<p>Unlike ordinary employees who delay gratification for personal goals, managerial vocational delay of gratification (MVDG) entails delaying gratification for team objectives as well, which has been largely overlooked in prior researches. This study defines the concept and attributes of MVDG and develops a corresponding measurement instrument. In the first qualitative study, first-hand data were collected through interviews with managers from various industries to capture their perspectives on MVDG. Subsequently, based on grounded theory, a three-dimensional structure was constructed, consisting of Time-cost Delay of Gratification (T-DG), Family-cost Delay of Gratification (F-DG), and Interest-cost Delay of Gratification (I-DG). Drawing on the interview findings, a nine-item questionnaire reflecting these three dimensions was developed. In the second quantitative study, the questionnaire was validated through exploratory factor analysis (<i>n</i> = 225) and confirmatory factor analysis (<i>n</i> = 146). The validity analysis results showed that the three dimensions were negatively correlated to varying degrees with turnover and work-family conflict (<i>n</i> = 179). This study extends the application of delay of gratification theory to the managerial context and offers a scientifically validated tool for future research on gratification delay at the team level and within supervisor-subordinate interactions.</p>