Assessing the psychometric properties of the revised and abbreviated self-leadership questionnaires

Orientation: Self-leadership is considered to be vital for improved performance in the South African working context. Limited research has been done on the psychometric properties of the Revised and Abbreviated Self-Leadership Questionnaires on a sample of working adults. Research purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the psychometric properties of the Revised (RSLQ) and Abbreviated (ASLQ) versions of the Self-Leadership Questionnaires for a sample of working adults in South Africa. Motivation for the study: Researchers have not previously published psychometric properties of the RSLQ and ASLQ using the original conceptualisation and based on a sample from the South African working context. Research design, approach and method: The RSLQ and ASLQ were administered to a non-probability sample of 405 working adults in South Africa. Confirmatory factor analysis was employed to estimate the goodness-of-fit associated with competing conceptualisations of both the Revised and Abbreviated Self-Leadership Questionnaires. Main findings: The authors found acceptable goodness-of-fit for both the RSLQ and ASLQ versions of the Self-Leadership Questionnaires. More specifically, both the composite (representing self-leadership) and calculated scores (representing subscales of self-leadership) indicated acceptable levels of reliability. However, the RSLQ is best conceptualised as consisting of a strong general factor. Practical/managerial implications: The study found that both the RSLQ and the ASLQ have good measurement properties, indicating that these questionnaires can be applied in a variety of settings. Contribution/value-add: Research has indicated the value of investigating the psychometric properties of the Revised and Abbreviated Self-Leadership Questionnaires for a sample of employees in the South African working context. In this study, a bifactor model provided evidence that the RSLQ consists of a strong general factor (i.e. self-leadership). The ASLQ also seem to measure a single dimension that is very reliable. Utilising the ASLQ will save time in research and also when applied in the working context.