Handbook of Management Scales/Distrust of others

Distrust of others (alpha = 0.75)

Description

A new measure of Machiavellianism, the Machiavellian Personality Scale (MPS), was developed and validated over two studies. Machiavellianism is conceptualized as one's propensity to distrust others, engage in amoral manipulation, seek control over others, and seek status for oneself. Study 1 developed and tested the factor structure of the scale, whereas Study 2 provided evidence for the convergent, divergent, and criterion-related validity of the MPS. The results of these studies supported the a priori factor structure of the MPS and indicated that it is a valid predictor of such outcomes as job satisfaction, task performance, and counterproductive work behaviors.

Definition

Distrust of others is defined as a cynical outlook on the motivations and intentions of others with a concern for the negative implications that those intentions have for the self.

Items

People are only motivated by personal gain.
I dislike committing to groups because I don’t trust others.
Team members backstab each other all the time to get ahead.
If I show any weakness at work, other people will take advantage of it.
Other people are always planning ways to take advantage of the situation at my expense.

Source

Dahling et al. (2009): The Development and Validation of a New Machiavellianism Scale. Journal of Management, Vol. 35, No. 2, pp. 219-257.

Comments

It is recommended to take the following article into consideration before measuring trust-related constructs: Whipple et al. (2013), Conceptualizations of Trust: Can We Trust Them?, Journal of Business Logistics, Vol. 34, No. 2.