Development and Validation of a Multidimensional Career Values Questionnaire: A Measure Integrating Work Values, Career Orientations, and Career Anchors

Work values, career orientations, and career anchors are conceptually and empirically linked, and the aim of this article was to develop a new questionnaire that assesses their underlying common dimensions from a set of newly generated items. A first study, using a sample of Swiss French-speaking employees (N = 239) and exploratory factor analysis techniques, enabled the identification of eight career values: social, management, specialization, mobility, independence, salary, work-life balance, and variety. In a second study with another sample of Swiss French-speaking employees (N = 313), we confirmed this eight-factor structure and showed that these dimensions are reliable and stable over time. The measured career values were also meaningfully related to different work meanings and to job and career satisfaction. This newly created questionnaire enables an integrative assessment of career values and should be useful for researchers and practitioners to better understand and assist people in their career choices.

Automated summary

This article aims to develop a new questionnaire that assesses the underlying dimensions of work values, career orientations, and career anchors. Through two studies with Swiss French-speaking employees, the researchers confirmed the reliability and stability of the eight-factor structure, as well as the meaningful relationship between career values and work meanings and job satisfaction. The newly created questionnaire provides a useful tool for researchers and practitioners to understand and assist individuals in making career choices.