The factorial and construct validity of the Japanese Burnout Scale among service workers

Abstract

Two studies were conducted to examine the factorial and construct validity of the Japanese Burnout Scale which was designed to measure hypothesized aspects of the burnout syndrome among public service workers in a variety of samples. The sample in study 1 consisted of 389 public service workers, 350 non-public service workers, and 3,410 non-service workers. Exploratory factor analysis confirmed a hypothesized three-factor structure for both public and non-public service workers, which was confirmed by confirmatory factor analysis. The sample in study 2 consisted of the following car dealer employees: 349 sales staff, 152 engineering staff, and 288 clerical staff. Exploratory factor analysis confirmed a hypothesized three-factor structure only in the sales staff group, which was confirmed by confirmatory factor analysis. Moreover, the construct validity of the scale was supported by the job demand-control model (Karasek, 1979). The Japanese Burnout Scale may serve as a useful measure of burnout syndrome among service workers in future research.