Psychometric Properties of the Work Autonomy Scale in the Brazilian Context

Evania Silva Louro; Larissa Gabardo-Martins; Claudio Eduardo dos Santos Costa Junior; Karyn Sthefanie Dias Madureira Gurgel

doi:10.22235/cp.v20i1.4823

Authors

Evania Silva Louro Universidade Salgado de Oliveira https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2782-235X
Larissa Gabardo-Martins Universidade Salgado de Oliveira https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1356-8087
Elisa Universidade Salgado de Oliveira https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3531-1338
Karyn Sthefanie Dias Madureira Gurgel Universidade Salgado de Oliveira https://orcid.org/0009-0002-1881-5956

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22235/cp.v20i1.4823

Keywords:

work autonomy, job satisfaction, affective organizational commitment, adaptation and validity evidence, psychometric properties

Abstract

Work autonomy is understood as the freedom of workers to manage the different aspects that involve carrying out their own tasks, such as scheduling, criteria, and work methods. In this sense, the objective of this study was to adapt and seek validity evidence of the Work Autonomy Scale in the Brazilian context. A total of 718 Brazilian workers participated, with ages ranging from 18 to 74 years. Confirmatory factor analysis evidenced that the structure that best fits the data was the second-order one. Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis attested invariance in the groups divided according to whether or not they occupy a supervisory position, and according to the response format (online or paper and pencil). Internal consistency indices were adequate. Finally, work autonomy showed positive correlations with job satisfaction and with affective organizational commitment. It is concluded that the scale meets psychometric criteria and is shown to be a useful instrument applicable in organizational analysis processes aimed at building more autonomous and productive work environments.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Alarifi, A., Bajaba, S., & Basahal, A. (2024). From self-commitment to career crafting: The mediating role of career adaptability and the moderating role of job autonomy. Acta Psychologica, 248, 104387. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2024.104387

Allen, N. J., & Meyer, J. P. (1990). The measurement and antecedents of affective, continuance and normative commitment to the organization. Journal of Occupational Psychology, 63(1), 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-8325.1990.tb00506.x

Amna, A., Aftab, K. S., Mukhtar, M., & Ahmed, S. (2025). Assessing the impact of autonomy on job satisfaction among critical care nurses. Indus Journal of Bioscience Research, 3(1), 354-361. https://doi.org/10.70749/ijbr.v3i1.498

Bakker, A. B., & Demerouti, E. (2024). Job demands–resources theory: Frequently asked questions. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 29(3), 188-200. https://doi.org/10.1037/ocp0000376

Bakker, A. B., Demerouti, E., & Sanz-Vergel, A. (2023). Job Demands-Resources Theory: Ten years later. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 10, 25-53. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-120920-053933

Bastos, A. V. B, Siqueira, M. M. M., Medeiros, C. A. F., & Menezes, I. G. (2008). Comprometimento organizacional. In M. M. M. Siqueira (Org.), Novas medidas do comportamento organizacional (pp. 49-96). Artmed.

Bonacci, I., Scarozza, D., & Menshikova, M. (2024). Changes in work organization between flexibility and adaptation: The new normal. PuntOorg International Journal, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.19245/25.05.of.21.07.24.1

Borges-Andrade, J. E., Lemos Alves Peixoto, A., Queiroga, F., & Pérez-Nebra, A. R. (2019). Adaptation of the work design questionnaire to Brazil. Revista Psicologia: Organizações e Trabalho, 19(3), 720-731. https://doi.org/10.17652/rpot/2019.3.16837

Borsa, J. C., Damásio, B. F., & Bandeira, D. R. (2012). Adaptação e validação de instrumentos psicológicos entre culturas: Algumas considerações. Paidéia, 22(53), 423-432. https://doi.org/10.1590/s0103-863x2012000300014

Breaugh, J. A. (1985). The measurement of work autonomy. Human Relations, 38(6), 551-570. https://doi.org/10.1177/001872678503800604

Breaugh, J. A. (1989). The work autonomy scales: Additional validity evidence. Human Relations, 42(11), 1033-1056. https://doi.org/10.1177/001872678904201105

Breaugh, J. A. (1999). Further investigation of the work autonomy scales: Two studies. Journal of Business and Psychology, 13(3), 357-373. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022926416628

Brink, A. G., Emerson, D. J., & Yang, L. (2015). Job autonomy and counterproductive behaviors in Chinese accountants: The role of job-related attitudes. Journal of International Accounting Research, 15(1), 115-131. https://doi.org/10.2308/jiar-51194

Brown, T. A. (2015). Confirmatory Factor Analysis for Applied Research (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.

