We’re sorry, the Managerial Style Questionnaire test has been discontinued.

The MSQ has been replaced with the Leadership Styles Workbook and Organizational Climate Workbook.

The Managerial Style Questionnaire and the companion Organizational Climate Workbook tools are no longer available.  They have been replaced by the Leadership Styles Workbook and Organizational Climate Workbook.

Not the perfect fit?  No problem.  We have many similar tests to choose from.  See alternatives in the PERSONALITY & PERSONAL STYLE: Leadership & Management category section of our site.

The Managerial Style Questionnaire (now the LSW) looks at the managerial styles that you believe you use versus the ones you believe your situation requires. The OCW looks at the climate you experience and the climate you believe you create for your team.  These tools are looking at your perceptions, which may or may not mirror reality.  For a true assessment of managerial/leadership style, and/or organizational climate, it is important to get feedback from the people you lead.  Both of these tools are 180 degree internet-administered diagnostic surveys.

Everyone has met – or even been managed by – the manager from hell.   But what are the factors that set good managers apart?  Can a manager’s style raise performance, productivity and profits significantly?

Yes!  Research shows that by taking the right approach in a given situation, a manager can really improve employee morale and performance. Managers can use the Managerial Style Questionnaire (MSQ) to:

• Assess which of the six management styles (Coercive, Authoritative, Affiliative, Coaching, Democratic, and Pace Setting) they use most frequently
• Get tips on when a particular style is more – or less – effective • Gather feedback from their team members by using the feedback questionnaire
• Identify the differences between their own and others’ perceptions – and reflect on what they want to do about those differences
• Use alongside the Organizational Climate Exercise to provide the bigger picture of their managerial behavior and impact

Can a manager’s style create a positive impact on performance, productivity and profits?

Our research shows that by taking a particular approach to a given situation or environment, a manager can really improve employee morale and performance. It is essential that they understand the impact their style can have on the work environment they create.  The Managerial Style Questionnaire (MSQ) will identify for individual managers which styles he or she relies on most – and when those styles are most effective.  Based on the work of Harvard University psychologists, Litwin and Stringer, and years of additional research have identified the six most effective styles of management.  The MSQ is a paper-based instrument and it’s easy and practical to use. It is especially effective when used to develop individual’s awareness of how they lead, or as part of development coaching activities.

Managers can gain the most insight from the MSQ by:

• using the self-assessment questionnaire to assess which managerial styles they believe they use
• using the feedback version of the questionnaire with their direct reports to see how their behavior is actually being perceived
• identifying the differences between their own and others’ perceptions
• reflecting on what they want to do about those differences

All of these six styles are good ways to manage, and research suggests that the most effective managers use a collection of these styles – each in the right measure, at just the right time. The ability to combine these styles and put them into action is not easy, but does pay off in performance.  What’s more, you can learn how to do it. The MSQ can be used as a stand-alone instrument, but is most impactful when used with the Organizational Climate Exercise (OCE).

When we talk about climate we mean how people feel about their work environment. The styles a manager chooses to use will have a major impact on the climate they create. Climate affects organizational performance through its influence on employee motivation. In fact our research shows that a positive climate will increase important bottom line performance measures by up to 30%.  The MSQ helps a manager identify the management behaviors they use.  The OCE helps a manager see the impact the management behaviors are having on their team.

What is your style? Six of the best:

• Coercive: emphasis on immediate compliance from employees • Authoritative: emphasis on providing long term vision and leadership
• Affiliative: emphasis on creating harmony
• Democratic: emphasis on group consensus and generating new ideas
• Pacesetting: emphasis on accomplishing tasks to high standards • Coaching: emphasis on professional growth of employees

What’s the value to your business?  The Managerial Style Questionnaire is cost effective, quick, and easy to use anywhere: in the workplace, classroom, or at an awayday venue.  It can be used in the following ways: for self-assessment and to gather feedback from others to establish a benchmark and see if perceptions change over time; in all levels of management development programs during periods of organizational change; or development within one-to-one coaching alongside the Organizational Climate Exercise to provide a bigger picture of managerial behavior and impact.