Abstract
Objective: Burnout and work engagement are generally defined as psychological states but the methods used to measure these constructs are more in line with methods used to assess psychological traits. Thus, a new instrument called the Scale of Work Engagement and Burnout (SWEBO) measuring the state mood of burnout and work engagement was developed during the fall of 2007. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the SWEBO using psychometrical methods.
Participants: The sample consisted of 2,266 newly graduated Swedish nurses and teachers.
Methods: Measurement models of both burnout and work engagement were evaluated using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Both burnout and work engagement were also tested for measurement invariance across occupation and age.
Results: The fit of the measurement model of burnout was satisfactory and it was invariant across both occupation and age. The measurement model of work engagement as initially defined did not fit the data satisfactorily. The model was therefore revised and reanalyzed. The revised model had a satisfactory fit and was invariant across occupation. Analysis of its invariance across age, however, gave ambiguous results that were difficult to interpret.
Conclusions: The SWEBO presents a psychometrically sound alternative for measuring burnout and work engagement.
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