Modified Work Locus of Control Scale

Abstract

The Modified Work Locus of Control Scale (MWLCS) is an adaptation designed to specifically assess an individual’s belief regarding the extent to which they control outcomes and reinforcements in their professional environment. This scale builds upon established Locus of Control theory, focusing exclusively on the work context. It typically differentiates between an internal work locus of control (belief that outcomes result from one’s own effort and ability) and an external work locus of control (belief that outcomes are determined by luck, fate, or powerful others). The MWLCS is a 20-item instrument employed primarily in organizational psychology and management research to understand motivation, job performance, and reactions to workplace structures.

Keywords

Work Locus of Control, MWLCS, Organizational Behavior, Job Performance, Locus of Control, Pharmacists, Organizational Psychology, Internal Control, External Control.

Authors

Gupchup, G. V., and Wolfgang, A. P.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the MWLCS is to provide a specialized, context-specific measure of control beliefs relevant to career progression, job satisfaction, and workplace responses. Unlike general locus of control scales, the MWLCS targets specific work-related factors such as promotions, salary raises, influence over supervisors, and overall job accomplishment.

This modification allows researchers and practitioners to better predict work-related behaviors, including motivation, job search efficacy, and reactions to organizational decisions. The scale was initially investigated for use within specific professional populations, such as pharmacists, demonstrating its utility in health and organizational settings, and has since been utilized to examine individual differences in response to complex workplace issues.

Construct

The scale measures the psychological construct of Work Locus of Control, which is typically conceptualized as a bipolar dimension with multidimensional external components. It assesses the degree to which an individual perceives work-related rewards and punishments as contingent upon their own behavior (internal) versus being determined by forces beyond their control (external).

• Internal Work Locus of Control: Individuals scoring high on this dimension believe that professional success (e.g., promotions, good jobs, high performance) is contingent upon their own efforts, skills, and hard work. These individuals generally feel empowered to influence their job outcomes.
• External Work Locus of Control: This dimension reflects the belief that work outcomes are controlled by external forces, which can be subdivided into two components: Powerful Others (supervisors, management, or influential contacts) and Chance/Luck (fate, fortune, or being in the right place at the right time).

Validity

Preliminary investigations into the MWLCS, as reported by Gupchup and Wolfgang (1997), focused on establishing its psychometric soundness. Construct Validity was assessed by examining the relationship between the MWLCS and other established measures of personality and work attitudes, confirming that the scale accurately captures the intended theoretical dimensions of work control beliefs.

Further application, such as in the dissertation by Lipka (2010), suggests Criterion Validity by demonstrating the scale’s capacity to predict specific workplace responses and attitudes, highlighting its relevance in predicting job outcomes and managing diversity issues within organizational environments.

Reliability

The initial study (Gupchup & Wolfgang, 1997) conducted a preliminary investigation of the scale’s Reliability. High internal consistency is essential for psychometric scales, and this is typically measured using Cronbach’s Alpha, ensuring that all items consistently measure the same underlying construct. The authors of the modification found evidence suggesting adequate internal consistency for both the internal and external subscales in their sample of pharmacists, indicating the scale is a stable and consistent measure suitable for research applications.

Factor Analysis

Although specific factor analysis details were not provided in the primary source citation, modified locus of control scales generally employ Exploratory or Confirmatory Factor Analysis to confirm the intended factor structure. The MWLCS is expected to retain the primary factors established in the original Work Locus of Control literature, typically yielding a three-factor solution: Internal Control, Control by Powerful Others, and Control by Chance. This multidimensional structure provides a more nuanced understanding of how individuals attribute causality in their professional lives compared to older, unidimensional measures.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report psychological inventory.

Format: 20 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale.

Language Available: English (as presented in the source material).

Population Group: Working adults; initially validated on pharmacists.

Age Group: Adult (typically 18+).

Population Details: Used in samples ranging from specific professional groups to broader organizational settings, often employed in studies concerning career efficacy and organizational justice.

Test Methodology: Respondents indicate their level of agreement with each statement using the following response anchors: 1=strongly disagree, 2=disagree, 3=neither disagree nor agree, 4=agree, 5= strongly agree.

Keywords

Workplace assessment, Job attitude, Organizational commitment, Psychological measurement, Reliability, Validity, Career development, Organizational psychology.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided in source material.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not provided in source material.

Correspondence Address: Not provided in source material.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The scale was developed and first investigated for reliability and validity in 1997 by Gupchup and Wolfgang, published in Psychological Reports. Information regarding specific usage fees or formal copyright permissions for non-academic use is not explicitly detailed in the provided source material. However, the instrument has been widely adopted in academic research, including dissertations.

A specific application of this instrument, along with its full context, can be found in the dissertation by Lipka (2010). The original PDF can be downloaded here: http://tigerprints.clemson.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1539&context=all_dissertations

Reference’s

Gupchup, G. V., & Wolfgang, A. P. (1997). A modified work locus of control scale: Preliminary investigation of reliability and validity in a sample of pharmacists. Psychological Reports, 81, 640–642.

Lipka, Phillip. (2010). Sexual Minorities in the Workplace: An Examination of Individual Differences That Affect Responses to Workplace Heterosexism. All Dissertations. Paper 539. Clemson University.

Items of the Modified Work Locus of Control Scale

1. My job is what I make of it.

2. On my job, I can pretty much accomplish whatever I set out to accomplish.

3. If I know what I want out of a job, I can find a job that gives it to me.

4. If I were unhappy about a decision made by my boss, I would do something about it.

5. Getting the job I want is a matter of luck.

6. Getting a salary raise is primarily a matter of good fortune.

7. I am capable of doing my job well if I make the effort.

8. In order to get a really good job I would need to have family members or friends in high places.

9. I believe that promotions are usually a matter of good fortune.

10. When it comes to landing a really good job, who I know is more important than what I do.

11. I would be given a promotion based on how I perform on the job.

12. In order to get a salary raise I would have to know the right people.

13. For me to be an outstanding employee on most jobs, it would take a lot of luck.

14. Getting rewarded on my job would depend on how well I perform.

15. When required I can have a good deal of influence on my supervisor.

16. When I make plans on my job, I am almost certain to make them work.

17. Although I might have the necessary abilities, I will not be given leadership responsibilities without appealing to those in positions of power.

18. It’s not always wise for me to plan ahead on the job because things turn out to be a matter of good or bad fortune.

19. When I get what I want on a job, it’s usually because I worked hard for it.

20. Whether or not I advance on the job depends on whether I’m lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time.

Scoring Key: 1=strongly disagree, 2=disagree, 3=neither disagree nor agree, 4=agree, 5= strongly agree