Validation of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) in the Malaysian Context

Abstract

Individuals’ performance at work is determined to\ra certain extent on how engaged they are with the work they are\rdoing. Hence a reliable and valid instrument must be used to\raccurately measure work engagement. This study aims to test\rthe validity and reliability of the Utrecht Work Engagement\rScale (UWES) in the Malaysian culture. The scale consists of\rthree subscales which are vigor, dedication and absorption.\rThis study involved 205 respondents who worked as\rsalespersons in urban area in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur,\rMalaysia. They answered the UWES and three other\rquestionnaires that assess job performance, turnover intention\rand job meaningfulness. The analysis showed that the validity\rusing exploratory factor analysis managed to extract three\rfactors. However, the factor structures of these three\rdimensions were slightly different than the original version.\rReliability of the scale was satisfactory. The findings also\rshowed significant relations with other criteria namely job\rperformance, job meaningfulness and turnover intention. This\rstudy provided initial evidence that the instrument that can be\rused to measure work engagement in Malaysia. Some\rlimitations and suggestions were recorded for the purpose of\rimprovement for future research and guidance to organizations\rin developing effective work engagement.