We’re sorry, we no longer offer The Personnel Relations Survey test.

Use the Personnel Relations Survey assesses the communication practices of managers. Used for communication and relationship building with managers, supervisors, and team leaders.  Use it for:

• “opening up” communication lines between co-workers

This test provides the answers you need to make an informed hiring or coaching decision.

Want more information about this test?  Get it now.  Please REQUEST MORE INFO and we’ll reply promptly.

Not the perfect fit?  No problem.  We have many similar tests to choose from.  See alternatives in the COMMUNICATION SKILLS  category section of our site.

Purpose: The Personnel Relations Survey (PRS) assesses the communication practices of managers. Used for communication and relationship building with managers, supervisors, and team leaders.

Scoring: Self-scored

Uses: The PRS can be used to assess communication styles with supervisors, managers, and co-workers. It is specifically designed to assess current communication practices and teach methods for “opening up” communication lines between co-workers.

Format: A 20-item, paired comparison, paper/pencil self-report inventory, repeated in three parts, for assessing the communication tendencies of managers in three areas: with employees, with colleagues, and with superiors. Normative data provide a basis for comparison with the “average” manager on both the exposure and feedback dimensions. The inventory may be administered in conjunction with the Management Relations Survey (MRS) for a more complete assessment of managers’ communication skills.

Brief Description: The PRS is a three part, self-administered personal feedback instrument which enables managers to assess their own communication tendencies with their employees, colleagues, and superiors. Normative data provide a basis for comparison with the “average” manager on both the exposure and feedback dimensions. This survey is designed to assess the understanding and behavior of managers in their interpersonal relationships. As a manager, the manner in which you handle the various interpersonal relationships associated with your job will determine your success as well as the success of your organization. The quality of your relationships with your boss, your co-workers, and your fellow managers can ultimately be determined by your understanding of these relationships and your knowledge of the consequences of your acts.

Video Support: The Dynamics of the Johari Window – The Johari Window is a very popular and easily understood model of communication. The Johari Window is essentially an information processing model. The model employs a four-part figure to reflect the interaction of two sources of information – self and others. The squared field, representing the “interpersonal space,” is partitioned into four “regions” with each region representing particular information-processing elements that have significance for the quality of relationships. Let us look at one of the regions for a better understanding of their implications as they relate to interpersonal process and communication. (Sold Separately)

Sample Item: For each item indicate which of the two alternatives would be most characteristic of the way you would handle the situation described. For each item, you will have 5 points to distribute. If one alternative is completely characteristic, and the other is completely uncharacteristic of you, then you would give the first alternative 5 points and the other 0 points. The points may be distributed in any combination that adds to 5.

1. If an employee with whom I worked began to avoid me and act in an obedient, but withdrawn manner, I would:

• A – Call attention to the behavior and suggest the employee tell me what was wrong.
• B – Follow the employee’s lead and keep our contacts on a “business as usual” basis since that seems to be what is desired.

Companion Piece: Management Relations Survey (MRS)

Languages: English, Spanish, French

Norms: In this instrument, norms provide a reference point in the form of percentile scores. So that you can compare your own style of managing interpersonal processes, percentile scores have been compiled based on the scores of 13,373 managers who have completed the PRS. If, for example one of your raw scores transforms to a percentile score of 60, this means that you scored higher than 60% of people in general, while 40% of people in the normative sample scored higher than you did on that particular scale. By the same token, if your percentile is 30, then you are higher than 30% but lower than 70% of the normative sample.

Reliability and Validity: Internal reliability is good, as indicated by Alpha coefficients of .78 and .80 for exposure and feedback, respectively. The mean coefficient of equivalence for the revised version is .78. The instrument discriminates among high, average, and low achieving managers, some thirteen organizational types, and five managerial styles. The construct and concurrent validities have been confirmed through analysis with the MMPI, CPI, Bass’s Famous Sayings Test; the Canonical correlations being .69, .87, and .79, respectively. The PRS is deemed suitable for both concept and diagnostic training, team discussion, and research applications.

The Johari Window

The Model of Communication

The Johari Window is a very popular and easily understood model of communication. The Johari Window is essentially an information processing model. The model employs a four-part figure to reflect the interaction of two sources of information – self and others. The squared field, representing the “interpersonal space,” is partitioned into four “regions” with each region representing particular information-processing elements that have significance for the quality of relationships. Let us look at one of the regions for a better understanding of their implications as they relate to interpersonal process and communication.

The Arena

The Arena is the portion of the total interpersonal space devoted to mutual understanding and shared information. This known by the self – known by others facet of the relationship is thought to control interpersonal productivity. The assumption is that productivity and interpersonal effectiveness are directly related to the amount of mutually-held information. Therefore, the larger the arena becomes, the more rewarding, effective, and productive the relationship is apt to be.

The arena can be thought of as the place where good communication happens. One can increase the size of this region by increasing the amount of exposure and feedback seeking.

Increasing the Size of the Arena

One can significantly influence the size of the Arena in relating to others by the behavioral processes you choose to use in your relationships. To the extent that you make others aware of relevant information which you have and they do not, you enlarge the Arena in a downward direction reducing the Facade. The process employed toward this end has been called by Luft and Ingham the Exposure process. It entails the open and candid expression of feelings and factual knowledge. Yet it takes two to communicate and the other party must also expose in order for communication to be productive. Therefore, active solicitation by you of the information of others must also be employed. This process is known as Feedback Solicitation. As one solicits feedback, the Arena extends to the right reducing your Blindspot. You can establish truly effective relationships if you will engage in optimum Exposure and Feedback soliciting behaviors. The fact is, you have the primary responsibility for the productivity of, and the interpersonal rewards which can be derived from, your relationships with others.

Partial listing of customers using our communication learning instruments

Harley Davidson – Shell Oil – Verizon – Target – Kroger – Eastman Chemical – The Federal Reserve Bank – SYSCO – LSG Skychief – American Express – Heinz – U.S. Army National Guard…and many others.

Business Educational Institutions:
(AMA) American Management Association – (ASE) American Society of Employees – Kent State – NC State – Penn State – Lake Forest – University of Pittsburg – USDA Graduate School..and many others.