior Function (Perzipierte Vorgesetztenfunktion). The latter measures the perceived degree of authority, responsibility for others’ work, and influence within the professional setting. Together, these two constructs aim to define an employee’s place within the power structure of an organization, serving as key mediators between objective job characteristics and subjective psychological states, such as the internalization of work norms or feelings of work alienation.

Validity

The available documentation for the Subordinate Function Scale and the Superior Function Scale does not provide explicit information or specific evidence regarding external or construct validity (Validierungshinweise werden nicht gegeben). This indicates that while the scales were developed based on a clear theoretical framework concerning the impact of occupational role on socio-political attitudes, formal validation studies—such as correlational analyses with established external criteria or measures of related constructs (e.g., job satisfaction, perceived control)—are missing from the initial report.

Despite the lack of explicit validity statements, the authors designed the items in close alignment with the “Verfügungsgewalt” (Power of Disposal) scale, suggesting an attempt at content validity based on existing theoretical conceptualizations of power and control in the workplace. Further research would be required to establish the convergent and discriminant validity of the SFS.

Reliability

The internal consistency reliability of the Subordinate Function Scale (SFS) and the Superior Function Scale was assessed using Cronbach’s Alpha. The reliability coefficients indicate a satisfactory to good level of internal consistency for both subscales when used together:

• For the 9-item Perceived Subordinate Function scale: Cronbach’s Alpha = .79.
• For the 10-item Perceived Superior Function scale: Cronbach’s Alpha = .88.

The overall range of Cronbach’s Alpha for the combined 19 items is reported to be between .79 and .88. These values suggest that the items within each scale consistently measure their respective underlying dimensions (subordinate perception and superior perception).

Factor Analysis

While the unidimensionality of the full scales was not formally tested, a simultaneous factor analysis was conducted for the proposed short forms of the scales. The results of this analysis indicated potential issues with factor purity. Specifically, the analysis showed that nearly all items did not load exclusively onto their intended target dimension but also exhibited non-negligible loadings on other “foreign dimensions.”

This finding suggests a degree of overlap or multidimensionality among the constructs, implying that the perception of being a subordinate or a supervisor may not be entirely orthogonal, or that some items may capture shared variance related to general work environment perceptions rather than strictly hierarchical function.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report questionnaire, psychometric scale

Format: 5-point Likert scale

Language Available: German (deutsch)

Population Group: Employed adults (Berufstätiger)

Age Group: Adults (specific range not specified, but based on a representative survey of the adult population)

Population Details: Data were collected from a representative survey of the adult population in the Federal Republic of Germany (BRD), involving N = 2505 respondents in March 1976.

Test Methodology: Respondents utilized a 5-stage Likert scale with the following response options: 1 (zutreffend / applies), 2 (eher zutreffend / rather applies), 3 (weder/noch / neither/nor), 4 (eher unzutreffend / rather does not apply), 5 (unzutreffend / does not apply). For scoring, “zutreffend” received a value of 5, and “unzutreffend” received a value of 1, with intermediate values assigned accordingly. Scores are calculated by summing the responses across the items for each subscale, with negatively polarized items reversed prior to summation. The specific test instructions used for the administration are not documented in the provided source material.

Keywords

Organizational psychology, Job control, Employee dependency, Work attitudes, Psychometrics, Likert scale, Workplace hierarchy, Survey methodology

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided

Affiliation Email addresses: Not provided

Correspondence Address: Heinz-Ulrich Kohr, Sozialwissenschaftliches Institut der Bundeswehr (SOWI), Winzererstr. 52, 80797 München, Deutschland

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Permissions and Fee: Information regarding current usage permissions or associated fees is not provided in the original documentation.

Test Year: 1980 (Publication year of scale development)

Reference’s

• Fischer, W. & Kohr, H.-U. (1980). Zentrale Arbeitsperzeptionen Berufstätiger. In G. Albrecht & H.-U. Kohr (Hrsg.), Sozio-politische Einstellungen und soziale Ungleichheit (S. 120-135). Opladen: Westdeutscher Verlag.

Items of the subordinate function scale (sfs)

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

Skala 1: Perzipierte Untergebenenfunktion:

Skala 2: Perzipierte Vorgesetztenfunktion: