Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ)
Measures actual satisfaction with intrinsic and extrinsic aspects of the work environment.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ) was developed by David J. Weiss, Rene V. Dawis, George W. England, Lloyd H. Lofquist (1967). It is designed to measure Job Satisfaction. The scale is intended for use with Working adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 100 items organized into 21 factors/subscales: Ability Utilization, Achievement, Activity, Advancement, Authority, Company Policies and Practices, Compensation, Coworkers, Creativity, Independence, Moral Values, Recognition, Responsibility, Security, Social Service, Social Status, Supervision-Human Relations, Supervision-Technical, Variety, Working Conditions, General Satisfaction.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Ability Utilization | 7,27,47,67,87 | 5 |
| Achievement | 19,39,59,79,99 | 5 |
| Activity | 20,40,60,80,100 | 5 |
| Advancement | 14,34,54,74,94 | 5 |
| Authority | 6,26,46,66,86 | 5 |
| Company Policies and Practices | 9,29,49,69,89 | 5 |
| Compensation | 12,32,52,72,92 | 5 |
| Coworkers | 16,36,56,76,96 | 5 |
| Creativity | 2,22,42,62,82 | 5 |
| Independence | 4,24,44,64,84 | 5 |
| Moral Values | 3,23,43,63,83 | 5 |
| Recognition | 18,38,58,78,98 | 5 |
| Responsibility | 17,37,57,77,97 | 5 |
| Security | 11,31,51,71,91 | 5 |
| Social Service | 1,21,41,61,81 | 5 |
| Social Status | 8,28,48,68,88 | 5 |
| Supervision-Human Relations | 10,30,50,70,90 | 5 |
| Supervision-Technical | 15,35,55,75,95 | 5 |
| Variety | 5,25,45,65,85 | 5 |
| Working Conditions | 13,33,53,73,93 | 5 |
| General Satisfaction | 24,25,28,30,35,43,51,61,66,67,69,72,74,77,82,93,96,98,99,100 | 20 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Not satisfied, 2 = Only slightly satisfied, 3 = Satisfied, 4 = Very satisfied, 5 = Extremely satisfied.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 20 to 100. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low General Satisfaction: 20 – 59
- Moderate General Satisfaction: 60 – 79
- High General Satisfaction: 80 – 100
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Hoyt reliability coefficients range from 0.74 to 0.93 across subscales..
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 20 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.