A Short Form Measure of Career Orientations: a Psychometric Evaluation

This paper reports on the results of two studies involving the development and construct validation of a short-form measure of the Career Orientations Inventory. The Career Orientations Inventory is a questionnaire designed to assess an individual's career interests, career values, and career motivators. The measure evaluates nine career orientations: technical, managerial, autonomy, job security, geographic security, service, pure challenge, life-style, and entrepreneurship. A short form of this questionnaire was derived and tested in two separate field studies of IS employees. Extensive evidence of the reliability and validity of the measure was demonstrated in both studies (the development, Study 1, and the validation, Study 2). The relationships between career orientations and various individual difference and satisfaction measures were also tested and provided additional evidence of the construct validity of the short-form measure. Researchers and practitioners who need to measure the career orientations of IS personnel should find this a useful questionnaire.