The Situational Leadership provides insight into the candidate’s leadership styles and qualities. In the role of manager, the candidate is presented with a number of scenarios. Under each scenario, several possible responses are shown; the candidate is asked to rate the effectiveness of each of these responses to the situation. The Situational Leadership is based on the full range leadership model by Bass & Avolio (1990), giving this test a well-founded theoretical basis. This model distinguishes three leadership styles: transformational, transactional and laissez-faire leadership. Transformational leadership is divided into inspirational motivation, individualised consideration and intellectual stimulation. Transactional leadership can be subdivided into contingent reward and management by exception.
Application The Situational Leadership was primarily developed for selection purposes: it provides insight into a candidate’s management skills so that an informed choice can be made in a selection decision. The test can, however, also be used in advisory situations when more insight is wanted into the candidate’s leadership styles and qualities. To that end, the report includes a number of tips and a reflection exercise that can support the development and improvement of leadership qualities.
Sample item Situational Leadership
Reporting The Situational Leadership report provides a broad picture of a person’s management preferences and qualities. First, it becomes clear which leadership style the candidate prefers. The assumption is that when someone more often rates a particular style as most effective, they will also be inclined to show that style in practice. Second, the report shows how well the candidate can judge the effectiveness of the different responses: the candidate’s answers are compared with the ratings of a group of experts. Finally, it becomes clear whether the candidate can recognise that a particular situation calls for one leadership style (e.g. transformational), while in other situations another style may be more effective (e.g. transactional).
Scientific basis Research has shown that the Situational Leadership is a reliable and valid test; these studies can be read in the manual. For example, research among 189 managers showed that the assumed scales from the theoretical model emerged in our questionnaire. It was also found that better scores on the Situational Leadership are associated with more years of leadership experience and having more subordinates. These studies show that the Situational Leadership is a well-constructed test that can help in selecting the best leaders.
Quick Facts Language NL | EN | FR | DE Norm group Selection (N=301), Advice (N=333) Time 15 minutes Credits 125 Reliability Effectiveness = 0.83 (Selection), 0.82 (Advice)
