Job Uncertainty, Complexity, Variety, and Interdependence Scales
Measures the design characteristics of jobs within a work unit across three dimensions: complexity, variety, and 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 organizational work units.
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 / Disagree / Rarely, 4 = Moderate / Occasionally, 7 = High / Agree / 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 17 to 119. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low overall job uncertainty and interdependence: 17 – 51
- Moderate overall job uncertainty and interdependence: 52 – 85
- High overall job uncertainty and interdependence: 86 – 119
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 5 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.