Work orientation refers to the relationship between the individual and their work, interpreting the significance of work from the perspective of work goals, and representing the individual’s beliefs about the role of work in life. Although research on work orientation is increasing, the structure of work orientation within the Chinese social context needs to be further explored and confirmed. Developing a work orientation scale (WOS) suitable for the Chinese context based on this structure is of great practical significance for understanding the current status of work orientation among Chinese employees. Therefore, this study aims to construct the latent structure of work orientation for Chinese employees and to develop and validate a WOS suitable for this population. In Study 1, a theoretical model of work orientation was constructed using semi-structured interview method and relevant theories in existing literature. An initial WOS was created and administered to 855 Chinese employees, resulting in a five-factor scale: job, career, calling, social embeddedness, and family, with 9, 10, 10, 9, and 8 items respectively. In Study 2, the WOS’s reliability and validity were assessed with another 543 respondents. Cronbach’s α, confirmatory factor analysis, average variance extracted (AVE), and AVE square root were used to evaluate reliability, construct validity, convergent validity, and discriminant validity, respectively. Criterion validity of WOS scores was confirmed through their correlation with relevant variables in anticipated directions. The results show that the WOS for the Chinese employees can effectively measure individuals’ work orientations within Chinese context.
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