Abstract:
Studies have shown that employees react negatively towards negative
supervisory behaviour. Therefore, a questionnaire that could measure the quality
of various aspects of the employment relationship could be a useful tool for
managing and promoting healthy employment relationships. In the light of this, the
aim of this study was to develop a questionnaire that measured the perceived
quality of the employment relationship from the employee’s perspective. A
quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted on a non-probability
convenience sample of 248 employees from various organisations and sectors in
South Africa. Although a 39-item questionnaire was developed across four
theoretical dimensions, namely trust, fairness, good faith and justice, the analysis
revealed that only two dimensions, labelled social factors and compliance factors
and measured by 20 items, were sufficient to measure the desired construct. This
questionnaire, which measures the perceived employment relationship quality,
could be used as a diagnostic tool by management and HR professionals to
determine the state of supervisory relationships in an organisation, and to address
any problems brought to the fore, thereby avoiding turnover costs related to
negative workplace relationships.
