Assessing factor structure and convergent validity of the work regulatory focus scale

Area of Science:

• Organizational Psychology
• Workplace Behavior Analysis

Background:

• Regulatory focus theory distinguishes between prevention and promotion orientations.
• Understanding these orientations in the workplace is crucial for employee engagement and performance.
• Existing scales may not adequately capture work-specific regulatory focus dimensions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the factor structure of the Work Regulatory Focus Scale.
• To examine the concurrent validity of the scale by correlating its dimensions with the Chronic Regulatory Focus Questionnaire.
• To establish the reliability and validity of a new scale for measuring work-related regulatory focus.

Main Methods:

• Confirmatory factor analysis was used to evaluate the scale's structure.
• Data were collected from 237 full-time employees in Hong Kong via computer-assisted telephone interviews.
• Pearson correlations and mean score differences were analyzed to assess validity.

Main Results:

• A two-factor model (prevention and promotion) for the Work Regulatory Focus Scale demonstrated adequate fit.
• Excluding two items improved fit indices, resulting in a 10-item scale.
• Significant, though low, correlations (range .19-.39) were found between work-related and chronic regulatory focus subscales, supporting concurrent validity.

Conclusions:

• The 10-item Work Regulatory Focus Scale is a valid and reliable instrument for measuring work-related prevention and promotion focus.
• Findings support the scale's utility in organizational psychology research and practice.
• Further research is recommended to explore the scale's validity across diverse populations and contexts.