Work Locus of Control

Abstract

The Work Locus of Control Scale (WLCS) is a widely used psychological scale developed by Paul E. Spector in 1988. This instrument is designed specifically to measure an individual’s generalized belief concerning the extent to which they perceive control over outcomes and events within their professional working life. The scale assesses whether employees attribute job-related successes and failures primarily to their own actions, efforts, and abilities (Internal Locus of Control) or to external factors such as luck, fate, chance, or powerful others (External Locus of Control). The WLCS is a crucial tool in Occupational Psychology and organizational behavior research, showing strong predictive validity for various work outcomes, including job satisfaction, performance, and stress.

Keywords

Work Locus of Control, Locus of Control, Organizational Behavior, Job Satisfaction, Internal Control, External Control, Paul Spector, Occupational Psychology, WLCS, Core Self-Evaluations.

Authors

Paul E. Spector

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Work Locus of Control Scale is to provide a reliable and validated measure of the Locus of Control construct specifically tailored to the work environment. While general Locus of Control scales exist, the WLCS focuses on work-related consequences, providing finer predictive power in organizational settings. Researchers use the WLCS to understand individual differences in motivation, reactions to management decisions, career planning, and overall adjustment to organizational life.

The instrument was developed to streamline research in industrial/organizational psychology by offering a concise and psychometrically sound tool that differentiates individuals who believe they control their career destiny from those who feel their careers are determined by external, uncontrollable forces. This distinction is critical for designing effective workplace interventions and training programs.

Construct

The WLCS is founded upon Rotter’s generalized theory of the Locus of Control, adapted for vocational and organizational contexts. It is generally conceptualized as a unidimensional construct ranging from highly internal to highly external, although the items themselves reflect two distinct types of attribution:

• Internal Work Locus of Control: Individuals scoring high on internality believe that professional success (e.g., getting a promotion, making money, or achieving job satisfaction) results from their own competence, hard work, effort, and initiative. Items reflecting internality emphasize personal agency and self-determination in career outcomes.
• External Work Locus of Control: Individuals scoring high on externality believe that professional outcomes are contingent upon outside forces, such as powerful bosses, organizational politics, institutional barriers, fate, or simple luck. Items reflecting externality often relate to the perceived importance of connections or chance in career advancement.

Validity

Initial development by Spector (1988) provided evidence for the scale’s construct and criterion validity. The WLCS has demonstrated strong convergent validity, correlating positively with other measures of generalized Locus of Control and related constructs such as Core Self-Evaluations and self-efficacy. Conversely, it shows discriminant validity by being distinct from measures of general personality traits that do not specifically address control beliefs.

Criterion validity is consistently supported across numerous studies, showing that internal work locus of control is associated with beneficial organizational outcomes, including higher job satisfaction, increased motivation, lower levels of job stress and burnout, and better performance ratings. External work locus of control is often linked to higher levels of anxiety and counterproductive work behaviors, further confirming the scale’s utility as a predictive measure in organizational research.

Reliability

The WLCS is recognized for its high internal consistency. Spector’s original 1988 study, along with subsequent validation studies globally, typically reports high Cronbach’s alpha coefficients, often ranging between 0.80 and 0.86 for the 16-item version, indicating strong reliability. Test-retest reliability has also been established, suggesting that the WLCS measures a relatively stable personality disposition over time. The shorter 8-item version, while sacrificing some breadth, maintains acceptable reliability levels for practical use.

Factor Analysis

Factor analysis of the 16-item WLCS generally supports a single, dominant factor representing the overall continuum of internal versus external control in the work setting. Although the items are written to capture both internal and external attributions, these two dimensions typically load onto opposite ends of one primary factor. Some analyses, particularly in cross-cultural studies, have occasionally suggested two distinct factors (Internal and External), but the primary use and scoring method treat the scale as unidimensional, where the total score reflects the degree of internality versus externality.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report Psychological Scale

Format: 16-item or abbreviated 8-item Likert-type scale

Language Available: English (Original), widely translated into numerous languages including Spanish, Chinese, German, etc.

Population Group: Employees, job seekers, and individuals in vocational settings

Age Group: Adults (typically working age)

Population Details: Applicable to diverse industries and organizational levels, as the questions concern beliefs about jobs in general, not just a specific current role.

Test Methodology: Respondents rate their agreement with each statement using a Likert scale. Two common scoring formats are noted:

• 6-Point Likert Scale: 1=Disagree very much, 2=Disagree moderately, 3=Disagree slightly, 4=Agree slightly, 5=Agree moderately, 6=Agree very much.
• 5-Point Likert Scale: 1=Strongly Disagree, 2=Disagree, 3=Neutral, 4=Agree, 5=Strongly Agree.

Internally worded items (1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 11, 14, and 15 in the 16-item version) are reverse scored if the goal is to calculate a total score reflecting externality. Scoring instructions are available online: http://shell.cas.usf.edu/~pspector/scales/wlcsscor.html

Keywords

Work Locus of Control, Organizational Psychology, Job Attitudes, Attribution Theory, Internal-External Control, Spector, Job Performance, Scale Development.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided in source content.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not provided in source content.

Correspondence Address: Refer to Paul E. Spector’s official academic website for current contact information.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The Work Locus of Control Scale was developed and published in 1988. The scale is generally available for non-commercial academic research use, often without charge, provided proper citation is given. Specific conditions for use, including commercial applications, are detailed on the author’s official assessment website: http://paulspector.com/scales/our-assessments/conditions-for-using-these-assessments/

The scale itself can be accessed via the author’s official resource page: http://paulspector.com/scales/our-assessments/

Reference’s

• Spector, P. E. (1988). Development of the Work Locus of Control Scale. Journal of Occupational Psychology, 61, 335-340.
• Oyler, Jennifer D. (2007). Core Self-Evaluations and Job Satisfaction: The Role of organizational Community embeddedness. Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Management. The original PDF can be downloaded here: http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-10242007-153627/unrestricted/Oyler‚_Jennifer_D__Dissertation_VT_120207.pdf

Items of the Work Locus of Control

The following are the 16 items of the Work Locus of Control Scale (Spector, 1988):

1. A job is what you make of it.
2. On most jobs‚ people can pretty much accomplish whatever they set out to accomplish.
3. If you know what you want out of a job‚ you can find a job that gives it to you.
4. If employees are unhappy with a decision made by their boss‚ they should do something about it.
5. Getting the job you want is mostly a matter of luck.
6. Making money is primarily a matter of good fortune.
7. Most people are capable of doing their jobs well if they make the effort.
8. In order to get a really good job‚ you need to have family members or friends in high places.
9. Promotions are usually a matter of good fortune.
10. When it comes to landing a really good job‚ who you know is more important than what you know.
11. Promotions are given to employees who perform well on the job.
12. To make a lot of money you have to know the right people.
13. It takes a lot of luck to be an outstanding employee on most jobs.
14. People who perform their jobs well generally get rewarded.
15. Most employees have more influence on their supervisors than they think they do.
16. The main difference between people who make a lot of money and people who make a little money is luck.

Work Locus of Control Scale – 8 (Abbreviated Version):

1. On most jobs‚ people can pretty much accomplish whatever they set out to accomplish
2. If you know what you want out of a job‚ you can find a job that gives it to you
3. Getting the job you want is mostly a matter of luck
4. Promotions are usually a matter of good fortune
5. Promotions are given to employees who perform well on the job
6. It takes a lot of luck to be an outstanding employee on most jobs
7. People who perform their jobs well generally get rewarded
8. The main difference between people who make a lot of money and people who make a little money is luck