Validity and model-based reliability of the Work Organisation Assessment Questionnaire among nurses

The Work Organisation Assessment Questionnaire (WOAQ) was developed as part of a risk assessment tool for the manufacturing setting (Griffiths, Cox, Karanika, Khan, Tomás, 2006). The WOAQ was used in this study to assess its validity and model-based reliability among Australian nurses using a conventional second-order and a bifactor confirmatory factor analysis (CFA).

This article reports a study of Australian participants (N = 312) to validate a multidimensional measure of the WOAQ. Data were collected from a group of Australian community nurses. CFA was performed comparing a conventional second-order model and a bifactor model of one WOAQ summative factor and its five subfactors, which together described the most common issues of work design and management in organizations. A group of close fit indices that include relatively greater penalties for model complexity (i.e., the root mean square error of approximation, Non-normed Fit Index, and the Akaike Information Criterion) were chosen to interpret the results.

The results of reliability and validity analysis revealed some evidence for the summative measure of the WOAQ. Results indicate that the questionnaire is a valid and reliable scale, but some subfactors are more plausible than others within the Australian nursing community.

The study provides future researchers some guidance for bifactor modeling in organizational studies of this type. The WOAQ provides flexibility to measure risk assessment and management procedures.