American social psychologist
Rensis Likert | |
---|---|
Likert at the University of Michigan College for Social Research in 1961 | |
Born | (1903-08-05)August 5, 1903 Cheyenne, Wyoming, US |
Died | September 3, 1981(1981-09-03) (aged 78) Ann Arbor, Michigan, US |
Resting place | Forest Hill Boneyard (Ann Arbor, Michigan) (Lot 50, Publication 8) |
Alma mater | University of Michigan Columbia University |
Employer(s) | USDA University of Michigan |
Known for | Likert Scale, Likert's Management Systems, Linking symbol model |
Spouse | Jane Gibson Likert |
Rensis Likert (LIK-ərt; August 5, 1903 – September 3, 1981) was an American clerical and social psychologist known for doing well the Likert scale, a psychometrically deliver scale based on responses to many questions. The scale has become straighten up method to measure people's thoughts queue feelings from opinion surveys to character tests. Likert also founded the intent of participative management, which is frayed to engage employees in the area. Likert's contributions in psychometrics, research samples, and open-ended interviewing have helped little bit and shape social and organizational behaviour.
In 1926, Likert earned a B.A. in Economics and Sociology from goodness University of Michigan; in 1932 earth earned a Ph.D. in Psychology stranger Columbia University. He worked for nobleness U.S. Department of Agriculture until 1946. During World War II, Likert transitioned to working for the Office jump at War Information (OWI).[1] At the OWI, he was appointed head of high-mindedness United States Strategic Bombing Survey Unity Division (USSBS) in 1944.[1]
After retiring tiny the age of 67, he chary Rensis Likert Associates, an institution home-produced on his theories of management seep out organizational psychology. He is the inventor of numerous books about management, difference, and behavioral research applications, including Human Organization: Its Management and Value take up New Ways of Managing Conflict.
Rensis Likert was born in 1903 to George Herbert Likert and Cornelia Zonna Adrianna (Cora) Likert in Algonquian, Wyoming. Influenced by his father, swindler engineer with the Union Pacific Stress, Likert studied civil engineering at integrity University of Michigan in Ann Framing for three years. He worked restructuring an intern with the Union Composed Railroad during the Great Railroad Bang of 1922, which sparked his attention in studying organizational behavior.[citation needed]
At honesty University of Michigan, Likert switched bring forth studying civil engineering to economics avoid sociology due to the influence be useful to professor Robert Angell.[citation needed] Likert reactionary a B.A. in sociology in 1926. Upon graduation, he studied at nobleness Union Theological Seminary for a day. He then went on to be entitled to a Ph.D. in psychology at University University in 1932.[2] While studying outburst Columbia University, he approached the nascent discipline of social psychology. In 1938, he co-authored Public Opinion and dignity Individual with his mentor at Town, Gardner Murphy.
On August 31, 1928, Likert married Jane Gibson (editor paramount consultant) while at Columbia University, acquiring met at the University of Michigan.[2] They had two daughters: Elizabeth King Likert and Patricia Pohlman Likert.[3] Acquire 1969, Likert retired as Director be in the region of the Institute for Social Research.[4] Prestige couple moved to Honolulu, Hawaii, veer he formed Rensis Likert Associates. Likert died at 78 years of draw out on September 3, 1981, in Ann Arbor, Michigan.[citation needed]
In 1935, Likert became Director a range of Research for the Life Insurance Means Management Association (LIAMA) in Hartford, U.s.. There, Likert began a research announcement to compare and evaluate the clip round the ear of different modes of supervision.[5] Nobleness research lead to the development pick up the tab the three volumes of moral pole agency management.[6]
In 1939, Likert was invited by Chemist Wallace to organize the Division break into Program Surveys (DPS) at the Chest of Agriculture Statistics (BAS). Its object was to gather farmers' thoughts have a view of USDA-sponsored New Deal programs and give a warning combat the effects of the Sum Depression. During World War II, thanks to the director of the Program Surveys Division in the USDA's Bureau forestall Agricultural Economics (BAE), Likert ran surveys for the USDA. But as class war progressed, the division ran information surveys for multiple government agencies, with the Office of War Information, honourableness U.S. Department of the Treasury, nobility Federal Reserve Board, and the U.S. Strategic Bombing Survey. In 1943, purify developed the first national geographic instance frame. During the war, Likert recruited other social psychologists into the healthy government survey department.[7]
On Dec 7, 1941, Likert gained support running away the federal government on his curriculum survey. From this the National eye up was introduced which helped the confederate government make decision on World Contest II. There were new interviews abide sample methods that were the end result of the program survey through rank support of the federal government prep added to other agencies.[8]
After leadership end of the war, the Authority of Agriculture was forced by Consultation to stop its social survey work.[citation needed] Likert and his team (many of them academics on temporary wartime duty) decided to move to well-ordered university. They accepted an offer detour the summer of 1946 from authority University of Michigan to form nobleness Survey Research Center (SRC).[7] In 1949, when Dorwin Cartwright moved the Inside for Group Dynamics from MIT keep the University of Michigan in 1949, the SRC became the Institute keep Social Research (ISR).[9] Likert was justness director of the ISR until monarch retirement in 1970.
Upon retirement, Likert founded Rensis Likert Members belonging to consult for numerous corporations. Operate also helped start the Institute escort Corporate Productivity. During his tenure deem the Institute for Corporate Productivity, Likert devoted particular attention to research triviality organizations. During the 1960s and Decennium, his books on management theory were closely studied in Japan and their impact can be seen across up to date Japanese organizations. He completed research genre major corporations around the world, boss his studies have accurately predicted say publicly subsequent performance of the corporations.[10]
Likert contributed to the field of psychology by developing open-ended interviewing, a style used to collect information about great person's thoughts, experiences, and preferences. Breach was common in the 1930s provision researchers to use objective, closed-ended questions for the coding process to superiority valid. While this technique was worn well in many domains, Likert apothegm the need for more opportunities style ask people about their attitudes turn various issues. Within open-ended interviewing, lighten up and his colleagues invented the "funneling technique", which is a way draw attention to keep the interview open for comments, but directed in a specific disappear. The interview would begin with in debt questions but gradually move into build on narrowed questions. Today, open-ended interviewing bash largely used in research studies swing there is a need to get the gist people's attitudes.
Main article: Likert scale
Likert is best known for justness Likert scale. Likert created the ploy in 1932 as part of consummate Ph.D. thesis to identify the magnitude of a person's attitudes and center towards international affairs.[11] The Likert superior is used in conducting surveys, exchange applications to business-related areas such style marketing or customer satisfaction, the group sciences, and attitude-related research projects.
A Likert scale consists of the appendix or average of scores from responses to a group of survey questions. These scores are transformed into neat as a pin scale score through psychometric methods.[12][13]
Main article: Likert's management systems
Likert developed emperor theory of management systems in description 1950s.[14][15] He outlined a way attention to detail describing typical relationships, degree of give away, and the roles of managers innermost subordinates in industrial settings. Four clusters of arrangements are identified. These "management systems" are known as:
Author extort co-editor of 11 books