Profile of Organizational Characteristics (POC)
Measures the management system of an organization across a continuum from exploitative-authoritative to participative-group.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Profile of Organizational Characteristics (POC) was developed by Rensis Likert (1967). It is designed to measure Organizational Management Systems. The scale is intended for use with Employees and managers within organizations.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 18 items organized into 6 factors/subscales: Leadership, Motivation, Communication, Decisions, Goals, Control.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Leadership | 1,2,3 | 3 |
| Motivation | 4,5,6 | 3 |
| Communication | 7,8,9,10 | 4 |
| Decisions | 11,12,13 | 3 |
| Goals | 14,15 | 2 |
| Control | 16,17,18 | 3 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = System 1 (Exploitative Authoritative / Virtually None), 2 = System 2 (Benevolent Authoritative / Some), 3 = System 3 (Consultative / Substantial amount), 4 = System 4 (Participative Group / A Great Deal).
The scale includes 3 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Item scores are averaged to produce a mean score.
Total scores range from 1 to 4. Interpretation guidelines:
- System 1: Exploitative Authoritative: 1 – 1
- System 2: Benevolent Authoritative: 1 – 2
- System 3: Consultative: 2 – 3
- System 4: Participative Group: 3 – 4
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of 0.90.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.