5.3 Kelley Followership Questionnaire (KFQ)
The Kelley Followership Questionnaire (KFQ) is based on followership theory, “the study of the nature and impact of followers and following in the leadership process” (Uhl-Bien et al., 2014). The instrument categorizes followers into one of five styles (exemplary, alienated, conformist, passive, and pragmatist) based on two axes (independent thinking and active engagement).
The instrument was developed by Kelley (1992). It gained popularity among practitioners and researchers after its first publication in 1992. Gatti et al. (2014) and Ribbat et al. (2021) validated the instrument and stated that the two followership dimensions correlate with followership constructs, which is in line with initial assumptions of the initial study. Ligon et al. (2019) made some critiques of the initial version of the instrument and offered a revised version validated by significant correlations between work engagement scales and critical thinking disposition.
Access
The KFQ may be accessible via academic journals and research databases, including in the relevant articles listed in the references section. Prior to usage, permission from the authors or copyright holders may be necessary. Contact the authors directly or consult the articles for more information on the availability and permissions.
References
Gatti, P., Tartari, M., Cortese, C. G., & Ghislieri, C. (2014). A contribution to the Italian validation of Kelley’s followership questionnaire. TPM-Testing, Psychometrics, Methodology in Applied Psychology, 21(1), 67–87.
Ligon, K. V., Stoltz, K. B., Rowell, R. K., & Lewis, V. J. (2019). An empirical investigation of the Kelley Followership Questionnaire Revised. Journal of Leadership Education, 18(3), 97–112.
Northouse, P. G. (2021). Leadership: Theory and practice (9th ed.). Sage Publications.
Kelley, R. E. (1992). The power of followership. Doubleday Business.
Ribbat, M., Krumm, S., & Hüffmeier, J. (2021). Validation of a German version of Kelley’s (1992) Followership Questionnaire. Psychological Test Adaptation and Development, 2(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1027/2698-1866/a000005
Uhl-Bien, M., Riggio, R. E., Lowe, K. B., & Carsten, M. K. (2014). Followership theory: A review and research agenda. The Leadership Quarterly, 25(1), 83–104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2013.11.007
