Job Uncertainty, Complexity, Variety, and Interdependence Scales
Measures job design characteristics across three dimensions: job complexity, job variety, and job interdependence.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Job Uncertainty, Complexity, Variety, and Interdependence Scales was developed by Dean, J. W., & Snell, S. A. (1991). It is designed to measure Job design characteristics. The scale is intended for use with Employees and work unit members.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 17 items organized into 3 factors/subscales: Complexity, Variety, Interdependence.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Complexity | 1,2,3 | 3 |
| Variety | 4,5,6,7,8,9,10 | 7 |
| Interdependence | 11,12,13,14,15,16,17 | 7 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Low / Very little / Completely true / Rarely, 4 = Moderate amount / Moderately / Occasionally, 7 = High / A great deal / Completely false / Frequently.
The scale includes 4 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 7. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low characteristic presence: 1 – 3
- Moderate characteristic presence: 4 – 5
- High characteristic presence: 6 – 7
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Cronbach's alpha ranged from .69 to .80 across dimensions.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 6 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.