The Psychological Effects of Relational Job Characteristics Scale: An Adaptation Study for Brazilian K-12 Teachers

Abstract

Relationally enriched jobs can foster psychological states, which, with respect to the beneficiaries of one’s work, drive one’s motivation. These states can be measured with the psychological effects of relational job characteristics scale, an instrument for which the validity is, at present, only supported by preliminary evidence. Accordingly, the present study’s objective was to test a set of psychometric properties reflecting the validity and reliability of the interpretations proposed for this scale. Findings drawn from a sample of 2011 K-12 Brazilian teachers suggested that a tridimensional structure with some residual covariances afforded the best fit. Given the existence of high inter-factor correlations, a second-order factor was proposed as a complementary, if not necessary, feature. Internal consistency omega and alpha coefficients attested to the scores’ reliability, and the factor structure achieved indicates invariance across public state, public municipal, and private Brazilian schools. Different relationships with prosocial motivation and work engagement were identified, suggesting validity of the scale based on relationships with other variables.

Keywords

• psychological effects of relational job characteristics
• validity
• Brazilian teachers
• relational job characteristics