Toward a conceptualization of decent work in Africa: Development and cross-cultural validation of the Decent Work Triad (DWT) in Burkina Faso, Switzerland, and Togo.

Abstract

Psychology of Working theorists recommend supplementing the Decent Work Scale (DWS) with subjective investigations of decent work across different cultural contexts. Building on this, the present study developed and validated the Decent Work Triad (DWT) for assessing the subjective aspects of decent work in a sub-Saharan African context. Using a Burkinabe sample for exploratory (N = 303) and confirmatory (N = 494) analyses, it consists of 8 items assessing three moral and value-based dimensions: Dignity, Corruption-Free, and Shamelessness. The scale showed good psychometric properties and invariance across country and gender in Burkina Faso (N = 494), Switzerland (N = 590), and Togo (N = 812). It also showed incremental validity in predicting work and life satisfaction beyond the DWS and discriminant validity along with constructs of marginalization and economic constraints, underscoring its robustness. The DWT's utility in understanding the subjective and cultural dimensions of decent work and its implications were discussed.