Work Needs Satisfaction Scale- Spanish Version: Psychometric Properties and Validity Evidence

Abstract

With a growing Latinx workforce in the U.S., many of whom are Spanish-speaking, there is a pressing need to examine key constructs related to vocational well-being in this population. The aim of the current study was to validate a Spanish language version of the Work Needs Satisfaction Scales (WNSS; Autin et al., 2019). The WNSS comprises a set of scales developed to measure satisfaction of survival, social contribution, autonomy, competence, and relatedness needs, all of which are theorized to be key mediators in the link from decent work to well-being and work fulfillment. Using cross-sectional data across two samples of Latinx workers, we tested the reliability and validity of a Spanish language version of the WNSS (WNSS-SV). In Study 1 we conducted an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) with a sample of 195 participants. This resulted in a 19-item scale with five factors mirroring those of the English language scale. In Study 2 (N = 377), we examined factor structure and model fit using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA); measurement invariance across gender, language, and social class group; and concurrent validity. Results from Study 2 demonstrated the model was a good fit to the data; showed concurrent validity; and provided support for measurement invariance. Thus, overall results indicated that the WNSS-SV may serve as a useful tool for future research on work-related need satisfaction among Latinx workers. A discussion regarding the importance of these findings and implications for practice and research are provided.

Keywords

need satisfaction psychology of working theory latinx workers

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Ægisdóttir

Gerstein

L. H.

Çinarbaş

D. C.

(2008). Methodological issues in cross-cultural counseling research: Equivalence, bias, and translations. The Counseling Psychologist, 36(2), 188–219. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011000007305384

Arevalo

McNaughton-Cassill

(2016). The role of collectivism among Latino American college students. Journal of Latinos and Education, 15(1), 3–11. https://doi.org/10.1080/15348431.2015.1045143

Autin

K. L.

Duffy

R. D.

Blustein

D. L.

Gensmer

N. P.

Douglass

R. P.

England

J. W.

Allan

B. A.

(2019). The development and initial validation of need satisfaction scales within the psychology of working theory. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 66(2), 195–209. https://doi.org/10.1037/cou0000323

Blustein

D. L.

(2001). Extending the reach of vocational psychology: Toward an inclusive and integrative psychology of working. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 59(2), 171–182. https://doi.org/10.1006/jvbe.2001.1823

Blustein

D. L.

Olle

Connors-Kellgren

Diamonti

A. J.

(2016). Decent work: A psychological perspective. Frontiers in Psychology, 7, 407. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00407.

Browne

M. W.

Cudeck

(1992). Alternative ways of assessing model fit. Sociological Methods & Research, 21(2), 230–258. https://doi.org/10.1177/0049124192021002005

Chirkov

V. I.

Ryan

R. M.

Kim

Kaplan

(2003). Differentiating autonomy from individualism and independence: A self-determination theory perspective on internalization of cultural orientations and well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(1), 97–109. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.84.1.97

Chirkov

V. I.

Ryan

R. M.

Willness

(2005). Cultural context and psychological needs in Canada and Brazil: Testing a self-determination approach to the internalization of cultural practices, identity, and well-being. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 36(4), 423–443. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022105275960

Church

A. T.

Alvarez

J. M.

Katigbak

M. S.

Mastor

K. A.

Cabrera

H. F.

Tanaka-Matsumi

Vargas-Flores

J. d. J.

Ibanez-Reyes

Zhang

H. S.

Shen

Locke

K. D.

Ortiz

F. A.

Curtis

G. J.

Simon

J. Y. R.

Ching

C. M.

Buchanan

A. L.

(2012). Self-concept consistency and short-term stability in eight cultures. Journal of Research in Personality, 46(5), 556–570. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2012.06.003

10.

Coleman-Jensen

Rabbitt

M. P.

Gregory

C. A.

Singh

(2017). Household food security in the United States in 2016. United States Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service. https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/publications/84973/err-237.pdf

11.

