Rethinking the Assessment of Work Intensity

Abstract

Abstract: Digitalization and flexible work arrangements have profoundly changed workplaces and are often associated with an increasing work intensity, putting employees’ well-being at risk. To respond to increasing work intensity effectively, it is crucial to assess work intensity thoroughly and regularly. However, there are no specific measures that capture work intensity through a comprehensive and contemporary understanding. In two studies, we confirmed the factorial structure of a newly developed questionnaire and pictorial scales on work intensity, providing evidence for the verbal questionnaire’s convergent and incremental validity. The pictorial scales allow for a complementary methodological approach to the assessment of work intensity as measured by the questionnaire. Overall, the questionnaire allows for a comprehensive assessment of work intensity and the pictorial scales meet the demand for a simple and concise instrument suitable for repeated measures such as in the context of diary studies.