Effort-Reward Imbalance Questionnaire (ERI)
Measures the lack of reciprocity between work efforts and occupational rewards, alongside personal overcommitment.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Effort-Reward Imbalance Questionnaire (ERI) was developed by Johannes Siegrist (1996). It is designed to measure Effort-Reward Imbalance. The scale is intended for use with Working adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 20 items organized into 3 factors/subscales: Effort, Reward, Overcommitment.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Effort | 1,2,3,4,5 | 5 |
| Reward | 6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14 | 9 |
| Overcommitment | 15,16,17,18,19,20 | 6 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a 4-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly Disagree to 4 = Strongly Agree).
The scale includes 5 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 0 to 5. Interpretation guidelines:
- Favorable ratio (balanced effort and reward): 0 – 1
- Effort-reward imbalance (high risk of work stress): 1 – 5
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Cronbach's alpha typically ranges from 0.70 to 0.88 for the subscales.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 8 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.