Investigating the psychometric properties and assessment capabilities of the short version of the Health and Safety Executive’s Management Standards Indicator Tool

Abstract

Policies on psychosocial hazards at work are gaining importance. Subsequently, a number of indicators have been proposed to assess the phenomenon such as the Management Standards Indicator Tool (MSIT). This study focuses on the short-version of the MSIT and aims to evaluate the convergent and discriminant validities of the measures, explore whether these measures can be represented by a higher-order factor of work-related stress and to contribute towards better understanding of its concurrent validity. Data were obtained from 452 full-time managerial-grade employees working in a multinational manufacturing plant in Malta. The study shows that the original 25-item MSIT measures have convergent and discriminant validity issues. Following the removal of five items, the revised indicator demonstrated good construct validity and was well-represented by a higher order factor. Additionally, the second-order factor of the modified MSIT mediated the relationship between psychosocial safety climate and psychological well-being and slightly interacted with engagement to explain improved well-being in the mediational pathway. This study suggests that the modified MSIT is effective in assessing psychosocial factors in stress-management interventions. The MSIT has good prospects to be further adopted in the process of developing better policy and standards for the improvement of psychological conditions at work.