A psychometric analysis of the stress management competency indicator tool

Background: Work-related stress is a growing concern in the United Kingdom, negatively impacting both employee well-being and organisational effectiveness. Addressing work-related stress through effective managerial practices is essential, however, existing tools are often lengthy and impractical for routine use.

Aims: The study aimed to develop and validate a shortened version of the 36-item stress management competency indicator tool (SMCIT) to enhance its practicality and relevance to changing working practices, while maintaining reliability and validity in assessing stress management competences.

Methods: A secondary data analysis was undertaken using data from 224 line managers across 12 organisations. Principle component analysis was applied to reduce the SMCIT from 36 to 19 items. Psychometric analysis, including Cronbach’s alpha, factor loadings and total variance explained, were used to ensure the shortened tool retained its measurement rigour.

Results: The 19 item SMCIT retained four latent constructs: respectful/ responsible, managing the individual within the team, conflict/problem management, and organisational resources. The revised tool explained 46% of the variance, compared to 37% for the original, and showed factor loadings ranging from point .43 to .86. Reliability scores ranged from .65 to .69, indicating moderate internal consistency. We conclude that the shortened tool enhances measurement efficiency by removing redundant items, while maintaining key competencies.

Conclusions: The shortened SMCIT is a reliable and practical tool for evaluating line management competencies, reducing response burden while improving data quality and relevance to hybrid working. We recommend further validation through confirmatory factor analysis and expert review to enhance its application in occupational settings.