Colledani Daiana, Robusto Egidio, Anselmi Pasquale
Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education and Applied Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Front Psychol. 2024 Oct 25;15:1405822. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1405822. eCollection 2024.
Soft skills, also known as transversal skills, have gained significant attention in the organizational context due to their positive impact on various work-related outcomes. The present study aimed to develop and validate the Multiple Soft Skills Assessment Tool (MSSAT), a short self-report instrument that evaluates interpersonal skills (initiative-resourcefulness, assertiveness, conflict management), interpersonal communication skills, decision-making style (adaptive and maladaptive), and moral integrity.
The scale development process involved selecting and adapting relevant items from existing scales and employing a cross-validation approach with a large sample of workers from diverse organizational settings and job positions ( = 639). In the first step, 28 items were carefully chosen from an item pool of 64 items based on their content, factor loadings, item response theory analyses, differential item functioning, and fit statistics. Next, the structure of the resulting scale was evaluated through confirmatory factor analyses.
The MSSAT demonstrated gender invariance and good reliability and validity. The results of a network analysis confirmed the relationships between soft skills and positive work-related outcomes. Notably, interpersonal communication skills and moral integrity emerged as crucial skills.
The MSSAT is a valuable tool for organizations to assess the soft skills of their employees, thereby contributing to design targeted development programs.
软技能，也被称为横向技能，因其对各种与工作相关的成果具有积极影响，在组织环境中受到了广泛关注。本研究旨在开发并验证多重软技能评估工具（MSSAT），这是一种简短的自我报告工具，用于评估人际技能（主动性 - 足智多谋、 assertiveness、冲突管理）、人际沟通技能、决策风格（适应性和适应不良性）以及道德操守。
量表开发过程包括从现有量表中选择并改编相关项目，并对来自不同组织环境和工作岗位的大量工人样本（n = 639）采用交叉验证方法。第一步，基于内容、因子载荷、项目反应理论分析、项目功能差异和拟合统计，从64个项目的项目库中精心挑选出28个项目。接下来，通过验证性因子分析评估所得量表的结构。
MSSAT表现出性别不变性以及良好的信度和效度。网络分析结果证实了软技能与积极的工作相关成果之间的关系。值得注意的是，人际沟通技能和道德操守成为关键技能。
MSSAT是组织评估员工软技能的宝贵工具，有助于设计有针对性的发展项目。
