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| Overview |
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This section will introduce the user to the concepts and theories behind the Work Values Assessment test. Information presented in the sections below will include:
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A brief historical overview of the Theory of Work Adjustment (Dawis & Lofquist, 1984), the original theory behind the Work Values Assessment test. |
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A brief overview of the Work Values Model, the model that evolved from the Theory of Work Adjustment to create a more practical measure of the influence of values and their influence on work satisfaction. Familiarity with this model will provide an understanding of the use of work values for career exploration, and help clarify the design and intent of the Work Values Assessment test and its associated scoring reports. |
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An overview of Work Values Clusters, the incarnation of the Work Values Model and the primary instrument used to group and categorize individual work needs into a more generalized values system. |
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| Historical Background: The Theory of Work Adjustment |
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The Work Values Assessment test is based on Dawis and Lofquist’s (1984) Theory of Work Adjustment. The theory, which has evolved over four decades of research, provides a comprehensive model for conceptualizing the interaction between individuals and their work environments.
The interaction is made up of an initial “fit” between individuals and their environment, as well as dynamic elements that characterize ongoing adjustments made by both the individuals and the work environment. In other words, individuals with particular characteristics are best suited for jobs that have work demands that correspond with those characteristics. Individuals depend on the work environment to reinforce their characteristics or “needs,” and the work environment depends on individuals to meet the demands or “requirements” of the job. The greater the correspondence between the individual and the work, the greater the likelihood of job satisfaction, performance, and tenure. Once an individual is in a particular job, however, over a period of time the job will affect the characteristics of the worker, and the worker will affect the demands of the job.
While the theory is quite extensive and complex, there are four major concepts that are critical to its understanding. A summary of each concept is listed below: |
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The fit between the needs of an individual and the reinforcers provided by the work environment affects how satisfied the individual is with work. |
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The fit between the abilities of an individual and the ability requirements of the occupation affects what the theory calls “satisfactoriness.” This term refers to how satisfied the work is with the individual. To make the theory a little more user-friendly, “satisfactoriness” can be thought of as how well the individual “performs” on the job. |
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Performance influences satisfaction, and satisfaction influences performance. |
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How long an individual stays on the job (i.e., tenure) is affected by both satisfaction and performance. |
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Stated simply, the four concepts above advocate that when exploring careers, individuals are more likely to be satisfied by jobs that meet their needs, are more likely to perform better if they have the abilities necessary to do the job, will perform better if satisfied, and will be more satisfied the better they perform. Lastly, individuals will stay on the job longer if satisfied and performing well. |
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| Practical Application: The Work Values Model |
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Work values have a critical role in the practical application of the theory. Needs, which were referred to above, are specific aspects of work that an individual requires to be satisfied. They are specific work characteristics that are important to individuals. Examples include: security, variety, responsibility, and creativity. However, individuals, especially those exploring careers, may not think about what is important to them in the world of work in such specific terms. Instead, they tend to think about work more globally. They often have general standards of what is important. This is where work values enter into the equation. The vast number of specific needs identified by years of empirical research can be grouped together according to broad themes of importance. These groupings make up what the lay person generally recognizes as work values. Examples of work values include: achievement, recognition, and independence.
Therefore, a more practical application of the theory involves replacing the concepts of an individuals’ needs with work values. For example, it is the fit between the work values of an individual and the reinforcers provided by the work environment that affects how satisfied the individual is with work. If work gives individuals what they value, then they tend to be satisfied with their jobs.
When they are dissatisfied, it is most likely because their important work values are not being met. It is necessary to stress, however, that people differ in what they consider important on their ideal job.
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| Work Values Clusters |
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The Work Values Assessment test directs individuals to sort 20 statements describing specific needs into five levels of importance. Each of the needs matches up to one of the six work values the instrument was designed to measure: Achievement, Working Conditions, Recognition, Relationships, Support, and Independence. The rank ordering of an individual’s needs provides the information necessary to determine the person’s most important work values (i.e. the rules-based algorithm takes into account the rank ordering of the needs). Listed below are the six work values along with the specific needs that fall under each value (needs are italicized): |
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Achievement: Ability Utilization,
Achievement
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Independence: Creativity,
Responsibility, Autonomy
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Recognition:
Advancement,
Recognition,
Authority
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Relationships: Co-Workers,
Social Service,
Moral Values
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Support: Company Policies & Practices, Supervision: Human Resources, Supervision: Technical |
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Working Conditions: Activity, Independence, Variety, Compensation, Security, Working Conditions |
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| Interesting Fact |
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| Jim Morrison's (The Doors) father was an admiral in the U.S. Navy. |
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