5.1.1 The Raei Adaptive Leadership with Authority Scale (ALWAS)
Purpose
The Raei Adaptive Leadership with Authority Scale (RALWAS) is designed to measure adaptive leadership (AL) behaviors, which mobilize people to address challenging situations and thrive, particularly in environments characterized by volatility, uncertainty, change, and ambiguity (VUCA). The instrument aims to assess an individual’s capacity for adaptive leadership and their ability to navigate complex and dynamic challenges effectively. T
The instrument is likely used across various sectors, including business, education, government, healthcare, and nonprofit organizations. The results of the RALWAS can be utilized by organizational leaders, HR professionals, consultants, and researchers. These results provide insights into an individual’s adaptive leadership skills, strengths, and areas for development. Organizations may use this information for leadership development programs, succession planning, team building, and strategic decision-making in response to VUCA environments.
Description
Raei (2018) developed the Raei Adaptive Leadership with Authority Scale (RALWAS). This unidimensional, 11-item scale covers the seven components of adaptive leadership with authority. The RALWAS uses a Likert-type scale, and respondents rate their agreement with each item. The scores are then aggregated to provide an overall measure of an individual’s capacity for adaptive leadership with authority.
Using Cronbach’s alpha, Raei (2018) estimated that the instrument had a high reliability of .891. Typical limitations of such instruments may include potential biases in self-reporting, generalizability to diverse contexts, and the need for further validation across different populations and settings.
Access
The instrument can be accessed via Antioch University’s dissertation repository at https://aura.antioch.edu/etds/446/. Prior to usage, permission from the author may be necessary.
References
Raei, M. (2018). Development and validation of the Adaptive Leadership with Authority Scale [Doctoral dissertation, Antioch University]. Antioch University Dissertations & Theses. https://aura.antioch.edu/etds/446
Raei, M., & LeMaster, C. (Eds.) (2021). Adaptive and complexity leadership: Stronger together. Routledge.
