The Least Preferred Coworker (LPC) Scale, developed by Rensis Likert in 1967, is a widely used psychological tool that measures an individual’s attitude towards working with another person or group of people (Likert, 1967). The LPC Scale is a self-report questionnaire that consists of a series of statements about a hypothetical least preferred coworker. Respondents are asked to rate each statement on a five-point scale, ranging from strongly disagree (1) to strongly agree (5). The total score is calculated as the sum of the responses to each statement.
The LPC Scale has been used to measure a variety of attitudes in both social and organizational contexts. For example, it has been used to measure job satisfaction (Dalal & Likert, 1971), organizational commitment (Jackson & Schuler, 1985), and teamwork (Jackson & Schuler, 1985). Additionally, the LPC Scale has been used to assess the quality of work relationships (Naumann, Bennett, & Martin, 2003).
The LPC Scale has been found to be reliable and valid. In terms of reliability, the LPC Scale has typically yielded high internal consistency scores (Jackson & Schuler, 1985; Naumann et al., 2003). In terms of validity, the LPC Scale has been found to correlate with other measures of job satisfaction and organizational commitment (Jackson & Schuler, 1985).
Overall, the LPC Scale is a useful tool for measuring attitudes towards working with others. It is reliable and valid, and it has been used in a variety of contexts. The LPC Scale can provide valuable information about an individual’s attitudes towards working with others, and can be used to inform decisions about organizational policies and practices.
References
Dalal, R. S., & Likert, R. (1971). Relationship of job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Journal of Applied Psychology, 55(1), 49-53.
Jackson, S. E., & Schuler, R. S. (1985). A meta-analysis and conceptual critique of research on job satisfaction and turnover. Academy of Management Review, 10(2), 291-299.
Likert, R. (1967). The human organization: Its management and value. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Naumann, S. E., Bennett, N., & Martin, Y. (2003). Measuring quality of work relationships: The least-preferred coworker scale and related measures. Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice, 7(2), 87-101.