HR & organizational behavior
Work engagement scale: what it is and how to measure it
- Concept
- Work Engagement
- Field
- HR & organizational behavior
- Scales in the library
- 3
- Items
- 9
Work engagement is a positive, energized state at work with three parts: vigor, dedication, and absorption. Schaufeli and Bakker see it as the opposite of burnout and place it in the job demands-resources (JD-R) model. It differs from organizational engagement (organizational commitment), which is attachment to the workplace. Common topics in Vietnam: work engagement of bank staff, teachers, and nurses, and the effect of leadership and organizational support.
Comparing the scales
| Scale | Author (year) | Items | Response format | When to use it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vigor (VI) Work engagement (UWES-9) | Schaufeli, Bakker & Salanova (2006) | 3 | 7-point | Vigor component; use together with DE and AB for the full UWES-9. |
| Dedication (DE) Work engagement (UWES-9) | Schaufeli, Bakker & Salanova (2006) | 3 | 7-point | Dedication component; use together with VI and AB. |
| Absorption (AB) Work engagement (UWES-9) | Schaufeli, Bakker & Salanova (2006) | 3 | 7-point | Absorption component; use together with VI and DE. |
Items of each scale
Original English wording from the published source. Replace placeholders such as [system] or
[brand] with what your study is about, and pilot the questionnaire with 20 to 30 respondents first.
Vigor (VI) · Work engagement (UWES-9)
| Code | Item |
|---|---|
| VI1 | At my work, I feel bursting with energy. |
| VI2 | At my job, I feel strong and vigorous. |
| VI3 | When I get up in the morning, I feel like going to work. |
Source: Schaufeli, Bakker & Salanova (2006). Response scale, licence and APA reference: Work engagement (UWES-9).
Dedication (DE) · Work engagement (UWES-9)
| Code | Item |
|---|---|
| DE1 | I am enthusiastic about my job. |
| DE2 | My job inspires me. |
| DE3 | I am proud of the work that I do. |
Source: Schaufeli, Bakker & Salanova (2006). Response scale, licence and APA reference: Work engagement (UWES-9).
Absorption (AB) · Work engagement (UWES-9)
| Code | Item |
|---|---|
| AB1 | I feel happy when I am working intensely. |
| AB2 | I am immersed in my work. |
| AB3 | I get carried away when I'm working. |
Source: Schaufeli, Bakker & Salanova (2006). Response scale, licence and APA reference: Work engagement (UWES-9).
Tips
- UWES uses a 7-point frequency scale from 0 (Never) to 6 (Always, every day), not an agreement Likert scale.
- The three components are highly correlated. Many studies use the 9-item total as a single construct; if you run CFA, compare the 1-factor and 3-factor models.
- There are no reverse-coded items, so add an attention check to remove respondents who give the same answer to every item.
- If your topic is attachment to the company (staying, pride), that is organizational commitment; see the OCQ scale.
Once you have a scale, put the concept in the research model drawer to state your hypotheses, work out the minimum sample size, and after data collection check reliability with the Cronbach's alpha calculator.
Frequently asked questions
Are work engagement and organizational engagement the same?
No. Work engagement (UWES) is a state of energy and absorption while working. Organizational engagement, or organizational commitment, is attachment to and a wish to stay with the company. The two can be used together in one model.
UWES-9 or UWES-17: which should I use?
UWES-9 is the short form recommended by the authors for surveys, with reliability comparable to the 17-item version. Theses usually use UWES-9 for a compact questionnaire.
Is UWES free to use?
The authors allow free use for non-commercial research. See the copyright section on the UWES-9 scale page in the library.