Psychometric properties of Persian version of the multifactor leadership questionnaire (MLQ)

Outstanding leadership is one of the important and vital concepts in management and
educational leadership debates especially in educational organizations such as universities. Thus,
effective educational leadership and adopting an appropriate tool to assess leadership in education
are crucial in these institutions. The present study was conducted to develop an instrument for measuring
the leadership style in faculty members.
Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, content and face validity of Multifactor Leadership
Questionnaire (MLQ) was examined using the opinions of 10 experienced faculty members as a
panel of experts. For construct validity, 210 questionnaires were administered to faculty members of
Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Confirmatory factor analysis was run using principal component
analysis and Varimax rotation method. The reliability of the scale was measured through internal
consistency using Cronbach’s alpha formula. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to examine
the construct validity of the questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS v.16 and LISREL
software.
Results: Factor analysis and expert opinion resulted in a questionnaire with 18 items across six subscales
including idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, individualized
consideration, contingent reward, and management by exception. The reliability coefficient of the
questionnaire was acceptable (0.90). Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the scale had appropriate
goodness of fit.
Conclusion: The 18-item Educational Leadership Questionnaire was found to have acceptable validity
and reliability for measuring leadership style in the faculty. It is recommended that the questionnaire
be administered to a larger sample