2Coetzer.indd


The insurance industry expanded considerably in the late 
19th century (Chan, 2002), inducing acute competitiveness 
and rivalry between companies and employees (Lai, Chan, 
Ko & Boey, 2000). This, along with the increased demands 
from current operating and economic conditions world-wide, 
force organisations to make rapid changes to their workforce. 
Everywhere organisations are downsizing, outsourcing and 
restructuring, ultimately impacting on employees’ work demands 
and obligations (Kickul & Posig, 2001) and leaving them with 
feelings of stress, insecurity, misunderstanding, undervaluation 
and alienation. These rapid changes in organisations, along with 
the changes in information technology, make the situation more 
complex for employees (Lindström, Leino, Seitsamo & Tordtila, 
1997). They are faced not only with increased workloads and 
pressures but also with decreased job control (Chan, 2002; 
Lai et al., 2000). When the employee can no longer tolerate 
occupational pressures and feels totally overwhelmed by stress, 
he or she is likely to reach breaking point and experience 
burnout (Weisberg, 1994). 

Burnout has been defined as “a persistent, negative, work-
related state of mind in ‘normal’ individuals that is primarily 
characterised by exhaustion, which is accompanied by distress, 
a sense of reduced effectiveness, decreased motivation, and the 
development of dysfunctional attitudes and behaviors at work” 
(Schaufeli & Enzmann, 1998, p. 36). Maslach, Jackson and Leiter 
(1996) and Maslach, Schaufeli and Leiter (2001) describe burnout 
as a syndrome consisting of three dimensions, namely feelings of 
emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation (cynicism) and reduced 
personal accomplishment (professional efficacy). It is important 
to use a reliable and valid instrument to measure burnout. The 
development of the Maslach Burnout Inventory – General Survey 
(MBI-GS) (Schaufeli, Leiter, Maslach & Jackson, 1996) made it 
possible to make comparisons among different occupational 
groups. Thus the concept of burnout and its measurement were 
broadened to include all employees and not only those who do 
“people work” (Maslach & Leiter, 1997). The MBI-GS comprises 
three subscales: Exhaustion, Cynicism and Professional Efficacy. 

Empirical studies revealed that some employees, regardless of high 
job demands and long working hours, do not develop burnout 
in comparison to others, but seemed to find pleasure in hard 
work and dealing with job demands (Schaufeli & Bakker, 2001). 
Consequently, theoretical and empirical studies commenced 
on the concept of work engagement, theoretically viewed as 
the antithesis of the burnout construct. Work engagement is 
defined as a positive, fulfilling, work-related state of mind that is 

characterised by vigour, dedication and absorption. Furthermore, 
it is not a momentary and specific state, but a more persistent 
and pervasive affective-cognitive state which is not focused on 
a particular object, event, individual or behaviour (Schaufeli, 
Salanova, González-Romá & Bakker, 2002). 

Burnout and work engagement are important components of 
affective work-related well-being. A lack of research in terms of 
burnout and work engagement of employees in the insurance 
industry within the South African context necessitates the current 
research. It is not only important to obtain valid and reliable 
measurements of burnout and work engagement in South Africa 
from an empirical point of view, but also to enable the individual 
measurement of burnout and work engagement in a valid and 
reliable manner in the insurance industry context in South Africa. 
According to Van de Vijver and Leung (1997), measurement 
equivalence should be computed for measuring instruments in 
any multicultural setting where groups from different cultural 
groups are compared in terms of a specific construct. 

The objectives of this study were to validate the Maslach 
Burnout Inventory – General Survey (MBI-GS) and the Utrecht 
Work Engagement Scale (UWES) for employees in an insurance 
company in South Africa, to assess their construct equivalence 
for different language groups and to determine the relationship 
between burnout and work engagement. 

