The measurement of work engagement with a short questionnaire

Educational and Psychological Measurement, 2006

This article reports on the development of a short questionnaire to measure work engagement-a positive work-related state of fulfillment that is characterized by vigor, dedication, and absorption. Data were collected in 10 different countries (N = 14,521), and results indicated that the original 17-item Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) can be shortened to 9 items (UWES-9). The factorial validity of the UWES-9 was demonstrated using confirmatory factor analyses, and the three scale scores have good internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Furthermore, a two-factor model with a reduced Burnout factor (including exhaustion and cynicism) and an expanded Engagement factor (including vigor, dedication, absorption, and professional efficacy) fit best to the data. These results confirm that work engagement may be conceived as the positive antipode of burnout. It is concluded that the UWES-9 scores has acceptable psychometric properties and that the instrument can be used in studies on positive organizational behavior.

Journal of Happiness Studies, 2009

This study investigated the factor structure and factorial group and time invariance of the 17-item and 9-item versions of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES; Journal of Happiness Studies 3:71-92). Furthermore, the study explored the rank-order stability of work engagement. The data were drawn from five different studies (N = 9,404), including a three-year longitudinal study (n = 2,555), utilizing five divergent occupational samples. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the hypothesized correlated three-factor structure-vigor, dedication, absorption-of both UWES scales. However, while the structure of the UWES-17 did not remain the same across the samples and time, the structure of the UWES-9 remained relatively unchanged. Thus, the UWES-9 has good construct validity and use of the 9-item version can be recommended in future research. Moreover, as hypothesized, Structural Equation Modeling showed high rank-order stabilities for the work engagement factors (between 0.82 and 0.86). Accordingly, work engagement seems to be a highly stable indicator of occupational well-being. added to the fact that the number of positive constructs of occupational well-being are limited, the concept of work engagement has received increasing attention in the field of occupational health psychology (Schaufeli and Salanova 2007). Work engagement, including the three dimensions of vigor, dedication and absorption, is assumed to be a strictly positive and relatively stable indicator of occupational well-being . The three dimensions of work engagement are also included in the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES), a survey which has been developed to measure work engagement .

International Journal of business psychology

Work engagement is defined as a positive state of mind, well-grounded emotional and cognitive state associated to work. Work engagement has an effect on individual job performance, work attitude and behavior factors, and organizational outcome variables such as customer satisfaction, productivity, profit margins, and overall unit performance. Individual characteristic such as, workrelated factors, and family-related factors, among others, are contributing elements of work engagement. Based on a thorough evaluation of previous research on work engagement; the study concludes that future research should improve the discussion of five areas, including the intervention mechanism of work engagement.

Work engagement as a predictor of health is an emerging concept in occupational science and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) is the most popular work engagement measurement tool. However, despite its popularity, the UWES is not free from controversy concerning its factorial validity. In this paper, 21 research studies on both UWES-9 and UWES-17 factorial validity within the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) approach have been reviewed in order to answer the question as to which of the UWES factorial structures displays greater validity. The originally proposed three-factor structure of the UWES has been recognized as superior in 6 studies. In further 6 studies, the UWES structure with 1 general factor has been found to be superior. In 8 studies, the authors have concluded that the one-and three-factor structures could be considered equivalent. One study has failed to confirm either the one-or three-factor structure of the UWES. These ambiguous results from studies focusing on the UWES factorial validity are puzzling because they not only indicate a lack of validity for the UWES as a measurement tool but might also challenge the whole concept of work engagement as a three-factor structure of dedication, vigor and absorption. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2017;30(2):161–175

People are the engine of each organization and constitute the foundation upon which it is built. However, unhealthy employees may cause this foundation to crumble due to high levels of absenteeism and subsequent increasing costs. In order to prevent such negative effects, the organizational sciences have paid much attention to the negative aspects of work life (Wright & Cropanzano, 2004), such as job burnout . But due to this negative focus, the positive aspects of working life have largely been ignored. This is unfortunate, as mentally and physically healthy employees are likely to perform very well (e.g., . The current chapter aims to enhance our understanding of the relation between the positive side of employee well-being and job performance. The basic tenet of this chapter is that job performance is optimal if employees are in an affective-motivational state of mind that is called work engagement . We present our ideas on the relation between work engagement and job performance in a theoretical framework. After consideration of previous work on the effect of employee well-being on organizational outcomes, we discuss research on the relation between employee engagement and performance based on the Job Demands-Resources Model . After arguing for more systematic research on this topic, attention is first paid to our current knowledge on job performance followed by introducing a taxonomy of job performance. Finally, this chapter proposes two explanations of why high levels of work engagement make employees better performers than low levels of work engagement. The chapter closes with a short summary of the theoretical framework and an agenda for future research.

