Work Locus of Control

Abstract

The Work Locus of Control Scale (WLCS) is a specialized psychometrics instrument developed by Paul E. Spector in 1988. It is designed to assess an individual’s generalized belief concerning the extent to which they perceive control over outcomes and reinforcements within their work environment. This scale adapts the general psychological concept of Locus of Control specifically to the workplace, distinguishing between those who believe their work success is due to internal factors (effort, ability) and those who attribute success to external factors (luck, fate, powerful others).

The WLCS is widely used in organizational research to study relationships between control beliefs and various work outcomes, including job satisfaction, motivation, job performance, and stress. The standard instrument consists of 16 items, though an 8-item short form is also recognized.

Keywords

Work Locus of Control, WLCS, Organizational Behavior, Locus of Control, Paul E. Spector, Job Satisfaction, Effort, Career Success, Occupational Psychology.

Authors

Paul E. Spector.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the WLCS is to provide a reliable and valid measure of control beliefs specific to the organizational setting. Unlike general scales of Locus of Control, the WLCS focuses exclusively on career progression, promotions, salary attainment, and job influence. This specificity allows researchers in Occupational Psychology and organizational behavior to better predict work-related variables such as motivation, job performance, and reactions to organizational change.

By assessing an individual’s orientation toward internal or external control in the workplace, the scale aids in understanding individual differences in how employees approach challenges, respond to feedback, and manage their career development.

Construct

The WLCS measures the construct of Work Locus of Control, which is bifurcated into two dimensions: Internal Work Locus of Control and External Work Locus of Control. Individuals endorsing an Internal Locus of Control believe that their professional success or failure is primarily a result of their own actions, effort, and skills. They accept personal responsibility for career outcomes.

Conversely, individuals high in External Work Locus of Control believe that outcomes in the workplace—such as promotions, good jobs, or high salaries—are determined by factors outside of their personal control, such as luck, fate, powerful superiors, or political connections within the organization. The scale includes items designed to capture both internal and external attributions regarding work life, which combine to form a single continuous dimension of control beliefs.

Validity

The original development paper (Spector, 1988) established the scale’s psychometric properties through extensive testing. The WLCS has demonstrated good construct validity, showing expected correlations with general Locus of Control measures and relevant organizational variables like Job Satisfaction, motivation, and performance ratings. It typically shows negative correlations with job strain and burnout for individuals with a strong internal orientation.

Further studies have supported its criterion validity, demonstrating its ability to predict various work behaviors and attitudes, including organizational commitment and counterproductive work behaviors. Its specificity to the work domain makes it a stronger predictor of work outcomes than general Locus of Control instruments.

Reliability

The WLCS exhibits strong internal consistency across diverse populations. Spector (1988) reported high coefficient alpha reliability, typically exceeding 0.80 for the full 16-item scale, suggesting homogeneity among the items. Test-retest reliability has also been established in subsequent research, indicating the stability of the measure over short and moderate time intervals, confirming that Work Locus of Control is a relatively stable personality characteristic.

Factor Analysis

Initial factor analysis conducted during the scale’s development provided support for a single, unidimensional factor representing the continuum of control beliefs in the work setting. Although the scale contains both internally and externally worded items, these items load onto a single factor when analyzed, confirming the scale’s intended structure as a measure of generalized work control orientation. This structure has been largely confirmed in subsequent studies, reinforcing the scale’s utility as a comprehensive measure within organizational research.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-Report Questionnaire (Psychometric Scale)

Format: The full scale consists of 16 items. The response format is typically a 6-point Likert Scale, ranging from 1=”Disagree very much” to 6=”Agree very much.” A 5-point scale (1=”Strongly Disagree” to 5=”Agree”) is also sometimes used. Internal items (1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 11, 14, and 15) are scored directly, while external items are reverse-coded to yield a total score reflecting overall internality.

Language Available: English (Widely translated and adapted into numerous languages globally).

Population Group: Employees, job seekers, and adult workers.

Age Group: Adults (typically 18+).

Population Details: Originally validated on samples of working adults and students preparing for careers, it is suitable for general adult populations across different industries and organizational levels.

Test Methodology: Standardized administration, suitable for paper-and-pencil or computerized delivery. Respondents are instructed to reflect on their beliefs about jobs in general, rather than solely their current employment situation.

Keywords

Internal Control, External Control, Organizational Behavior, Career Development, Performance Prediction, Work Motivation, Locus of Control, Psychometrics.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: N/A (Information not provided in source material)

Affiliation Email addresses: N/A (Information not provided in source material)

Correspondence Address: Paul E. Spector, Department of Psychology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The scale was developed and published in 1988. Paul E. Spector generally allows free use of the scale for non-commercial academic research purposes, provided proper citation is given. The instrument is readily available online here, and scoring information is provided here.

The instrument was also featured in the 2007 dissertation by Jennifer D. Oyler, Core Self-Evaluations and Job Satisfaction: The Role of Organizational and Community Embeddedness. The original PDF of this dissertation, which contains the instrument on page 270, can be downloaded here: Dissertation PDF Link.

Reference’s

1. Spector, P. E. (1988). Development of the Work Locus of Control Scale. Journal of Occupational Psychology, 61, 335-340.
2. Oyler, J. 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.

Items of the Work Locus of Control

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

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.