The Maslach Burnout Inventory – General Survey (MBI – GS)
The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) (Maslach et al., 1996) is 
currently the most widely used research instrument to measure 
burnout. The psychometric properties of the MBI-GS are 
satisfactory. Internal consistencies varying from 0,73 (Cynicism) 
to 0,91 (Exhaustion) are reported by Leiter and Schaufeli (1996). 
Reliability analyses done by Schutte, Toppinen, Kalimo and 
Schaufeli (2000) showed that the Exhaustion and Professional 
Efficacy subscales were sufficiently internally consistent, but 
that one Cynicism item should be removed in order to increase 
the internal consistency beyond the criterion of 0,70. According 
to them, this might be caused by the ambivalence of the 
particular item: “I just want to do my job and not be bothered”. 
In their studies, Schaufeli, Leiter and Kalimo (1995) and Leiter 
and Schaufeli (1996) also found that this item had the lowest 
factor loadings of the three subscales. 

Four studies were found that used the MBI-GS on South African 
samples. In a sample of senior managers in a manufacturing 
industry, Rothmann and Jansen van Vuuren (2002) found 

WJ COETZER
S ROTHMANN

Ian.Rothmann@nwu.ac.za
WorkWell: Research Unit for People, Policy and Performance

North-West University

ABSTRACT
The objectives of this study were to validate two measures of affective well-being, namely the Maslach Burnout 
Inventory (MBI) and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) for employees in an insurance company, to assess 
their construct equivalence for different language groups and to determine the relationship between burnout and 
work engagement. A cross-sectional survey design with an availability sample (N = 613) was used. The MBI, UWES 
and a biographical questionnaire were administered. Structural equation modelling confirmed a three-factor 
model of burnout, consisting of Exhaustion, Cynicism and Professional Efficacy and a three-factor model of work 
engagement consisting of Vigour, Dedication and Absorption. Acceptable construct equivalence of the three-factor 
model of burnout and work engagement for different language groups was confirmed. A second-order factor analysis 
of the scales resulted in two factors, namely burnout and work engagement. 

Key words: 
Burnout, work engagement, construct equivalence

A PSYCHOMETRIC EVALUATION OF MEASURES OF 
AFFECTIVE WELL-BEING IN AN INSURANCE COMPANY

7

SA Journal of Industrial Psychology, 2007, 33 (2), 7-15
SA Tydskrif vir Bedryfsielkunde, 2007, 33 (2), 7-15



COETZER, ROTHMANN8

satisfactory alpha coefficients: Exhaustion = 0,79; Cynicism = 
0,84 (after item 13 had been omitted); and Professional Efficacy 
= 0,84. Rothmann and Malan (2003) found higher alphas 
(Exhaustion = 0,89; Cynicism = 0,76; Professional Efficacy = 
0,85) while Kruger, Veldman, Rothmann and Jackson (2002) 
found lower alphas for Cynicism (0,72) and Professional Efficacy 
(0,69). Storm and Rothmann (2003a) found alpha coefficients 
of 0,88 (Exhaustion), 0,78 (Cynicism) and 0,79 (Professional 
Efficacy) in a sample of police officers in South Africa. 

Confirmatory factor analysis done by Schutte et al. (2000) 
showed that the three-factor model of the MBI-GS was clearly 
superior to alternative one-factor and two-factor models. Leiter 
and Schaufeli (1996) employed confirmatory factor analysis using 
linear structural equation modelling and also confirmed a three-
factor structure. Taris, Schreurs and Schaufeli (1999) obtained 
similar results. However, in a sample of Spanish workers who 
used computer-aided technologies at their jobs, Salanova and 
Schaufeli (2000) found a four-factor model of burnout where the 
Efficacy subscale split into two factors that were labelled “goal 
attainment” and “self-confidence”. According to the authors, this 
divergent result might have been caused by translation problems 
or by the specific sample being studied. It seems reasonable 
to expect that a three-factor structure will be obtained in this 
study. Confirmatory factor analyses by Rothmann and Jansen 
van Vuuren (2002), Rothmann and Malan (2003), Kruger et al. 
(2002) and Storm and Rothmann (2003a) consistently showed 
low loadings of item 13 on Cynicism. Despite various studies 
regarding the factor structure of the MBI-GS as described above, 
the equivalence of the factor structure for different language 
groups has not been studied to date. 