Caroline, N., Ogbogo, C., & Clarion, N. (2022). Job autonomy, workload and home-work conflict as predictors of job satisfaction among employed women in academia. European Journal of Educational Management, 5(1), 35-48. https://doi.org/10.12973/eujem.5.1.35

Cheung, G. W., & Rensvold, R. B. (2002). Evaluating goodness-of-fit indexes for testing measurement invariance. Structural Equation Modeling, 9(2), 233-255. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15328007SEM0902_5

Chiavenato, I. (2020). Gestão de pessoas: O novo papel da gestão do talento humano (5th ed.). Atlas.

Clausen, T., Pedersen, L. R. M., Andersen, M. F., Theorell, T. & Madsen, I. E. H. (2021). Job autonomy and psychological well-being: A linear or a non-linear association? European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 31(3), 395-405. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2021.1972973

Clinton, M. E., & Conway, N. (2024). Within-person increases in job autonomy linked to greater employee strain. Work & Stress, 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1080/02678373.2024.2364593

Diaa, N. M., Abidin, A. Z. U., & Roller, M. (2024). Examining the relationship of career crafting, perceived employability, and subjective career success: The moderating role of job autonomy. Future Business Journal, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s43093-024-00304-w

Fischer, R., & Karl, J. A. (2019). A primer to (cross-cultural) multi-group invariance testing possibilities in R. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 1-18 https://doi.org/10.3389/FPSYG.2019.01507

Gabardo-Martins, L., Silva Louro, E., & Tinoco Caldas, A. (2024). Recursos e energia organizacional produtiva: A mediação da motivação no trabalho. Revista de Psicología, 42(2), 1029-1060. https://doi.org/10.18800/psico.202402.013

Gana, K. & Broc, G. (2019). Structural equation modeling with Lavaan. Wiley Online Library. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119579038

Hackman, J. R., & Oldham, G. R. (1976). Motivation through the design of work: Test of a theory. Organizational Behavior & Human Performance, 16(2), 250-279. https://doi.org/10.1016/0030-5073(76)90016-7

Hämmig, O., & Vetsch, A. (2021). Stress-buffering and health-protective effect of job autonomy, good working climate, and social support at work among health care workers in Switzerland. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 63(12), e918-e924. https://doi.org/10.1097/JOM.0000000000002404

Jindal, D., Boxall, P., Cheung, G. W., & Hutchison, A. (2022). How do work engagement and work autonomy affect job crafting and performance? An analysis in an Indian manufacturer. Personnel Review, 52(8), 2008-2024. https://doi.org/10.1108/pr-11-2019-0646

Judi, A., Parizad, N., Mohammadpour, Y., & Alinejad, V. (2025). The relationship between professional autonomy and job performance among Iranian ICU nurses: The mediating effect of job satisfaction and organizational commitment. BMC Nursing, 24(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-024-02551-2

Juyumaya, J., Torres-Ochoa, C., & Rojas, G. (2024). Boosting job performance: The impact of autonomy, engagement and age. Revista de Gestão, 31(4), 397-414. https://doi.org/10.1108/rege-09-2023-0108

Kubicek B., Paškvan M., & Bunner J. (2017). The bright and dark sides of job autonomy. In C. Korunka & B. Kubicek (Eds.), Job demands in a changing world of work: Impact on workers’ health and performance and implications for research and practice (pp. 45-63). Springer International Publishing AG. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-54678-0_4

Malik, M. J. N., Ali, M., Malik, A., & Malik, S. (2026). Work dynamics and job autonomy as drivers of sustainable workplace well-being in digitally enabled remote work settings. Discover Sustainability, 7, 538. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-026-02767-z

Manullang, L., & Mesra, B. (2024). The influence of work environment and work flexibility on job satisfaction with competence as an intervening variable in BPJS Employment Pematang Siantar Branch and Kisaran Branch. Sinomika Journal: Publikasi Ilmiah Bidang Ekonomi dan Akuntansi, 3(1), 1-18. https://doi.org/10.54443/sinomika.v3i1.2245

Marcon, S. R. A., Lucas, J. I. P., Kanan, L. A., Madalozzo, M. M., Michelin, F. T., & Diniz, N. C. F. (2022). Autonomia da tarefa nas organizações: Um estudo comparativo entre jovens, adultos e idosos. Conjecturas, 24(1), 425-444. https://doi.org/10.53660/conj-2195-2z55

Ministério da Saúde. (2013, June 13). Resolução no 466, de 12 de dezembro de 2012. Aprova as seguintes diretrizes e normas regulamentadoras de pesquisas envolvendo seres humanos. Conselho Nacional de Saúde. Diário Oficial da União.

Ministério da Saúde. (2016, May 24). Resolução no 510, de 7 de abril de 2016. Trata sobre as diretrizes e normas regulamentadoras de pesquisa em ciências humanas e sociais. Conselho Nacional de Saúde. Diário Oficial da União.

