The effect of Method Variance on Relationships Between the Work Ethic and Individual Difference Variables

Abstract

A great deal of research relating the work ethic to other individual difference variables has been conducted using questionnaires to measure all the variables. Many researchers believe that using a single method of measurement for multiple constructs results in artificially inflated correlations. A Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the work ethic, locus of control, and conscientiousness reveals that approximately 16% of the variance in measures of these constructs is a function of the method of measurement. This suggests that correlations in work ethic research based on only one method of measurement may be overstated.