Job Diagnostic Survey – Section 3 (JDS)
Measures general job satisfaction, internal work motivation, and critical psychological states experienced at work.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Job Diagnostic Survey – Section 3 (JDS) was developed by J. Richard Hackman & Greg R. Oldham (1974). It is designed to measure Job satisfaction, internal work motivation, and critical psychological states. The scale is intended for use with Working adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 15 items organized into 5 factors/subscales: Internal Work Motivation, General Satisfaction, Experienced Meaningfulness of the Work, Experienced Responsibility for the Work, Knowledge of Results.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Internal Work Motivation | 1,2,6,10,14 | 5 |
| General Satisfaction | 3,9,13 | 3 |
| Experienced Meaningfulness of the Work | 4,7 | 2 |
| Experienced Responsibility for the Work | 8,12,15 | 3 |
| Knowledge of Results | 5,11 | 2 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Disagree Strongly, 2 = Disagree, 3 = Disagree Slightly, 4 = Neutral, 5 = Agree Slightly, 6 = Agree, 7 = Agree Strongly.
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 15 to 105. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low experienced work motivation and satisfaction: 15 – 45
- Moderate experienced work motivation and satisfaction: 46 – 75
- High experienced work motivation and satisfaction: 76 – 105
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of 0.76.
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.