The first hypothesis of this study is as follows:
H1: Burnout, as measured by the MBI-GS, can be defined as a 

three-dimensional construct, with an equivalent structure for 
different language groups and acceptable levels of internal 
consistency for each of its subscales, namely Exhaustion, 
Cynicism and Professional Efficacy.

The Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES)
Schaufeli, Salanova et al. (2002) developed the Utrecht Work 
Engagement Scale (UWES). The UWES measures three dimensions 
of work engagement: Vigour, Dedication and Absorption. Schaufeli 
et al. (2002) reported acceptable internal consistencies (α > 0,70) for 
the UWES. Recent confirmatory factor-analytical studies confirmed 
the factorial validity of the UWES (Schaufeli, Bakker, Hoogduin, 
Schaap & Kladler, 2001; Schaufeli, Martinez, Pinto, Salanova & 
Bakker, 2002; Schaufeli, Salanova et al., 2002). The findings showed 
internally consistent results for the three scales of the UWES. 

In a cross-cultural study regarding the UWES for students in Spain, 
Portugal and the Netherlands, the factorial validity of the UWES 
was confirmed and the internal consistency of the scales was found 
to be satisfactory (Schaufeli, Martinez et al., 2002). Factor loadings 
of Absorption were found to be invariant across all samples, while 
factor loadings of Vigour were invariant for only two of the three 
groups. The three-factor model fit to the data was found to be 
superior in all three samples after removing three items, namely 
items 17, 16 and 11. Internally consistent Cronbach alphas ranged 
from 0,65 to 0,79 for Vigour (5 items); 0,77 to 0,85 for Dedication 
(5 items); and from 0,65 to 0,73 for Absorption (4 items).

Two studies regarding the internal consistency and factorial 
validity in South Africa were found. In their study, Storm and 
Rothmann (2003b) found that a re-specified one-factor model 
(after deleting items 3, 11, 15 and 16) fitted the data the best 
in their random, stratified sample of police members in South 
Africa. Although a three-factor model was initially tested and 
satisfactory results obtained, the fit with the data was superior for 
a one-factor model. Internal consistencies of the three subscales 
were determined at 0,78 (Vigour), 0,89 (Dedication) and 0,78 
(Absorption). In a sample of emergency workers, Naudé (2003) 
found that a re-specified three-factor model (after deleting items 

15 and 16) fitted the data best. Internal consistencies of the three 
subscales were determined at 0,70 (Vigour); 0,83 (Dedication) 
and 0,67 (Absorption). Although various studies regarding 
the factor structure of the UWES have been conducted, the 
equivalence of the factor structure for different language groups 
has not been studied to date. 

The second hypothesis of this study is as follows:
H2: Work engagement, as measured by the UWES, can be defined 

as a three-dimensional construct, with an equivalent structure 
for different language groups and acceptable levels of internal 
consistency for each of its subscales, namely Vigour, Absorption 
and Dedication.

The relationship between burnout and work engagement
Burnout and work engagement are both components of affective 
well-being at work. Maslach and Leiter (1997) described burnout 
as an “erosion of engagement with the job”. Work engagement, 
according to these authors, is characterised by energy, 
involvement and efficacy, the direct opposites of burnout. 
However, Schaufeli, Salanova et al. (2002) found that although 
burnout is related to work engagement, it is not the direct 
opposite of burnout. Schaufeli and Bakker (2004) found that 
the engagement and burnout scales were moderately negatively 
correlated. Schaufeli, Salanova et al. (2002) and Schaufeli and 
Bakker (2004) observed that a core burnout factor – consisting 
of (emotional) exhaustion and mental distance (cynicism) – and 
an extended engagement factor – including professional efficacy 
in addition to the three engagement scales – fitted the data best. 
Green, Walkey and Taylor (1991) also referred to exhaustion and 
mental distance (cynicism) as the core of burnout.

The third hypothesis of this study is as follows:
H3: Burnout and work engagement are two different but related 

components of work-related well-being.

RESEARCH DESIGN 

Research approach
A cross-sectional survey design was used in this study. Question-
naires were used to gather data in a no-random field survey.

Research method
Participants
The total population of 1 100 employees in an insurance 
company was targeted. A response rate of 56,5% was achieved, 
of which 613 responses (98,55%) could be utilised. Descriptive 
information of the sample is given in Table 1.

