The Work Motivation Inventory: Scale Development and Initial Validation in Chinese Working Samples

Grounded in Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and Vallerand's hierarchical model of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, this research developed the Work Motivation Inventory (WMI). Two studies were conducted to examine the psychometric properties of this scale. Study 1 (N = 497) utilized Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) to identify an initial eight-factor structure as a preliminary exploratory finding. In Study 2 (N = 604), Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was conducted to further refine the scale and validate its final structure. This process resulted in a 40-item full version and a 24-item short form. The validated WMI possesses a seven-factor hierarchical structure, comprising: Amotivation, External Regulation (as a second-order factor with Material and Social sub-factors), Introjected Regulation, Identified Regulation, Intrinsic Motivation to Know, Intrinsic Motivation to Accomplish, and Intrinsic Motivation to Experience Stimulation. Reliability and validity analyses indicated that both the full and short versions possess high internal consistency and criterion-related validity. The WMI provides a psychometrically sound tool for measuring work motivation, offering practical and theoretical insights for building learning organizations, and understanding the underlying structure of work motivation.