Validation and Measurement Invariance of the German and Spanish Gender Bias Scale for Women Leaders

Abstract

Gender bias still appears to contribute significantly to the gender disparity observed in upper leadership positions. The present study presents the translation, modification, and validation of the Gender Bias Scale for Women Leaders (GBSWL, Diehl et al., 2020) into German and Spanish. Using data from four samples of full-time employed women from Germany and Spain with and without leadership responsibility (N = 870), we conducted confirmatory factor analyses to establish factorial validity, tested measurement invariance across the different job levels and countries, and tested construct validity. Our results indicate that the original factor structure does not hold in Germany and Spain. Therefore, utilizing the German leader sample as a construction sample, we modified the factor structure and validated the modified version using the remaining three samples. The modified version demonstrated good model fit, had metric measurement invariance across all samples, and resulted in a correlational pattern consistent with theory and the original study. Overall, results suggest that the German and Spanish versions of the GBSWL are reliable and valid instruments that scholars and practitioners can use to advance theory, research, and human resource practice in Germany and Spain.