Table 1  
CharaCTerisTiCs of The parTiCipanTs

Item Category Frequency (Percentage)

Education Grade 10 (Standard 8) 48 (8,35)

Grade 12 303 (52,70)

Grade 12 + Diploma 133 (23,13)

Grade 12 + Higher Diploma or 
Degree 

68 (11,83)

Grade 12 + Higher Diploma or 
Degree (Honours)

16 (2,78)

Grade 12 + Higher Diploma or 
Degree (Master’s)

7 (1,22)

Gender Male 262 (42,74)

Female 351 (57,26)

Race Black 67 (10,95)

White 281 (45,92)

Coloured 236 (38,56)

Asian 28 (4,58)

Home Language Afrikaans 208 (34,04)

English 339 (55,48)

Other 64 (10,47)



EVALUATION OF MEASURES OF EFFECTIVE WELL-BEING 9

The sample consisted mainly of English-speaking (55,48%), 
married females (57,26%) with a Grade 12 school qualification 
(52,7%). The mean age of the participants was 35,5 years while 
the average length of service was 7,55 years.

Measuring Instruments
The Maslach Burnout Inventory – General Sur vey (MBI-GS) 
(Maslach et al., 1996) measures respondents’ perceived experience 
of burnout. The MBI-GS has three subscales: Exhaustion (five 
items, e.g. “I feel used up at the end of the workday”), 
Cynicism (five items, e.g. “I have become less enthusiastic 
about my work”) and Professional Efficacy (six items, e.g. “In 
my opinion, I am good at my job”). Cronbach alpha coefficients 
reported by Maslach et al. (1996) varied from 0,87 to 0,89 for 
Exhaustion, 0,73 to 0,84 for Cynicism and 0,76 to 0,84 for 
Professional Efficacy. Test-retest reliabilities after one year 
were 0,65 (Exhaustion), 0,60 (Cynicism) and 0,67 (Professional 
Efficacy) (Maslach et al., 1996). All items are scored on a seven-
point frequency-rating scale ranging from 0 (never), to 6 (daily). 
Storm (2002) confirmed the three-factor structure of the MBI-
GS. The following Cronbach alpha coefficients were obtained 
for the MBI-GS: Exhaustion: 0,88; Cynicism: 0,79; Professional 
Efficacy: 0,78 (Storm, 2002).

The Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) (Schaufeli, Salanova 
et al., 2002) measures levels of work engagement. The UWES 
includes three dimensions, namely vigour, dedication and 
absorption, which are conceptually regarded as the opposite 
of burnout and are scored on a seven-point frequency-rating 
scale, varying from 0 (never) to 6 (every day). The questionnaire 
consists of 17 questions and includes questions like “I am 
bursting with energy every day in my work”; “Time flies when I 
am at work” and “My job inspires me”. The alpha coefficients for 
the three subscales varied between 0,68 and 0,91. Storm (2002) 
obtained the following alpha coefficients for the UWES in the 
South African Police Service: Vigour: 0,78; Dedication: 0,89; 
Absorption: 0,78. Naudé (2003) obtained the following alpha 
coefficients in a sample of 405 emergency workers in South 
Africa: Vigour: 0,70; Dedication: 0,83; and Absorption: 0,67.

Statistical analysis
The statistical analysis was carried out with the SAS program (SAS 
Institute, 2000). In the first step, means, standard deviations, 
skewness and kurtosis were determined to describe the data. 
The reliability and validity of the MBI-GS and UWES were also 
determined by means of Cronbach alpha coefficients, mean 
inter-item correlations and their distribution scales, as well as 
confirmatory factor analysis with the use of the AMOS program 
(Arbuckle, 1999). 

