Brief Description

The UWES-17 (Utrecht Work Engagement Scale) is a self-report questionnaire designed to measure the level of employees’ work engagement. It consists of 17 statements divided into three dimensions: vigor, dedication, and absorption. The tool has been translated and adapted into numerous languages, including Spanish, and is widely used in organizational psychology research and practice.

Purpose

The UWES-17 aims to assess work engagement, a positive psychological state related to one’s job. Measuring engagement helps organizations understand employee commitment and well-being, identify areas of concern, and promote supportive working conditions.

Scoring Method

Responses are given on a seven-point Likert scale, indicating how often participants experience each statement (0 = never, 6 = every day). The scores for each dimension and the overall scale are calculated by summing the responses, providing indicators of high, moderate, or low work engagement.

Validity

Confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) have shown satisfactory model fit for the three-factor structure (vigor, dedication, absorption). These three dimensions are strongly interrelated, reflecting the coherence of the construct. The tool’s validity has been confirmed across diverse cultural and occupational contexts.

Reliability

Internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha) for the Spanish version of the UWES-17 was high: 0.91 for the overall scale, 0.79 for vigor, 0.85 for dedication, and 0.74 for absorption. These values exceed the commonly accepted threshold of 0.70, indicating good reliability. Some items (e.g., VI6 and AB6) showed weak factor loadings, but removing them did not improve the scale’s reliability.

Data Analysis and Use

Data are analyzed using statistical tools such as SPSS and AMOS, incorporating descriptive statistics, factor analysis, and reliability testing. The scale is used to assess employee well-being, predict job performance, and guide HR policy-making. In healthcare, high engagement levels have been linked to better patient care, reduced stress, and increased job satisfaction.

References

Schaufeli, W. B., & Bakker, A. B. (2004). Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES): Preliminary Manual. Utrecht University.
Gómez Garbero, L., Labarthe, J., Ferreira-Umpiérrez, A., & Chiminelli-Tomás, V. (2019). Assessment of health workers’ engagement in Uruguay using the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES). Ciencias Psicológicas, 13(2), 305–316. https://doi.org/10.22235/cp.v13i2.1888
Schaufeli, W. B., Salanova, M., González-Romá, V., & Bakker, A. B. (2002). The measurement of engagement and burnout: A two sample confirmatory factor analytic approach. Journal of Happiness Studies, 3(1), 71–92.