Table of Contents

Hill, R. B., and Petty, G. C. (1995). A new look at selected employability skills: A factor analysis of the occupational work ethic. Journal of Vocational Education Research 20:59–73.

Comments:

The 50-item Occupational Work Ethic Inventory (OEWI) (Petty, 1991) assesses the intrinsic aspect of the workplace. The work ethic factors provide a research base for educators who are preparing students for the transition from school to work. It has been validated with over 2,279 workers.

Sample:

The sample for the most recent study consisted of 1,151 employees in private and public organizations in the Southeast. In a previous study (1994), over 2,220 employees from six occupational groups were surveyed.

Reliability:

In a pilot study, the alpha correlation was 0.95. In additional studies, the alpha coefficients ranged from 0.90 (Hatcher) to 0.95 (Hill).

Validity:

Content validity was established by choosing items from a review of the literature on work attitudes, work values, and work habits. The items were reviewed by a panel of experts. Another panel of experts sorted the original items into categories. This process was repeated until consensus was reached. The four categories were: dependable, ambitious, considerate, and cooperative. Several factor analytic studies were conducted to establish the construct validity of the OWEI.

Factor Analysis:

A principal components factor analysis with a varimax orthogonal rotation yielded four factors. The four factors are: 15 items on interpersonal skills (17, 22, 28, 29, 31, 32, 33, 37, 41, 42, 43, 46, 47, 48, and 50); 16 items on initiative (5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 14, 15, 18, 20, 27, 35, 36, 38, 40, 45, and 49); seven items on being dependable (1, 3, 4, 8, 12, 16, and 23); 10 items on reversed items (9, 13, 21, 24, 25, 26, 30, 34, 39, and 44).

Data Analysis:

Factor loadings, item means, and standard deviations are reported.

References

Fouts, S. F. (2004). Differences in work ethic among jobseekers grouped by employment status and age and gender. EdD dissertation, North Carolina State University.

Hatcher, T. (1993). The work ethic of apprentices and instructors in a trade union apprenticeship training program. PhD dissertation, University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Petty, G. C., and Hill, R. B. (1994). Are men and women different? A study of the occupational work ethic. Journal of Vocational Education Research 19:71–89.

Petty, G. C. (1995). Adults in the work force and the occupational work ethic. Journal of Studies in Technical Careers 15:133–40. Petty, G. C. (1995). Vocational-technical education and the occupational work ethic. Journal of Industrial and Teacher Education 32:45–58.