In order to test the factorial validity and construct equivalence 
of the MBI-GS and UWES for different language groups, 
structural equation modeling (SEM) methods were used with the 
maximum likelihood method of the AMOS program (Arbuckle, 
1999). According to Jöresk og (1971), all tests of invariance across 
groups should begin with a global test of the equality of their 
covariance structures. In testing for these equivalencies, sets 
of parameters are tested in a logical order and by increasing 
restrictions in every step. The sets of parameters that are of most 
interest regarding group variances are: (a) factor loading paths, 
(b) factor variances/covariances, and (c) structural regression 
paths, while, according to Bentler (1995) – contradicting the 
view of Jöreskog – equality of error variances and covariances 
is generally the least important hypothesis to test, due to the 
restrictive nature of these tests. 

The general procedure for the testing of hypotheses related to 
group invariance starts with scrutiny of the measurement model. 
The pattern of factor loadings for each observed measure should 
be tested first for its equivalence across the groups. Once the group 
invariances have been identified, these parameters are equally 
constrained, while subsequent tests of the structural parameters 
are conducted. While testing each new set of parameters, those 

known to be group-invariant are equally constrained, thus 
testing a series of increasingly restrictive hypotheses in an 
orderly sequence of analytic steps (Byrne, 2001).

Before the factorial invariance can be tested as described  
above, it is important to consider a baseline model for  
each group separately, which best fits the data from the 
perspectives of both parsimony and substantive meaningfulness. 
Baseline models need not be completely identical across  
groups. The number of factors also need not be equivalent 
across groups (Byrne, 2001). In testing for invariance, 
however, equality constraints are imposed on particular 
parameters. Therefore, the data for all groups must be analysed 
simultaneously to obtain efficient estimates (Bentler, 1995; 
Jö reskog & Sö rbom, 1996).

Hypothesised relationships are tested empirically for goodness 
of fit with the sample data. The χ2 and several other goodness-
of-fit indices summarise the degree of correspondence between 
the implied and observed covariance matrices. However, because 
the χ2 statistic equals (N – 1) Fmin, this value tends to be 
substantial when the model does not hold and the sample size is 
large (Byrne, 2001). The following goodness-of-fit-indices were 
used as adjuncts to the χ2 statistics: a) The Goodness of fit Index 
(GFI); b) The Adjusted Goodness of Fit Index (AGFI); c) The 
Normed Fit Index (NFI); d) The Comparative Fit Index (CFI); e) 
The Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI), and f) The Root Mean Square Error 
of Approximation (RMSEA). 

RESULTS

Construct validity and construct equivalence of the MBI-
GS
Problems of construct equivalence could arise when participants 
have difficulty with communicating in English (the language in 
which the instruments were administered). Because of relatively 
small sample sizes in the African language groups, it was decided 
to conduct the analyses for two language groups, namely 
Afrikaans/African and English. 

First, a one-factor model of the MBI-GS consisting of 16 items 
was tested for each language group separately. Next, a three-
factor model of the MBI-GS consisting of 16 items was tested 
for each language group separately. Statistics of the fit between 
the theoretical model and the empirical data for both language 
groups are given in Table 2. 

Table 2 
Goodness-of-fiT sTaTisTiCs for The hypoThesised mbi-Gs models 

employees in an insuranCe Company in differenT lanGuaGe Groups

Model χ2 χ2/df GFI AGFI NFI TLI CFI RMSEA

One-factor Model 
– Afrikaans and 
African

644,01 6,19 0,71 0,62 0,56 0,54 0,60 0,14

One-factor Model 
– English

934,49 8,99 0,66 0,56 0,59 0,56 0,62 0,15

Three-factor Model 
1 – Afrikaans and 
African 

286,32 2,84 0,88 0,84 0,80 0,84 0,86 0,08

Three-factor Model 
2 – Afrikaans and 
African

145,67 1,71 0,94 0,91 0,90 0,94 0,95 0,05

Three-factor Model 
1 – English

334,17 3,31 0,89 0,85 0,85 0,87 0,89 0,08

Three-factor Model 
– English

223,05 2,62 0,92 0,89 0,90 0,92 0,94 0,07

Table 2 shows that the fit of the three-factor model was  
superior to the one-factor model for both language groups. 
Regarding the three-factor model, the χ2 values of 286,32  
(df = 101; p = 0,01) obtained for the Afrikaans and African 
language group and of 334,17 (df = 101; p = 0,01) for the 



