The Machiavellian Leadership: Scale Validity and Reliability Study

İrem Demir Arıcı; İbrahim Kocabaş

doi:10.17275/per.25.65.12.5

The Machiavellian Leadership: Scale Validity and Reliability Study

Abstract

This study aims to develop a valid and reliable instrument, the Machiavellian Leadership Scale (MLS), designed to assess the extent to which educational leaders exhibit Machiavellian characteristics. In the research, the survey model was preferred in accordance with the objective of scale development. The scale has a structure that can be applied in all organizations. The sample of the research consists of administrators working in public and private schools in Istanbul. In the scale development process, first Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and then Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) were conducted within the scope of validity evaluation. EFA was conducted with 214 participants and CFA with 256 participants. As a result of the analyses, a scale consisting of four dimensions and 20 items was obtained. The sub-dimensions of the scale were named as protection, manipulation, strategic planning and power. Based on the results, the scale demonstrated a high level of internal consistency, indicating strong reliability. Additionally, the items showed significant discriminatory power in distinguishing between different levels of leadership behavior. These findings suggest that the Machiavellian Leadership Scale is a valid and reliable tool for assessing educational leadership within organizational settings. This result shows that the scale items have a high performance in terms of reliability and validity. As a result, it was decided that the scale was credible and consistent, and the scale was named as Machiavellian Leadership Scale (MLS).

Keywords

leadership, Machiavellian leadership, scale development.

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Leadership in Education, Educational Administration, Supervision, Planning and Economics (Other)

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

İrem Demir Arıcı ^*
0000-0002-4314-9003
Türkiye

İbrahim Kocabaş
0000-0002-3540-2427
Türkiye

Early Pub Date

September 6, 2025

Publication Date

September 1, 2025

Submission Date

February 6, 2025

Acceptance Date

July 9, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2025 Volume: 12 Number: 5

DOI

https://doi.org/10.17275/per.25.65.12.5

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA53WU43AZ

APA

Demir Arıcı, İ., & Kocabaş, İ. (2025). The Machiavellian Leadership: Scale Validity and Reliability Study. Participatory Educational Research, 12(5), 89-109. https://doi.org/10.17275/per.25.65.12.5

AMA

1.Demir Arıcı İ, Kocabaş İ. The Machiavellian Leadership: Scale Validity and Reliability Study. PER. 2025;12(5):89-109. doi:10.17275/per.25.65.12.5

Chicago

Demir Arıcı, İrem, and İbrahim Kocabaş. 2025. “The Machiavellian Leadership: Scale Validity and Reliability Study”. Participatory Educational Research 12 (5): 89-109. https://doi.org/10.17275/per.25.65.12.5.

EndNote

Demir Arıcı İ, Kocabaş İ (September 1, 2025) The Machiavellian Leadership: Scale Validity and Reliability Study. Participatory Educational Research 12 5 89–109.

IEEE

[1]İ. Demir Arıcı and İ. Kocabaş, “The Machiavellian Leadership: Scale Validity and Reliability Study”, PER, vol. 12, no. 5, pp. 89–109, Sept. 2025, doi: 10.17275/per.25.65.12.5.

ISNAD

Demir Arıcı, İrem - Kocabaş, İbrahim. “The Machiavellian Leadership: Scale Validity and Reliability Study”. Participatory Educational Research 12/5 (September 1, 2025): 89-109. https://doi.org/10.17275/per.25.65.12.5.

JAMA

1.Demir Arıcı İ, Kocabaş İ. The Machiavellian Leadership: Scale Validity and Reliability Study. PER. 2025;12:89–109.

MLA

Demir Arıcı, İrem, and İbrahim Kocabaş. “The Machiavellian Leadership: Scale Validity and Reliability Study”. Participatory Educational Research, vol. 12, no. 5, Sept. 2025, pp. 89-109, doi:10.17275/per.25.65.12.5.

Vancouver

1.İrem Demir Arıcı, İbrahim Kocabaş. The Machiavellian Leadership: Scale Validity and Reliability Study. PER. 2025 Sep. 1;12(5):89-109. doi:10.17275/per.25.65.12.5