Reliability and validity of the Dutch translation of the work design questionnaire

This validation study among 291 Dutch employees confirms the usefulness of the Dutch translation of the Work Design Questionnaire (WDQ-NL) in the work(re) design context. According to results of confirmatory factor-analyses, the predicted factorial structure of 21 subscales and four second-order factors shows acceptable fit. All subscales had high reliabilities. The job characteristics differentiated between different types of professions in a meaningful way, and employees of the same company with the same profession agreed to a large extent on the evaluation of their jobs as measured with the WDQ-NL. As predicted, task and knowledge characteristics showed moderate to strong positive correlations with motivational criteria (work engagement and learning possibilities), and a negative correlation with turnover intentions. Knowledge characteristics additionally related to increased strain. As predicted, social support related positively to motivational criteria and negatively to strain and turnover intentions. Social dependence, in contrast, related to more strain.