Development and Preliminary Validation of the Shared Professional Leadership Inventory for Teams (SPLIT)

Shared leadership is viewed as an effective management form to encounter increased complexity in modern work life. However, the lack of reliable and valid instruments to assess shared leadership behaviors has limited empirical research. Based on literature in leadership and team work research a questionnaire was developed to assess four different aspects of shared leadership behavior—task-, relation-, changeand micropolitic-oriented leadership. The final version consisted of 20 items. Confirmatory factor analyses confirmed the theoretically hypothesized model in two independent German samples. Significant correlations with related scales support convergent and criterion validity. This study therefore provides researchers with a valid and reliable instrument to assess different aspects of shared leadership behavior and its advantages for research and human resource development are discussed.