Satisfaction With My Supervisor Scale

Abstract

The Satisfaction With My Supervisor scale (SWMS) is a specialized psychometric measure designed to assess an employee’s level of satisfaction with their immediate supervisor. Developed by Scarpello and Vandenberg in 1987, this instrument was rigorously developed and validated over a three-year period.

The initial development phase involved extensive testing using large and diverse organizational samples, including over 2,000 employees from seven manufacturing firms and subsequently validated with more than 1,000 employees within the insurance industry. This broad sampling base ensures the measure’s robustness and applicability across different industrial contexts, specifically targeting the affective component of the employee-supervisor relationship.

Keywords

Supervisory satisfaction, Job satisfaction, Employee attitudes, Organizational behavior, Psychometric scale, Supervisor effectiveness, Work relationships

Authors

Scarpello, V., Vandenberg, R.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Satisfaction With My Supervisor scale is to quantify an employee’s affective response toward their direct managerial oversight. This measure is crucial for organizations seeking to understand the dynamics of the immediate work environment, as supervisory relationships are widely recognized as a major determinant of overall employee morale, productivity, and retention.

The scale provides researchers and practitioners with a reliable tool for assessing specific facets of supervisory behavior, such as communication, fairness, support, and technical competence, allowing for targeted intervention and management development programs.

Construct

The SWMS measures the construct of Supervisory Satisfaction, which is defined as an employee’s positive emotional state resulting from the appraisal of their immediate supervisor’s characteristics and behaviors. While the instrument examines 18 distinct items relating to various supervisory actions (e.g., listening, setting goals, offering feedback), the underlying theoretical framework supports a unitary construct rather than independent dimensions of satisfaction.

Validity

Validity evidence for the SWMS primarily stems from its internal structure analysis. Although an initial Factor analysis of the 18 items suggested the presence of two separate factors, further investigation supported the existence of a single, highly cohesive underlying construct.

The two initial factors identified were found to be highly correlated, exhibiting a mean correlation coefficient (r) of .60 across eight different samples. Crucially, items loading onto the second factor also demonstrated significant cross-loading onto the first factor, confirming the strong coherence of the scale and validating its interpretation as a measure of a single dimension of supervisory satisfaction (Jones et al., 1999; Scarpello & Vandenberg, 1987).

Reliability

The SWMS demonstrates excellent internal consistency reliability across various samples and studies. The reliability estimates, using Coefficient alpha, consistently fell within a very high range, specifically between .95 and .96 (Jones et al., 1999; Scarpello & Vandenberg, 1987).

These high alpha values indicate that the 18 items within the scale are highly interrelated and reliably measure the same underlying dimension, confirming the measure’s suitability for both research and practical application in organizational settings.

Factor Analysis

The psychometric evaluation of the 18-item scale utilized Factor analysis to determine its dimensionality. This analysis initially indicated a two-factor structure. However, the subsequent examination of the inter-factor correlation revealed a strong relationship (mean r = .60), suggesting that while distinct aspects of supervision are captured, they are not independent psychological dimensions.

The authors concluded that due to the high inter-factor correlation and the pattern of item cross-loadings, the scale is best utilized as a measure of a single, global construct of satisfaction with one’s supervisor, enhancing its utility for straightforward assessment and reporting.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report attitude scale

Format: 18 items utilizing a 5-point Likert-type scale

Language Available: English (Original)

Population Group: Employed adults / Organizational employees

Age Group: Adult working population

Population Details: Validation samples included employees from manufacturing firms and the insurance industry (N > 3,000).

Test Methodology: Respondents indicate their level of satisfaction for each item regarding their immediate supervisor, ranging from 1 (very dissatisfied) to 5 (very satisfied).

Keywords

Supervisory satisfaction, Employee attitudes, Organizational psychology, Scale development, Psychometrics, Internal consistency, Management

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not specified in source material.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not specified in source material.

Correspondence Address: Not specified in source material.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The scale was developed and first published in 1987. The original publication notes that the items were “Reprinted with permission,” suggesting that permission is generally required for use, particularly in commercial or large-scale research applications. Fees or specific licensing requirements are not provided in the original documentation and must be obtained directly from the copyright holders or publishers of the Journal of Management.

Reference’s

Jones, G. E., Scarpello, V., & Vandenberg, R. J. (1999). The Satisfaction With My Supervisor scale: Evidence of construct validity and generalizability. Journal of Management, 25(2), 221-244.

Scarpello, V., & Vandenberg, R. (1987). The Satisfaction With My Supervisor scale: Its utility for research and practical application. Journal of Management, 3, 451-470.

Items of the Satisfaction With My Supervisor scale

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

Responses are obtained using a 5-point Likert-type scale where 1 = very dissatisfied and 5 = very satisfied.

1. The way my supervisor listens when I have something important to say.
2. The way my supervisor sets clear work goals
3. The way my supervisor treats me when I make a mistake
4. My supervisor’s fairness in appraising my job performance
5. The way my supervisor is consistent in his/her behavior toward subordinates
6. The way my supervisor helps me to get the job done
7. The way my supervisor gives me credit for my ideas
8. The way my supervisor gives me clear instruction
9. The way my supervisor informs me about work changes ahead of time
10. The way my supervisor follows through to get problems solved
11. The way my supervisor understands the problems I might run into doing the job
12. The way my supervisor shows concern for my career progress
13. My supervisor’s backing me up with other management
14. The frequency with which I get a pat on the back for doing a good job.
15. The technical competence of my supervisor
16. The amount of time I get to learn a task before I’m moved to another task.
17. The time I have to do the job right.
18. The way my job responsibilities are clearly defined.