The Job Embeddedness Scale: A Test of Its Reliability and Validity in Chinese Perioperative Settings

Abstract

Aims: This study aimed to translate, validate, and implement the Job Embeddedness Scale (JES) in perioperative settings in Taiwan.

Background: Job embeddedness is an important determinant of predicting job turnover; however, no tool exists to measure among perioperative nurses in Taiwan.

Methods: A cross-sectional research design was employed using self-administered questionnaires in this study. The JES was forward-translated through group discussions and back-translated by two bilingual translators. Six experts evaluated content validity. A total of 344 perioperative registered nurses from three medical centers were invited to assess the construct validity of the Chinese version of the Job Embeddedness Scale (C-JES), and a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted. Reliability analyses were also performed.

Results: Based on CFA, our results supported a six-factor version of 31-item C-JES with goodness-of-fit indices that model fit was acceptable. The C-JES presented a high content validity with a CVI of 0.98. Additionally, the 31-item C-JES was highly correlated to the original 40-item JES (Pearson’s r = 0.98). Cronbach’s α for the C-JES was 0.91, and test–retest reliability over a 2-week interval showed an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.82.

Conclusion: The C-JES is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing job embeddedness among perioperative nurses in Taiwan. This study presents a concise, theoretically grounded 31-item measure that preserves the original scale’s full content coverage, demonstrates a strong correlation with the 40-item version (r = 0.98), and maintains high internal consistency (α = 0.91). Its results can be applied to human resource management and policymaking and then to increase nurses’ retention rates. Additionally, this scale can help in understanding different cross-cultural job embeddedness as well as explaining its relationship with nurse retention globally.