Measuring positive and negative aspects of well-being at work: Intern and extern validity of the PNOSI.

With the emergence of positive psychology, research interest in workers positive responses to work conditions has gained ground fast. In the beginning of the 21st century, our unit developed the PNOSI, a new tool for measuring Positive and Negative Occupational Stress. Negative occupational stress was defined as the response of workers facing demands they feel they have to manage but for which they doubt necessary resources are available. Positive occupational stress was defined as the response of workers facing demands they feel they have to manage and for which they perceive necessary resources are available.

Exploratory analyses (Barbier & Hansez, 2008) have identified a two-factor structure, one measuring Positive Occupational Stress (POSI) and the other measuring Negative Occupational Stress (NOSI). The following research has two goals: establishing PNOSI intern structure through a cross-validation strategy using calibration and validation samples (goal 1), and testing its convergent and discriminant validity (goal 2).

As regards to goal 1, structural equation modelling using Lisrel 8.80 was performed on 2,713 data collected in a Belgian electricity company. Results show that the two-factor solution suits data best than an alternative one “wellbeing” factor solution. Moreover, eliminating two items leads to better fit. We then fitted this reduced two-factor structure on more than 15,000 data collected in six companies. Results show that the reduced two-factor solution should be preferred to the alternative one in all six samples. PNOSI intern structure is thus replicated.

As regards to goal 2, we calculated correlations between NOSI and POSI scales, and constructs of burnout, engagement, workaholism and commitment. Data were collected in a Belgian public institution (N = 954). NOSI was moderately correlated to our burnout measure, and can thus be considered as a different, even if related, construct. POSI was highly correlated to our measure of engagement, challenging our hypothesis that the two are different constructs. Finally, NOSI was moderately and negatively correlated to commitment and positively correlated to workaholism, whereas the reverse was true for POSI. It seems thus that NOSI is distinct from burnout, workaholism and commitment, whereas POSI is distinct from workaholism and commitment.

To conclude, we can say that PNOSI two-factor structure is established. NOSI shows convergent validity with the similar construct of burnout, but is distinct from it. Results are less clear concerning POSI and engagement. Finally, NOSI and POSI are differently related to constructs of commitment and workaholism; their discriminant validity is thus established.