Work & Stress, 2008

This position paper introduces the emerging concept of work engagement: a positive, fulfilling, affectivemotivational state of work-related well-being that is characterized by vigour, dedication, and absorption. Although there are different views of work engagement, most scholars agree that engaged employees have high levels of energy and identify strongly with their work. The most often used instrument to measure engagement is the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, a self-report instrument that has been validated in many countries across the world. Research on engagement has investigated how engagement differs from related concepts (e.g., workaholism, organizational commitment), and has focused on the most important predictors of work engagement. These studies have revealed that engagement is a unique concept that is best predicted by job resources (e.g., autonomy, supervisory coaching, performance feedback) and personal resources (e.g., optimism, self-efficacy, self-esteem). Moreover, the first studies have shown that work engagement is predictive of job performance and client satisfaction. The paper closes with an account of what we do not know about work engagement, and offers a brief research agenda for future work.

International Journal of Social Science and Humanity, 2016

Individuals' performance at work is determined to a certain extent on how engaged they are with the work they are doing. Hence a reliable and valid instrument must be used to accurately measure work engagement. This study aims to test the validity and reliability of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) in the Malaysian culture. The scale consists of three subscales which are vigor, dedication and absorption. This study involved 205 respondents who worked as salespersons in urban area in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. They answered the UWES and three other questionnaires that assess job performance, turnover intention and job meaningfulness. The analysis showed that the validity using exploratory factor analysis managed to extract three factors. However, the factor structures of these three dimensions were slightly different than the original version. Reliability of the scale was satisfactory. The findings also showed significant relations with other criteria namely job performance, job meaningfulness and turnover intention. This study provided initial evidence that the instrument that can be used to measure work engagement in Malaysia. Some limitations and suggestions were recorded for the purpose of improvement for future research and guidance to organizations in developing effective work engagement.

Career Development International, 2008

Purpose -This paper aims to provide an overview of the recently introduced concept of work engagement. Design/methodology/approach -Qualitative and quantitative studies on work engagement are reviewed to uncover the manifestation of engagement, and reveal its antecedents and consequences. Findings -Work engagement can be defined as a state including vigor, dedication, and absorption. Job and personal resources are the main predictors of engagement; these resources gain their salience in the context of high job demands. Engaged workers are more creative, more productive, and more willing to go the extra mile. Originality/value -The findings of previous studies are integrated in an overall model that can be used to develop work engagement and advance career development in today's workplace.

This study examines the factor structure and invariance of the instruments measuring burnout (Maslach Burnout Inventory -General Survey / MBI-GS) and work engagement (Utrecht Work Engagement Scale / UWES) in a sample of Dutch (N = 162) and Greek (N = 206) employees. Confirmatory factor analyses in both samples supported the superiority of the proposed three-factor structure of both the MBI-GS (exhaustion, cynicism, and reduced professional efficacy) and the UWES (vigor, dedication, and absorption). Alternative two-factor and one-factor models did not show a better fit to the data. In addition, results of multigroup analyses partly supported the invariance of the three-factor model of the MBI-GS, and fully supported the invariance of the three-factor model of the UWES across the two national samples. These results suggest that the MBI-GS and the UWES are not only valid instruments for testing burnout and engagement but also allow comparisons across countries.

International Journal of Asian Social Science, 2021

In order to be happy at the workplace, employees need to feel engaged with the work environment. Work engagement refers to a work-related mental state that is positive and fulfilling, characterized by vigor (high levels of energy while working), dedication (sense of meaning, enthusiasm, inspiration, pride and challenge) and absorption (the individual’s complete concentration at work, which makes time fly quickly without his noticing). Besides that, the personal energy that individuals bring to their work is associated with work engagement. This study is done to investigate the factors that allow work engagement at the workplace emphasizing in assisting and addressing experience gaps in the strictest sense of the word by assigning values for the lasting connections actions to the relevant individuals, causing the person or the team to simply focus on producing outcomes in a healthy workplace and collaborative nature.115 participants responded to a survey given online. Findings reveal several factors that can lead to a positive culture at the workplace.