Submissiveness to Organizational Authority: Adaptation of Dezoort and Roskos-Ewoldsen Scale

Article Information
Journal: Business and Economics Research Journal
Title of Article: Submissiveness to Organizational Authority: Adaptation of Dezoort and Roskos-Ewoldsen Scale
Author(s): Gokhan Turkoz, Bilge Aksay, Utku Gugercin
Volume: 11
Number: 3
Year: 2020
Page: 841-854
ISSN: 2619-9491
DOI Number: 10.20409/berj.2020.285
Abstract
Despite the comprehensive research on authority and authoritarianism in management and organization field, studies on submissiveness are rather scarce. Furthermore, no scale focusing on submission to authority in the workplace was adapted to Turkish to our knowledge. Nevertheless, determining the submission levels of employees to orders, including the inappropriate ones, would provide beneficial clues for an effective management process. In this context, this study aims to adapt Submissiveness to Organizational Authority Scale developed by DeZoort and Roskos-Ewoldsen (1997) into Turkish. A survey was conducted among 257 white-collar employees. The data was analyzed by using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. In order to assess construct (convergent and discriminant) validity of the scale, four different (sub)scales were used. These were Locus of Control Scale (Belief in an Unjust World), Authority Behavior Inventory (Respect for Institutional Authority), Rahim Organizational Conflict Inventory (Form-A, Obliging), and Dean’s Alienation Scale (Normlessness). The findings of the study suggested that the scale is a reliable and valid measurement tool, consisting of 2 dimensions. The findings highlight the impacts of cultural and linguistic issues on the adaptation process.

Keywords: Submissiveness, Authority, Authoritarianism, Organizational Authority, Scale Adaptation

JEL Classification: D23, M12

https://www.berjournal.com/wp-content/plugins/downloads-manager/img/icons/pdf.gif Full Text