Cross

S. E.

Markus

H. R.

(1999). The cultural constitution of personality. In Pervin

L. A.

John

O. P.

(Eds.), Handbook of personality: Theory and research (2nd ed., pp. 378–396). Guilford Press.

12.

Deci

E. L.

Olafsen

A. H.

Ryan

R. M.

(2017). Self-determination theory in work organizations: The state of a science. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 4(1), 19–43. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-032516-113108

13.

Deci

E. L.

Ryan

R. M.

(1985). The general causality orientations scale: Self-determination in personality. Journal of Research in Personality, 19(2), 109–134. https://doi.org/10.1016/0092-6566(85)90023-6

14.

Deci

E. L.

Ryan

R. M.

(1991). A motivational approach to self: Integration in personality. In Dienstbier

R. A.

(Ed.), Nebraska symposium on motivation, 1990: Perspectives on motivation (pp. 237–288). University of Nebraska Press.

15.

Diener

Emmons

R. A.

Larsen

R. J.

Griffin

(1985). The satisfaction with life scale. Journal of Personality Assessment, 49(1), 71–75. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327752jpa4901_13

16.

Duffy

R. D.

Allan

B. A.

England

J. W.

Blustein

D. L.

Autin

K. L.

Douglass

R. P.

Ferreira

Santos

E. J. R.

(2017). The development and initial validation of the Decent Work Scale. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 64(2), 206–221. https://doi.org/10.1037/cou0000191

17.

Duffy

R. D.

Blustein

D. L.

Diemer

M. A.

Autin

K. L.

(2016). The psychology of working theory. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 63(2), 127–148. https://doi.org/10.1037/cou0000140

18.

Duffy

R. D.

Kim

H. J.

Gensmer

N. P.

Raque-Bogdan

T. L.

Douglass

R. P.

England

J. W.

Buyukgoze-Kavas

(2019). Linking decent work with physical and mental health: A psychology of working perspective. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 112, 384–395. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2019.05.002

19.

Duffy

R. D.

Prieto

C. G.

Kim

H. J.

Raque-Bogdan

T. L.

Duffy

N. O.

(2021). Decent work and physical health: A multi-wave investigation. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 127, 103544. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2021.103544.

20.

Falicov

C. J.

(2001). The cultural meanings of money: The case of Latinos and Anglo-Americans. American Behavioral Scientist, 45(2), 313–328. https://doi.org/10.1177/00027640121957088

21.

Flores

L. Y.

Martinez

L. D.

McGillen

G. G.

Milord

(2019). Something old and something new: Future directions in vocational research with people of color in the United States. Journal of Career Assessment, 27(2), 187–208. https://doi.org/10.1177/1069072718822461

22.

Gorsuch

R. L.

(1983). Factor analysis (2nd ed.). Erlbaum.

23.

Gould

E. L.

Perez

Rawlston-Wilson

(2020). Latinx workers--particularly women--face devastating job losses in the COVID-19 recession: Report. Economic Policy Institute. https://www.epi.org/publication/latinx-workers-covid/

24.

Hayton

J. C.

Allen

D. G.

Scarpello

(2004). Factor retention decisions in exploratory factor analysis: A tutorial on parallel analysis. Organizational Research Methods, 7(2), 191–205. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094428104263675

25.

Hill

C. E.

(2012). Consensual qualitative research: A practical resource for investigating social science phenomena. American Psychological Association.

26.

L. T.

Bentler

P. M.

(1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 6, 1–55. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705519909540118

27.

Kim

Y. H.

O’Brien

K. M.

Kim

(2016). Measuring career aspirations across cultures: Using the career aspiration scale with young Korean women. Journal of Career Assessment, 24(3), 573–585. https://doi.org/10.1177/1069072715599538

28.

Kline

R. B.

(2015). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling. Guilford Press.

29.

Krogstad

J. M.

Lopez

M. H.

(2017, October 31). Use of Spanish declines among Latinos in major U.S. metros. Pew Research Center Fact Tank; Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/10/31/use-of-spanish-declines-among-latinos-in-major-u-s-metros/

30.

