A psychometric evaluation of the 17-itemed Utrecht Work Engagement Scale in Uganda

Abstract

This study aimed at the establishment of the psychometric properties of the 17-itemed Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-17) itemed factorial structure. This was done by examining the similarities and differences in terms of model fit of the tri-factor model to a one-factor model. Using a cross-sectional design, confirmatory factor analysis was used to evaluate the 17-item uni-dimensional and the 17-item tri-factor UWES respectively on a sample of 323 education assistants (professional teachers) in Uganda. The study confirmed an 11 -item trifactor Uganda’s primary school sample (UWES-Ug) as a reliable and parsimonious factor structure within this cohort. The sample was restricted to teachers and this limits the generalisability of the findings. On account of these results, the study sample evidently attests to the fact that work engagement is best represented as a tri-factor construct in the Ugandan context. This study contributes to theory by confirmation of the three-factor structure of work engagement in developing countries through use of perceptual data from a Ugandan sample. This is a pioneer empirical study that validates the UWES 17-itemed scale in Uganda.