Instruments to measure opportunities to satisfy needs, and degree of satisfaction of needs, in the workplace

Research on person–environment fit issues would be greatly enhanced by the development of instruments which measure environments and people using conceptually related dimensions. In this study, instruments were developed to measure jobs (environments) using dimensions based upon the characteristics of people, specifically with respect to their needs. The instruments measured opportunities on the job to satisfy needs for achievement, power and affiliation, and the degree of satisfaction of those needs. Evaluation of these scales by confirmatory factor analysis and other techniques showed them to have good psychometric properties. Tests of validity were also supportive. Further development of the scales and their use for research in organizations is recommended. Similar instruments should be developed for use with other conceptual frameworks that deal with person–environment fit.