Occupational Work Ethic Inventory – OWEI
Measures the intrinsic aspects of work ethic, including interpersonal skills, initiative, and dependability.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Occupational Work Ethic Inventory – OWEI was developed by Gregory C. Petty & Roger B. Hill (1995). It is designed to measure Work Ethic. The scale is intended for use with Employees and students transitioning to work.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 50 items organized into 4 factors/subscales: Interpersonal Skills, Initiative, Dependability, Reversed Items.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Interpersonal Skills | 17,22,28,29,31,32,33,37,41,42,43,46,47,48,50 | 15 |
| Initiative | 5,6,7,10,11,14,15,18,20,27,35,36,38,40,45,49 | 16 |
| Dependability | 1,3,4,8,12,16,23 | 7 |
| Reversed Items | 9,13,21,24,25,26,30,34,39,44 | 10 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Never, 2 = Almost Never, 3 = Seldom, 4 = Sometimes, 5 = Usually, 6 = Almost Always, 7 = Always.
The scale includes 11 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 50 to 350. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Work Ethic: 50 – 150
- Moderate Work Ethic: 151 – 250
- High Work Ethic: 251 – 350
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of 0.90 – 0.95.
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.