A Validation Study of the Work Need Satisfaction Scale for Korean Working Adults

Abstract

This study aimed to verify the reliability and validity of the Korean version of the Work Need Satisfaction Scale for working adults, based on the psychology of working theory. A total of 589 working adults in Korea responded to the online survey. Of these respondents, 339 were used for exploratory factor analysis and 250 for confirmatory factor analysis. In Stage 1, we translated all items into Korean, back-translated them into English, and then verified the accuracy of the translation. Exploratory factor analysis revealed the 5-factor structure of the Korean version of the Work Need Satisfaction Scale reflecting those of the original scale (survival needs, social contribution needs, autonomy, relatedness, and competence). The scale showed good internal consistency. In Stage 2, confirmatory factor analysis was conducted, and the results indicated that there were no significant differences between a correlational model, a higher-order model, and a higher-order self-determination needs model. Thus, we offered a higher-order self-determination needs model, which had better model fit and was consistent with the original scale and the psychology of working theoretical framework. In addition, convergent and discriminant validity were supported by correlation estimates of the Korean version of the Work Need Satisfaction Scale, and the concurrent validity showed that the Korean version of the Work Need Satisfaction Scale had a significant proportion of explained variance for outcomes. The findings support the conclusion that this study established strong internal consistency and validity for the Korean version of the Work Need Satisfaction Scale. Thus, the scale is unique and meaningful for measuring need satisfaction in work settings in Korea.

Decent Work, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, and Posttraumatic Growth From the Psychology of Working Perspective: A Three-Wave Study of Military Personnel

“…Work Needs Satisfaction. At Time 2, the Korean version of the Work Needs Satisfaction Scale (K-WNSS), based on the WNSS developed by Autin et al (2019) and validated by Kim et al (2021), was used to examine whether the participants met their basic psychological needs through work. The K-WNSS is a 20-item scale comprising five subscales: survival, social contribution needs, and three self-determination needs (autonomy, competence, and relatedness).…”

“…Among the three basic psychological needs, survival needs and social contribution needs factors each comprised four individual item indicators. Specifically, the self-determination needs factor was constructed according to the higher-order self-determination model based on the suggestions of Autin et al (2019) and Kim et al (2021) developing and validating the K-WNSS. The second-order self-determination needs factor comprised the first-order three-factor: autonomy needs, competence needs, and relatedness needs.…”

“…Future studies should be conducted on more diverse cultures to generalize the findings. Since the scale for the three basic psychological needs, which we chose as the key mediating factor, was developed recently (Autin et al, 2019), it is currently being validated for use in different cultures and contexts (Kim et al, 2021). It is necessary to examine whether there are significant differences in self-determination needs between relatively collectivistic Asian cultures and Western cultures, which are relatively individualistic.…”

The predicting effects of professional governance and structural empowerment on job satisfaction among Jordanian nurses: A cross‐sectional study

“…Job satisfaction is considered an international concern among all health care organizations due to its expected impact on the standards and safety of patient care (Kim et al, 2021; Singh et al, 2019; Treviño‐Reyna et al, 2021). Job satisfaction is defined as the degree to which the individual is pleased with their jobs (Curry et al, 1986).…”

Current Status of Intergroup Threats Perceived by Chinese Physicians and Its Association with Organizational Psychology, Behavior, and Well-Being during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Survey

“…Individuals can present a positive mental state after their needs are satisfied and conversely, failure to meet their needs contributes to a lower mental state [ 19 , 20 ]. Physicians’ needs cannot be met because they are exposed to prolonged safety and value threats, which results in a nervous state, leading to a low level of organizational psychology.…”