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The measurement of worker relations: the development of a three-component scale

David Michael Biggs (School of Natural and Social Sciences, University of Gloucestershire, Cheltenham, United Kingdom)
Stephen Swailes (Department of Leadership and Management, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, United Kingdom)
Steven Baker (School of Natural and Social Sciences, University of Gloucestershire, Cheltenham, United Kingdom)

Leadership & Organization Development Journal

ISSN: 0143-7739

Article publication date: 7 March 2016

2149

Abstract

Purpose

Healthy employee relations are important for individual well-being and are likely to contribute towards job satisfaction and other positive work outcomes. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the importance of worker relations and proposes a new three-component model of worker relations which embraces the relationships that employees have with their co-workers, supervisor and the organisation.

Design/methodology/approach

A 20-item inventory was tested using data collected in a local authority (n=157) and led to the retention of nine items which were embodied in a scale for further evaluation. A second study using data using obtained in an emergency call management service (n=85) were used to further evaluate the factor structure of the scale and assess its predictive validity. A third study (n=70) provided further information on the measure.

Findings

The new nine-item measure is a viable instrument with adequate reliability for assessing three levels of worker relations. In line with predictions, the three sub-scales (co-worker, supervisor and organisation) were positively correlated with job satisfaction and social relations.

Practical implications

The new scale provides a freely available and parsimonious alternative to existing measures of worker relations.

Originality/value

The paper considers the component aspects of worker relations before defining, theorising and developing a general purpose short instrument capable of quantitatively measuring worker relations.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the assistance of John Jones and Josephine Truscott for allowing the authors access to the Emergency Call Management Centre staff. Thanks also to Barbara Senior and Brendan Burchell for their initial insights into worker relations. For additional data collection, the authors are indebted to Ellie Atkinson and Ed Boustred, University of Gloucestershire.

Citation

Biggs, D.M., Swailes, S. and Baker, S. (2016), "The measurement of worker relations: the development of a three-component scale", Leadership & Organization Development Journal, Vol. 37 No. 1, pp. 2-12. https://doi.org/10.1108/LODJ-08-2012-0098

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2016, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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