Philadelphia Work Values Inventory

Abstract

The Philadelphia Work Values Inventory (PWVI) is a specialized self-assessment instrument developed primarily for use in career counseling and vocational guidance settings. Its core function is to help individuals identify, define, and prioritize the fundamental factors—or work values—that contribute most significantly to their job satisfaction and occupational success. The inventory presents 47 distinct values, ranging from extrinsic rewards like Salary and Benefits to intrinsic factors such as Creativity and Intellectual Stimulation, and lifestyle considerations like Balance and Commute. Respondents rate the importance of each value using a four-point scale before selecting their five highest priority values, facilitating a clear understanding of their motivational drivers in the workplace.

This instrument is widely used by career services departments to facilitate self-exploration among students and job seekers, enabling them to align their professional aspirations with environments that support their personal definitions of meaningful work. Although developed as a practical guidance tool, the PWVI provides a comprehensive framework for discussing the multifaceted nature of professional fulfillment.

Keywords

Work Values, Career Assessment, Vocational Guidance, Job Satisfaction, Occupational Choice, Intrinsic Motivation, Extrinsic Rewards, Self-Assessment, Career Counseling, Professional Development.

Authors

Career Services Department, Philadelphia University (now part of Thomas Jefferson University).

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Philadelphia Work Values Inventory is to serve as a structured mechanism for individuals to reflect upon and systematically evaluate various aspects of their ideal work environment. By defining 47 specific work values, the inventory transforms abstract concepts of job desire into concrete, measurable priorities. This process is crucial for effective career counseling, as it provides a foundation for filtering potential job opportunities and making long-term career decisions that maximize satisfaction and minimize burnout.

The instrument is designed to move beyond simple job title matching by focusing on the underlying motivational drivers. The final step of the exercise, which requires respondents to narrow their list to five core, non-negotiable values, compels users to establish a hierarchy of needs, which is essential for successful goal setting in the professional realm.

Construct

The PWVI measures the psychological construct of multidimensional work values, which are defined as the desired consequences or outcomes individuals seek from their employment. The scale recognizes that work satisfaction is not monolithic but is composed of a diverse set of needs categorized broadly into three areas: Intrinsic Values (e.g., Creativity, Intellectual Stimulation, Personal Growth), Extrinsic Values (e.g., Salary, Security, Recognition, Benefits), and Lifestyle/Environmental Values (e.g., Balance, Commute, Social Atmosphere, Flexibility).

The inventory’s comprehensive list of 47 items provides fine-grained resolution into these different domains, acknowledging that an individual’s vocational preferences are often complex and situational. The structure of the instrument encourages a holistic view of career fit, integrating personal life goals with professional expectations.

Validity

As a career self-assessment tool typically used within educational institutions, formal, publicly available documentation concerning the PWVI’s rigorous statistical validity (such as convergent, discriminant, or criterion validity studies) is limited or proprietary. The scale relies heavily on face validity, meaning the items appear relevant and appropriate to the construct being measured (work values) based on an intuitive assessment.

In practical application, the validity of the PWVI is often assessed through its utility in generating productive discussion and self-insight during counseling sessions. Its effectiveness is demonstrated when the prioritized values lead to career choices that result in reported higher levels of job satisfaction and commitment.

Reliability

Specific measures of internal consistency (e.g., Cronbach’s Alpha) or test-retest reliability for the PWVI are not typically published in academic literature, given its institutional origin. However, instruments designed for vocational assessment generally aim for high internal consistency across related value clusters.

The reliability of the PWVI in a practical context depends on the respondent’s honesty and consistency in rating the importance of the items. Given that the inventory prompts a forced prioritization (selecting the top five values), it provides a stable, reliable snapshot of the individual’s core vocational priorities at the time of assessment.

Factor Analysis

Formal exploratory or confirmatory factor analysis results detailing the underlying dimensional structure of the 47 items are not publicly accessible. However, based on the definitions provided, the items likely cluster into recognizable factors common to vocational psychology literature, such as:

• Achievement/Challenge: Items like Advancement, Challenge, and Expertise.
• Interpersonal/Social: Items like Interpersonal Contact, Team Environment, and Social Atmosphere.
• Autonomy/Control: Items like Autonomy, Flexibility, and Decision Making.
• Security/Stability: Items like Salary, Security, and Benefits.
• Ethical/Meaning: Items like Honesty, Organizational Ethics, and Service.

A factor analysis would confirm these groupings, allowing the inventory to be scored not just by individual item importance but by overall value domain priority.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-Assessment Inventory; Vocational Preference Scale

Format: Checklist format utilizing a 4-point rating scale (Importance Scale) followed by a forced choice ranking exercise.

Language Available: English

Population Group: Individuals undergoing career transition or exploration, including college students, recent graduates, and adults seeking vocational change.

Age Group: Typically 18 years and older (Adult population).

Population Details: Used primarily within university career service centers, making the primary demographic students and alumni of higher education institutions.

Test Methodology: Respondents rate 47 items based on the following scale:

1. Not necessary | This feature won’t impact my job satisfaction in any way.
2. Not important | Having this feature would be a nice bonus, but I don’t need it.
3. Important | I’d like to have a job with this feature, but I can live without it if necessary.
4. Extremely important | My job must have this feature in order to ensure satisfaction.

