Well-being at work scale (WBWS): Gathering empirical evidence from different interpretation strategies

Abstract

Well-being at work scale (WBWS) is a measure widely used in Brazil, composed of three dimensions (positive affects, negative affects and expressiveness/fulfillment) aligned with the field’s recent movement of junction of the two classical theoretical bases (hedonic and eudaimonic) that explain this phenomenon. Based on a cross-sectional survey involving 360 Brazilian workers, this study aimed to compare different models of interpreting the WBWS (including three one-dimensional proposals - composed by a single factor or second-order factor for WBW assessment - and one multidimensional proposal - composed by the three WBW factors singly). Each model was tested through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyzes, and then correlation analyzes between the models were run to allow their comparison. We concluded that the interpretation of WBWS from a single indicator is viable and more theoretically appropriate when it is intended to have a more integrated view about well-being at work.