Developing the task and ego orientation at work questionnaire

Abstract

Although widely researched in education and sport, little research examines employee achievement goal orientations in a work context. This article provides validity and reliability evidence for the Task and Ego Orientation at Work Questionnaire (TEOWQ) from a study of378 employees representing from eight different occupational categories. Confirmatory factor analyses indicate that are-specified model comprising two ego (&quot;Being the best&quot; and &quot;being better than others&quot;) and two task sub-factors (&quot;Learning&quot; and &quot;Effort&quot;) fit the data better than the original two-factor model. Temporal stationarity and stability of the constructs over time receive support. As hypothesized, task and task-effort orientations relate positively with persistence while ego orientation does not. The TEOWQ appears to be a valid and reliable instrument of achievement orientation in a work setting.<br /