Development and Testing of a Questionnaire for Diagnosing Managerial Professionalism within the Cognitive-Environmental Approach Paradigm

The article presents the results of a multi-year study aimed at developing and testing an original questionnaire for diagnosing managerial professionalism (KSMP-360) within the cognitive-environmental approach paradigm. The relevance of the study is determined by the growing demands on managerial personnel in the context of the TACI world, digital transformation, and post-pandemic changes in organizational systems. Existing methods for assessing managerial professionalism demonstrate methodological limitations: indirect methods focus on personal potential while ignoring the context of activity, while direct methods fail to isolate the psychological component of professionalism. The empirical basis of the study included 30 experts, 700 participants in auxiliary samples (entry-level, middle, and senior managers), and 121 participants in the main sample comprising managers with at least three years of management experience, aged 24 to 68 years (M = 43.06; SD = 10.008). The assessment was conducted using a comprehensive 360-degree scheme involving supervisors, colleagues, and subordinates. The study implemented a multi-stage methodological plan, including: scale selection, formation of the primary subscale structure, sequential exploratory factor analysis on auxiliary and main samples, confirmatory factor analysis, and verification of psychometric characteristics. The outcome of the work is a valid and reliable diagnostic tool consisting of 24 items organized into 3 scales and 8 subscales. The scales measure competency in interacting with the social environment (understanding the social environment, leadership, working with specific social environments), the information environment (cognitive abilities, general and specific digital competency), and the substantive-environmental domain (self-efficacy, knowledge of the specific field). Psychometric indicators demonstrate high reliability (Cronbach's Alpha 0.810-0.920, test-retest reliability 0.71-0.88) and validity (the factor structure explains 78.7% of the variance). The developed methodology has significant scientific and practical potential for use in personnel work, organizational consulting, and further research in the fields of management psychology and organizational psychology.