Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire – Short Form (MSQ-Short)
Measures intrinsic, extrinsic, and general job satisfaction in the workplace.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire – Short Form (MSQ-Short) 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 20 items organized into 3 factors/subscales: Intrinsic Satisfaction, Extrinsic Satisfaction, General Job Satisfaction.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Intrinsic Satisfaction | 1,2,3,6,7,8,9,10,14,15,19,20 | 12 |
| Extrinsic Satisfaction | 4,5,11,12,13,16,17,18 | 8 |
| General Job Satisfaction | 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20 | 20 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Very dissatisfied with this aspect of my job, 2 = Dissatisfied with this aspect of my job, 3 = Can't decide if I am satisfied or not with this aspect of my job, 4 = Satisfied with this aspect of my job, 5 = Very satisfied with this aspect of my job.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 20 to 100. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Job Satisfaction: 20 – 59
- Moderate Job Satisfaction: 60 – 79
- High Job Satisfaction: 80 – 100
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of General Satisfaction alpha: .85-.91; Intrinsic alpha: .82-.86; Extrinsic alpha: .70-.82.
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.