The Measurement of Self-Concept in an Employment Setting

Abstract

A rationale is described for the measurement of self-concept in the employment setting that involves the translation of six postulated constructs into six factor scales entitled Level of Aspiration, Anxiety, Job Interest and Satisfaction, Leadership and Initiative, Identification versus Alienation, and Job Stress. An experimental form of a test entitled Dimensions of Self-Concept, Form W with 30 self-report items for each of the six factor scales was administered to a sample of 201 employees in a mid-sized division of approximately 700 individuals working in a major electronics/computer company. Internal-consistency estimates of reliability varied between .84 and .91 for the six scales. Approximately 75.6% of the items registered at least as high a correlation with the total score of the factor scale of which they were intended members as with the total score on any of the other remaining five factor scales. An exploratory factor analysis revealed that four of the hypothesized constructs received empirical support in terms of sets of five subtests from the factor scales defining quite clearly four factor dimensions. The 10 subtests from the Level of Aspiration and Job Interest and Satisfaction factor scales fused to describe one factor dimension-an outcome consistent with the observed correlation of .76 between the two factor scales. Attempts already are underway to construct a shorter form with 20 and subsequently with 15 items per factor scale without appreciable loss of reliability but with substantially increased differential validity among the factor scales.