Trust in Supervisor (McAllister)
LeadershipReliability: Affective alpha 0.89; Cognitive alpha 0.913 sample items
About this scale
An 11-item measure of trust in a supervisor with two subscales: cognition-based trust (6 items, judgments of competence and reliability) and affect-based trust (5 items, emotional bonds). The dominant interpersonal-trust measure in management research.
Sample item(s)
“I would have to say that we have both made considerable emotional investments in our working relationship. (affect)”
“Given this person's track record, I see no reason to doubt his/her competence. (cognition)”
“If I shared my problems with this person, I know he/she would respond constructively. (affect)”
Reliability
Reported internal consistency: Affective alpha 0.89; Cognitive alpha 0.91. As a rule of thumb, Cronbach’s α ≥ .70 is considered acceptable, ≥ .80 good, and ≥ .90 excellent for established measures.
Notes
Two-factor structure replicates well across samples and cultures.
Source & citation
McAllister, D. J. (1995): Affect- and cognition-based trust as foundations for interpersonal cooperation in organizations. Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 38, No. 1, pp. 24–59.
McAllister (1995): Affect- and cognition-based trust. AMJ, 38(1), 24–59.
Source. Scale details are summarised from the publication cited above. Always consult the original source for the full item set, scoring, and permission to use.
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