Scale Overview
The Job Characteristics Inventory – JCI was developed by Sims Jr., H.P., Szilagyi, A.D., & Keller, R.T. (1976). It is designed to measure Job Characteristics. The scale is intended for use with Working adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 30 items organized into 6 factors/subscales: Variety, Autonomy, Feedback, Dealing with others, Task identity, Friendship.
| Factor / Subscale |
Items |
N |
| Variety |
1,7,12,17,22 |
5 |
| Autonomy |
2,8,13,18,23,28 |
6 |
| Feedback |
4,9,14,20,25 |
5 |
| Dealing with others |
6,11,30 |
3 |
| Task identity |
3,19,24,29 |
4 |
| Friendship |
5,10,15,16,21,26,27 |
7 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Very Little / Minimum Amount, 2 = 2, 3 = Moderate Amount, 4 = 4, 5 = Very Much / Maximum Amount.
The scale includes 2 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 30 to 150. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Job Characteristics: 30 – 70
- Moderate Job Characteristics: 71 – 110
- High Job Characteristics: 111 – 150
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Variety α = 0.80; Autonomy α = 0.74; Feedback α = 0.79; Dealing with others α = 0.80; Task identity α = 0.77; Friendship α = 0.75.
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.