Job Diagnostic Survey – JDS
Measures core job characteristics to determine the motivating potential of a job.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Job Diagnostic Survey – JDS was developed by J. Richard Hackman, Greg R. Oldham (1975). It is designed to measure Job characteristics and motivating potential. The scale is intended for use with Working adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 23 items organized into 5 factors/subscales: Skill Variety, Task Identity, Task Significance, Autonomy, Feedback.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Skill Variety | 2,8,11,14,18 | 5 |
| Task Identity | 3,7,16,22 | 4 |
| Task Significance | 4,13,20,23 | 4 |
| Autonomy | 1,9,17,21 | 4 |
| Feedback | 5,6,10,12,15,19 | 6 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Very undescriptive, 2 = Mostly undescriptive, 3 = Somewhat descriptive, 4 = Mostly descriptive, 5 = Very descriptive.
The scale includes 10 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 1 to 125. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Motivating Potential: 1 – 40
- Moderate Motivating Potential: 41 – 80
- High Motivating Potential: 81 – 125
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Skill variety (alpha 0.71), Task identity (alpha 0.59), Task significance (alpha 0.66), Autonomy (alpha 0.66), Feedback (alpha 0.71).
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.