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01-06-2018

Measuring Work Ability with Its Antecedents: Evaluation of the Work Ability Survey

Authors: Jan-Bennet Voltmer, Jürgen Deller

Published in: Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation | Issue 2/2018

Abstract

Purpose The revised version of the Work Ability Survey (WAS-R) assesses work ability on several sub-scales at the intersection of personal and organizational capacity, thus adding to the measurement of work ability by integrating the holistic model. It, therefore, improves on two features of the current standard measurement tool of work ability, the Work Ability Index (WAI): (1) a ceiling effect and (2) limited detail due to a focus on physical health and personal capacity. Method In two samples (n ₁ = 1093, n ₂ = 359), psychometric properties and the structure of the WAS-R were analyzed. To evaluate construct validity, inter-correlations of the WAS-R and WAI, sickness absence, expected and desired retirement age, and post-retirement work intention were calculated. Results The WAS-R was found to be distributed closer to normality than the WAI. The structural analyses yielded acceptable results for the hypothesized model. The WAS-R was adequately correlated with the WAI, negatively with sickness absence, and positively with desired retirement age. Conclusions The WAS-R extends the measurement of work ability, reflecting organizations’ work demands. Its broad sub-scales lead to high acceptance of the results within the participating companies. In particular, the organizational capacity scales can be used to guide interventions aiming at organizational characteristics to improve work ability.

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Title: Measuring Work Ability with Its Antecedents: Evaluation of the Work Ability Survey
Authors: Jan-Bennet Voltmer
Jürgen Deller
Publication date: 01-06-2018
Publisher: Springer US
Published in: Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation / Issue 2/2018
Print ISSN: 1053-0487
Electronic ISSN: 1573-3688
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10926-017-9720-3

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Measuring Work Ability with Its Antecedents: Evaluation of the Work Ability Survey

Abstract

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Abstract

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