Work orientation questionnaire: measurement invariance and criterion validity among Swiss, Israeli, and Italian workers

Abstract

This study examined the measurement equivalence of the Work Orientation Questionnaire (WOQ) that assesses five orientations of work meaning: calling, job, career, social embeddedness, and busyness in a sample of Swiss, Israeli, and Italian workers (N = 909). Tests of measurement invariance suggest that the WOQ is reliable and valid across the three countries. Three out of the five orientations (calling, job, and social embeddedness) predicted work engagement, career satisfaction, and job satisfaction in all three countries. Overall, the WOQ seems to be a useful tool to assess the various meanings of work in a diversity of cultural settings.