Advancing Research and Practice Through an Empirically Validated Short-Form Measure of Work Engagement
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Advancing Research and Practice Through an Empirically Validated Short-Form Measure of Work Engagement Russell A. Matthews 1
& Maura
J. Mills 1 & Shelby Wise 2
Received: 12 March 2020 / Revised: 4 June 2020 / Accepted: 16 July 2020 # Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
Abstract Taking a multifaceted approach toward establishing validity, we present evidence from four independent samples supporting the efficacy of a short-form (three-item) version of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale. The measure provides a psychometrically sound instrument to facilitate both complex and longitudinal research designs on engagement, as well as in practice, where parsimony is vital. To this end, we examine the short-form measure for measurement invariance based on a large heterogeneous sample (Study 1 Sample 3), as well as temporal invariance based on six waves of data with two-week lags between assessments (Study 2). As such, to demonstrate the utility of the short measure, we provide a within-individual test of the concept of gain spirals within conservation of resources theory (Study 2) wherein we introduce the notion top-down versus bottom-up gain spirals. Collectively we present strong validity evidence for the short-form measure such that it is applicable for both practitioners and academics alike. Keywords Engagement . Short-form . Validation . Invariance . Life satisfaction
Arguably “the single most important issue in management research and practice in the last decade” (Saks 2017, p. 76), work engagement, has received considerable and increasing attention (e.g., Saks and Gruman 2014; Seppälä et al. 2015) in the realms of both research and practice. However, engagement – defined as a “positive, fulfilling,
* Russell A. Matthews [email protected] Maura J. Mills [email protected]
1
Department of Management, The University of Alabama, 361 Stadium Drive, Box 870225, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA
2
Department of Psychology, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403, USA
Occupational Health Science
and work-related state of mind characterized by vigor, dedication and absorption” (Schaufeli and Bakker 2004, p. 295) – has also seen widespread decline amongst employees worldwide. Gallup estimates that these disengaged employees are costing US companies alone upwards of $250 billion annually (Rath and Conchie 2009). With these underling financials as a salient backdrop, focus on this construct also stems from its established relationship with a host of outcomes essential for organizational success, including employee productivity, firm profitability, and competitive advantage (e.g., Buckingham and Coffman 1999; Harter et al. 2002; Rich et al. 2010; Schaufeli 2013). Nevertheless, despite this sustained importance and relevance, there remains a notable research-practitioner gap in terms of operationalizing the construct, as well as its effective measurement (Bailey 2016; Saks 2017). Indeed, scholars (e.g., Macey and Schneider 2008; Mills et al. 2013; Saks 2017; Shuck et al. 2017) have consistently lamented
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