The psychometric properties of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale on a Zimbabwean population

Abstract

Orientation: Work engagement has been found to be related to positive job attitudes such as job involvement, job satisfaction, organisational commitment, and low turnover intention. Research purpose: The primary goal of this study was to test the psychometric properties of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) on a Zimbabwean sample. Motivation for the study: The UWES is a widely used measure of work engagement. Therefore, there is a need to assess the reliability and construct validity of the UWES in a Zimbabwean sample owing to the paucity of studies on its psychometric properties in this setting. Research approach/design and method: A cross-sectional survey research design was employed (N = 304). A non-probability sample of 304 participants from selected security organisations was studied. The UWES was used to measure work engagement, and its reliability was evaluated using SPSS. Construct validity was assessed through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using LISREL. Main findings: Moderately high levels of reliability were found for the UWES subscales. A poor model fit with the data was found for first-order measurement models through CFA. Practical/managerial implications: The UWES demonstrated a reasonable fit for the 9-item scale CFA model tested in this study. Moderately high reliability coefficients were recorded for all the subscales of the UWES. Contribution/value-add: The study promotes the use of reliable and valid instruments in Zimbabwe by confirming the psychometric properties of the UWES.

Keywords

• confirmatory factor analysis
• cronbach’s alpha
• construct validity
• discriminant validity
• work engagement.