Naqvi, S. R., Ishtiaq, M., Kanwal, N., & Ali, M. (2013). Impact of job autonomy on organizational commitment and job satisfaction: The moderating role of organizational culture in fast food sector of Pakistan. International Journal of Business and Management, 8(17), 92. https://doi.org/10.5539/ijbm.v8n17p92

Nie, T., Tian, M., Cai, M., & Yan, Q. (2023). Job autonomy and work meaning: Drivers of employee job-crafting behaviors in the VUCA times. Behavioral Sciences, 13(6), 493. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13060493

Pederson, L., & Slowiak, J. M. (2026). Job autonomy and innovation in healthcare and human services: Pathways through appraisal, engagement, and burnout. Healthcare, 14(4), 437. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare14040437

Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55(1), 68-78. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066x.55.1.68

Sharma, A., & Sharma, H. (2024). Job autonomy and employee psychological well-being: The mediating effect of employee voice. South Asian Journal of Human Resources Management. https://doi.org/10.1177/23220937241257279

Silva, A. P. C., & Ferreira, M. C. (2009). Escala de Satisfação Geral no Trabalho (Resumo). In Instituto Brasileiro de Avaliação Psicológica (Org.), Anais do IV Congresso Brasileiro de Avaliação Psicológica (p. 246).

Slemp, G. R., Kern, M. L., Patrick, K. J., & Ryan, R. M. (2018). Leader autonomy support in the workplace: A meta-analytic review. Motivation and Emotion, 42(5), 706-724. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-018-9698-y

Sørlie, H. O., Hetland, J., Bakker, A. B., Espevik, R., & Olsen, O. K. (2022). Daily autonomy and job performance: Does person-organization fit act as a key resource? Journal of Vocational Behavior, 133, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2022.103691

Spector, P. E. (2022). Job satisfaction. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003250616-1

Vieira, G. P., Kamazaki, D. F., & Dias, A. C. G. (2022a). Ética em pesquisa: A utilização de levantamento on-line em psicologia. Psicologia: Ciência e Profissão, 42, e238789. https://doi.org/10.1590/1982-3703003238789

Warr, P. (1987). Work, unemployment, and mental health. Oxford University Press.

Wei, Z., Abdul-Ghani, R., Mat, N., & Mat Isa, R. (2025). Multitasking and workplace wellbeing: The roles of job stress and job autonomy. Frontiers in Psychology, 16. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1611876

Weigold, A., Weigold, I. K., & Russell, E. J. (2013). Examination of the equivalence of self-report survey-based paper-and-pencil and internet data collection methods. Psychological Methods, 18(1), 53-70. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0031607

Yagil, D., & Oren, R. (2021). Servant leadership, engagement, and employee outcomes: The moderating roles of proactivity and job autonomy. Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 37(1), 58-65. https://doi.org/10.5093/jwop2021a1

Yan, H., Huang, X., Qian, C., & Chen, B. (2024). When lonely employees are productive: An intervention study on workplace mindfulness and job autonomy. Current Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-024-06036-y

Yang, C., Bao, Y., & Zhang, Z. (2024). More autonomy, more proactive? The (in)congruence effects of autonomy on proactive behaviour. Management Decision, 62(5), 1560-1575. https://doi.org/10.1108/MD-05-2023-0867

Yimer, A., Zewdie, A., Feleke, A., Dellie, E., Ahmed, M., Seid, S., Debebe, W., Ahmed, H., Korma, W., Adem, M., & Kebede, A. (2024). Work autonomy and its associated factors among health professionals in public hospitals of North East Ethiopia. Scientific reports, 14(1), 15747. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-66865-6

Zaheer, M. A., Raza, M. A., Manzoor, M., & Raja, U. A. (2024). Is role clarity and workplace autonomy the key dilemma for multinational telecommunication organizations in developing countries? Upravlenets, 15(2), 48-65. https://doi.org/10.29141/2218-5003-2024-15-2-4

Zhalifunnas, M. S., Bakar, R. M., & Rahmat, A. (2023). Increasing well-being in the workplace: The role of job autonomy. International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation, X(XI), 159-166. https://doi.org/10.51244/ijrsi.2023.1011012

Zhou, E. (2020). The “too-much-of-a-good-thing” effect of job autonomy and its explanation mechanism. Psychology, 11(02), 299-313. https://doi.org/10.4236/psych.2020.112019

Zychová, K., Fejfarová, M., & Jindrová, A. (2023). Job autonomy as a driver of job satisfaction. Central European Business Review, 13(2), 117-140. https://doi.org/10.18267/j.cebr.347