Control Over Areas of Work and Family Scale (COWF)
Measures an employee's perceptions of control over aspects of work and family responsibilities and demands.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Control Over Areas of Work and Family Scale (COWF) was developed by L. T. Thomas & D. C. Ganster (1995). It is designed to measure Perceived control over work and family domains. The scale is intended for use with Employed adults with family responsibilities.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 14 items organized into 3 factors/subscales: Family Control, Work Control, Global Balance.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Family Control | 1,2,3,4,9,13 | 6 |
| Work Control | 5,6,7,8,10,11,12 | 7 |
| Global Balance | 14 | 1 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Very little, 2 = Little, 3 = Some, 4 = Much, 5 = Very much.
The scale includes 1 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are summed to produce a total score.
Total scores range from 14 to 70. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Perceived Control: 14 – 32
- Moderate Perceived Control: 33 – 51
- High Perceived Control: 52 – 70
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of 0.75.
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.