Following the rating, users must select and rank their top five core values that are absolutely essential for job satisfaction.

Keywords

Vocational Psychology, Organizational Behavior, Job Design, Employee Motivation, Psychometrics, Professional Values, Career Exploration, Decision Making.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not applicable (Institutional product)

Affiliation Email addresses: Contact Career Services, Thomas Jefferson University (formerly Philadelphia University)

Correspondence Address: Career Services Department, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The Philadelphia Work Values Inventory is generally distributed by the Career Services Department of Thomas Jefferson University (formerly Philadelphia University) as a non-commercial, educational resource. Permission for internal use by educational institutions is often implied or granted upon request for educational purposes. There is typically no fee associated with personal or educational use of the instrument materials. The exact test year of the instrument’s initial development is not specified, but it has been in use as a career guidance tool for several years within the institution.

Reference’s

The original PDF can be downloaded here: http://www.philau.edu/careerservices/inc/documents/selfAssessmentWorkValuesInventory.pdf

Items of the Philadelphia Work Values Inventory

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

• Advancement – Clear advancement tracks within the organization or ample opportunities for promotion.
• Autonomy – The ability to do things on your own‚ at your own pace‚ and in line with your own standards.
• Balance – The ability to avoid conflicts between family considerations‚ career objectives‚ and individual goals.
• Benefits – Access to the use of health insurance‚ a retirement plan‚ stock options‚ fitness club memberships‚ etc.
• Challenge – The opportunity to overcome difficult obstacles and solve difficult problems.
• Commute – The amount of time you are willing to spend traveling to and from your place of employment.
• Company Loyalty – Receiving awards for your dependability and long-term contributions.
• Competition – ha‎ving a high degree of competition with the organization you work for or between rival organizations.
• Creativity – The ability to make something that has not previously existed; being able to identify new approaches to doing something.
• Decision Making – ha‎ving power to decide course of action.
• Excitement – Working in an environment that takes you beyond standard comfort levels.
• Expertise – Possessing specific abilities or knowledge not common to other employees.
• Family – ha‎ving the flexibility for family life within the framework of the work environment (for example‚ hours and vacation time amenable to ha‎ving a family).
• Flexibility – The ability to adjust schedules‚ routines‚ and procedures without seeking approval.
• Honesty – Working in an environment where there is an expectation of truth.
• Hours – ha‎ving set hours with little requirement for overtime.
• Independence – Being able to perform daily functions unsupervised.
• Innovation – ha‎ving the ability to use cutting edge or pioneering technologies or techniques.
• Intellectual Stimulation – Work which provides opportunity for independent thinking and for learning how and why things work.
• Interpersonal Contact – ha‎ving frequent day-to-day contact with the public‚ co-workers‚ or others.
• Leadership – ha‎ving the opportunity and capacity to guide and shepherd others.
• Leisure – ha‎ving the ability to allocate personal time for such things as relationships and hobbies.
• Order – ha‎ving structure and clear lines of communication within an organization.
• Organizational Ethics – Working for an employer who values integrity and honesty.
• Parking Availability – The ability to drive to work and to park there without significant hassle or expense.
• Peace – Being in an environment that offers tranquility‚ comfort‚ and where you can avoid pressure.
• Personal Growth – ha‎ving opportunities for self-exploration at work that contribute to other areas of your life.
• Physical Challenge – Conquering challenges through the use of physical capacity.
• Power – ha‎ving opportunities for influence within your profession‚ field‚ or organization.
• Precision – Work that requires attention to detail and has low lenience for error.
• Pressure – ha‎ving constant deadlines‚ time demands‚ and challenges.
• Prestige – Being viewed by others with honor; being acknowledged as an “expert” in your field.
• Pride – ha‎ving self-respect and taking personal satisfaction in completed work.
• Professional Growth – ha‎ving opportunities for on-going learning and development within your specific profession.
• Public Transportation – ha‎ving access to timely‚ efficient‚ and affordable community-funded transportation.
• Recognition – Receiving visible and public notice for achievements‚ work tasks‚ academic honors‚ community service‚ etc.
• Respect – ha‎ving a sense of value and worth to the organization.
• Risk – ha‎ving the willingness to forego security to achieve a desired goal.
• Routine – Work that provides an environment with predictable work projects and tasks.
• Safety – ha‎ving a workplace and surrounding neighborhood free from violence and crime.
• Salary – Work which pays well‚ offers periodic raises‚ and enables a comfortable standard of living.
• Security – Being assured of job stability‚ salary‚ and/or benefits.
• Service – Contributing to the well-being of others.
• Social Atmosphere – Forming friendships and warm working relationships within the organization.
• Social Contribution – Positively influencing others and society as a whole through your work.
• Stability – Working in an unchanging‚ predictable career field.
• Status – Achieving a level of prestige‚ respect‚ admiration‚ or glamour as a result of your work.
• Team Environment – Relying on teamwork and group efforts to achieve results.
• Travel – ha‎ving the opportunity to go to different geographic locations to accomplish your job.
• Variety – Work which provides an opportunity to do different types of tasks‚ and being free from routine.
• Visual Results – Creating or building things; producing tangible results.