Lopez

M. H.

Gonzalez-Barrera

Lopez

(2017, December 20). Hispanic identity fades across Generations as immigrant connections fall awayGenerations as immigrant ties weaken. Pew research center’s hispanic trends project. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/hispanic/2017/12/20/hispanic-identity-fades-across-generations-as-immigrant-connections-fall-away/

31.

MacCallum

R. C.

Widaman

K. F.

Zhang

Hong

(1999). Sample size in factor analysis. Psychological Methods, 4(1), 84–99. https://doi.org/10.1037/1082-989X.4.1.84

32.

O’Connor

B. P.

(2000). SPSS and SAS programs for determining the number of components using parallel analysis and Velicer’s MAP test. Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers, 32(3), 396–402. https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03200807

33.

Parent

M. C.

(2013). Handling item-level missing data: Simpler is just as good. The Counseling Psychologist, 41(4), 568–600. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011000012445176

34.

Price

(1997). Handbook of organizational measurement. International Journal of Manpower, 18(4/5/6), 305–558. https://doi.org/10.1108/01437729710182260

35.

Rigotti

Mohr

De Cuyper

De Witte

Bernhard

Isaksson

De Jong

Schalk

Caballer

Gracia

Peiró

J. M.

Ramos

Silla

Clinton

Guest

Krausz

Staynvarts

(2003). Instruction work and blue print for methodology. Unpublished research report. https://www.uv.es/psycon/documentacion/WP3.pdf

36.

Rinderle

Montoya

(2008). Hispanic/Latino identity labels: An examination of cultural values and personal experiences. The Howard Journal of Communications, 19(2), 144–164. https://doi.org/10.1080/10646170801990953

37.

Ryan

R. M.

Deci

E. L.

(2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55(1), 68–78. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066x.55.1.68

38.

Ryan

R. M.

Deci

E. L.

(2017). Self-determination theory: Basic psychological needs in motivation, development, and wellness. Guilford Press.

39.

Schwartz

S. J.

Weisskirch

R. S.

Hurley

E. A.

Zamboanga

B. L.

Park

I. J. K.

Kim

S. Y.

Umaña-Taylor

Castillo

L. G.

Brown

Greene

A. D.

(2010). Communalism, familism, and filial piety: Are they birds of a collectivist feather? Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 16(4), 548–560. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0021370

40.

Segal

Gerdes

Mullins

Wagaman

Androff

(2011). Social empathy attitudes: Do Latino students have more? Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 21(4), 438–454. https://doi.org/10.1080/10911359.2011.566445

41.

Semega

Kollar

Shrider

E. M.

Cramer

(2020). Income and poverty in the United States: 2019. The United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2020/demo/p60-270.html

42.

Vázquez

Duque

Hervás

(2013). Satisfaction with life scale in a representative sample of Spanish adults: Validation and normative data. The Spanish Journal of Psychology, 16, E82. https://doi.org/10.1017/sjp.2013.82.

43.

Velicer

W. F.

Eaton

C. A.

Fava

J. L.

(2000). Construct explication through factor or component analysis: A review and evaluation of alternative procedures for determining the number of factors or components. In Goffin

R. D.

Helmes

(Eds.), Problems and solutions in human assessment. Kluwer Academic.

44.

Weston

Gore

P. A.,

Jr. (2006). A brief guide to structural equation modeling. The Counseling Psychologist, 34(5), 719–751. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011000006286345

45.

Worthington

R. L.

Whittaker

T. A.

(2006). Scale development research: A content analysis and recommendations for best practices. The Counseling Psychologist, 34(6), 806–838. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011000006288127

46.

Wang

Lan

(2022). Validation of work need satisfaction scales among Chinese working adults: A psychology of working theory perspective. Journal of Career Assessment, 30(1), 181–199. https://doi.org/10.1177/10690727211032368