Supervisors’ Interpersonal Styles: An Integrative Perspective and A Measure Based on Self‐Determination Theory

This research addresses recent calls for an alternative integrative framework to apprehend leaders' behaviors and examines the validity ofaquestionnaire anchored in this theoretical approach. Building upon Self-Determination Theory, we examined a tripartite approach of supervisors' behaviors (supportive, thwarting, and indifferent toward subordinates' psychological needs). The psychometric properties of this Tripartite Measure of Interpersonal Behaviors-Supervisor (TMIB-S) were tested through three studies. Results from bifactor exploratory structural equation modeling supported a solution including one global factor and three specific factors reflecting need supportive, thwarting, and indifferent behaviors. This solution was fully invariant across distinct samples of French- and English-speaking employees. Results also supported the criterion-related and discriminant validity of the TMIB-S. More specifically, results supported the added-value of the TMIB-S, when compared to well-established measures of leadership (passive leadership, abusive supervision, LMX, and tranformational leadership) in predicting well- and ill-being. Results also highlighted well-differentiated effects of the different components of supervisory behaviors and showed that supervisors' need indifferent behaviors constitute a key piece in the prediction of employees' health-related consequences.