How do I gain access to the OLA to use for my academic research project?  How much does it cost?
  Click here to get information on how to utilizing the OLA for academic research projects.  For research other than academic research please contact Dr. Jim Laub at ola@olagroup.com

Is the OLA the right instrument for my research project?
 

The OLA is designed to assess an entire organization (or organizational unit) as to the perception of servant leadership by 1) Top Leaders, 2) Managers/Supervisors and 3) Workforce.  It is not designed to assess the servant leadership of individual leaders.  The OLA may work well for your particular research project if:

  • You plan to assess organizations or organizational units.  The OLA can assess any group that has recognized leadership and membership.  A workteam can be assessed using the OLA.
  • You desire to determine the level of servant leadership (and therefore Organizational Health Level) of one or more organizations.  Be sure to read through the Concepts section of this website to understand the six organizational power levels and the six areas of servant leadership measured by the OLA
  • You desire to compare the perceptions of servant leadership between the 3 organizational roles (top leaders, managers/supervisiors and workforce)

 


 

Where can I view the OLA instrument?  Is it only provided in English?
  Click here to view the various versions of the OLA instrument.  The Standard version is the one utilized in most research and organizational consulting since it is designed to apply to all types of organizations.  A separate Educational version has been developed to relate more specifically to school settings.  In addition to English, the Standard version is also now available in Spanish, Dutch, Portuguese and Japanese.  The OLA Report is only available now in English.

 


 

 

What are the scorebreaks for determining the Six Organizational Health Levels?
 

1.0 to 1.99 = Org 1 = Autocratic (Toxic Health)

2.0 to 2.99 = Org 2 = Autocratic (Poor Health)

3.0 to 3.49 = Org 3 = Negative Paternalistic (Limited Health)

3.5 to 3.99 = Org 4 = Positive Paternalistic (Moderate Health)

4.0 to 4.49 = Org 5 = Servant (Excellent Health)

4.5 to 5.00 = Org 6 = Servant (Optimal Health)


Why are the OLA scores displayed differently in different studies?
  In the early studies beginning with Dr. Laub's original dissertation the OLA scores were displayed as total potential scores for the 60 item instrument (from 60 to 300).   This was the average response score (between 1-5 on the Likert scale) X 60.  In more current studies the average response score (from 1-5 has been used).  The OLA report also utilizes the 1-5 score format.  This way of scoring helps to clearly identify the Organizational Health Level of each organization tested.  Since a response of 4 on the OLA Likert scale represents "Agreement" ... this is the average scorebreak required for identifying an organization as a Servant Organization.

What other research studies have been done using the OLA?
  Currently there have been over 30 dissertations or Master's theses completed with the OLA (or using the OLA constructs).  You can read through a list of abstracts for each of these studies by going to Dissertation/Theses.  You can review a list of Current Research as well which will give you the research studies that are currently underway.  For some of these studies you can download the actual dissertation or a summary of the research.  There are contacts for some of the researchers which will allow you to get connected to others who may be doing research similar to what you are considering.

I don't want to use the complete OLA instrument.  Can I use parts of the instrument for the specific needs of my study?
  No -- the OLA instrument must be used in its complete form in order to maintain its strong psychometric qualities.  If you change the instrument you can no longer claim that it is reliable or valid.  Also, the instrument now must be taken on the olagroup website in order to collect all of the data for continued support of the OLA. 

What about the reliability and validity of the OLA instrument?
  The OLA has now been utilized in over 30 different research studies (most of them doctoral dissertations) and has proven to be a highly reliable and valid instrument for measuring the perception of servant leadership qualities within organizations.  Click here to review the psychometric qualities of the OLA.

I would like to use the Sub-scores in my research.  What is the recommendation on using OLA scores for research purposes?
  The sub-scores refers to the Six Areas of Servant Leadership (OLA Model) that were identified in the original research that developed the OLA instrument.  During this research it was discovered that these six subscores were highly correlated and therefore should not be used as separate subscores for research purposes.  Only the single OLA score should be used for research purposes.  For diagnostic purposes (evaluating a single organization) it is appropriate and useful to use the separate subscores and this is what is done when providing the OLA report for organizational consulting purposes.

What is the process for using the OLA instrument online for my research?
 

It is now required that you use the Online OLA instrument for your research so that all of the data collected can be centralized in one location for ongoing research on the OLA instrument.  It is still possible to use the OLA as a paper/pencil instrument but you must agree to input all of the data from your study into the OLAgroup website.  So, what is the process:

  • For each organization that you will be assessing, provide the following information to Dr. Laub so that he can set up each organization on the OLAgroup website
  •  
      1. Name of the Organization
      2. Size of the Organization (approximate # of employees)
      3. Type of Organization (Business, non-profit, healthcare, religious, education, government)
      4. Name of the Contact Person - this is probably you (the researcher) but could be someone that you designate to receive the OLA Instructional Email
      5. Contact Person's (1) mailing address (2) phone numbers (work, fax, cell)
      6. Contact Person's Email Address - The OLA Instructional Email will be sent to this address - please double check it for accuracy
      7. Contact Person Username - this can be your regular name  or anything you choose
      8. Contact Person Password - anything you choose
      9. What is the Focus of the assessment?  The "Total Organization" or a select Organizational Unit within the organization?  If it is an Organizational Unit, what is the name of that Unit?
      10. Do you desire to sub-divide the larger Total Organization or Organizational Unit into Sub-groups?  If so, what are the name of the Sub-groups?  (note: selecting sub-groups will provide you with an additional OLA report per Sub-group in addition to the Total Organization OLA report - be sure that the Sub-groups are set up so that everyone who will be taking the OLA will have one Sub-group to select)
      11. Acknowledgement that all three Positional Roles will be represented (Top Leadership, Managers/Supervisors & Workforce) ... or which will be missing
      12. Acknowledgement that the Total Organization (all members) will be asked to participate in the study .... Or, if you will be seeking a Random Sample
      13. The Number of OLA instruments needed for this organization
  • Once each organization has been set up on the OLAgroup website you will receive the OLA Instructional Email for each organization.  Click here to see a sample of what you will receive.  The Email will include:
    • Part 1:  All instructions for taking the OLA instrument online, including the Organizational ID and PIN # to access the OLA instrument.  You will customize this part of the email and send it out to all who will be participating in your study.   Note: The same Organizational ID and PIN # are provided for the entire organization in order to insure complete confidentiality for those taking the OLA.
    • Part 2: Instructions and Contact Persona Username and Password to allow you to monitor the progress of the completion of the OLA online by each of the organizations in your study.
  • Once each organization has completed taking the OLA, you will contact Dr. Laub to ask him to provide the following:
    • The OLA Report for the Organization
    • The raw data in Excel format
    •  
  • It is your responsibility to process and analyse the data for your study under the direction of your Committee Chair and your Stats advisor.