COETZER, ROTHMANN10

English language group are indicative of a poor overall fit 
to the theoretical three-factor model of the MBI-GS. The 
goodness-of-fit indices also support this finding by not 
reaching the recommended critical values. Values lower than 
0,90 for GFI, AGFI, NFI, TLI and CFI were found. The RMSEA 
value is also higher than the recommended value of 0,05. In 
order to obtain a better fit bet ween the theoretical three-factor 
model with the population data, modification of the model 
is needed. To pinpoint possible areas of misfit, modification 
indices were examined. Looking at the regression weights, 
one parameter, which represents the cross-loading of Item 
13 on the Cynicism factor, stands apart from the rest and 
accounts for substantial misspecification of the hypothesised 
factor loading. 

The rejection of the post ulated theoretical model in 
the previous section initiated, by implication, a model 
development process, in other words, an exploratory factor 
analysis process. Given the high cross-loading levels of item 
13, it was decided to re-specif y the model by deleting this 
variable. Also, errors of t wo item pairs (namely CY14-CY15 and 
PE11-PE12) were allowed to correlate, given the comparatively 
high covariance associated with these errors. Subsequent 
analysis therefore includes only 15 items, labelled Model 2. 
The various fit statistics in Table 2 indicate an incremental 
improvement from the first model fit with the empirical data. 
All fit indices indicated a marginally acceptable fit at best with 
the data for the Afrikaans and African language group, with 
χ2 = 145,67 (df = 85; p = 0,01). With the exception of the AGFI 
and RMSEA, all fit indices indicate a marginally acceptable fit 
at best with the data for the English language group, with χ2 
= 223,05 (df = 85; p = 0,01). A difference of ∆χ2(16) = 140,65 was 
found bet ween Model 1 and Model 2 for the Afrikaans and 
African language group and a difference of ∆χ2(16) = 111,12 
was found bet ween Model 1 and Model 2 for the English 
language group. Both these differences are substantial. The 
other fit statistics seem to support an acceptable fit of Model 
2 with the empirical data for both language groups. Because 
this model represented acceptable comparative evidence of  
fit for both language groups bet ween the empirical data and  
a theoretical model in line with the theoretical premises 
of the MBI-GS, no further modification of the model was 
deemed necessary.

Next, tests of invariance in different language groups for  
the MBI-GS were determined, and these are indicated in  
Table 3. 

Table 3 
Goodness-of-fiT sTaTisTiCs for TesTs of invarianCe of The mbi-Gs for 

employees in an insuranCe Company in differenT lanGuaGe Groups

Model Groups Comparative 
model

χ2 df ∆χ2 df p

Hypothesised 
model (Model 1)

Afrikaans/
English/ 
African

368,70 170 - - -

Factor loadings, 
variances and 
covariances 
constrained to be 
equal

Afrikaans/ 
English/ 
African

Model 1 392,60 190 23,9 20 NS

The results in Table 3 shows that construct equivalence  
exists, with factor loadings, variances and covariances 
constrained to be equal among the various language  
groups. The equality of error covariances was not tested,  
due to the restrictive nature of the test on the data and the 
relative unimportance thereof (Byrne, 2001). These results 
provide support for part of Hypothesis 1 in that burnout, 
as measured by the MBI-GS, can be defined as a three-
dimensional construct, with an equivalent struct ure for 
different language groups.

Construct validity and construct equivalence of the UWES
The full three-factor model of the UWES, consisting of 17 items, 
was tested for each language group separately. Statistics of the fit 
between the theoretical model and the empirical data are given 
in Table 4.

Table 4 
Goodness-of-fiT sTaTisTiCs for The hypoThesised uwes  

model for employees in an insuranCe Company in  
differenT lanGuaGe Groups

Model χ2 χ2/df GFI AGFI NFI TLI CFI RMSEA

Model 1 
(one-factor) 
– Afrikaans and 
African

430,03 3,61 0,83 0,78 0,80 0,82 0,85 0,10

Model 2 
(one-factor) 
– Afrikaans and 
African

302,78 3,44 0,86 0,82 0,85 0,86 0,89 0,10

Model 1 (one-
factor) – English

499,45 4,20 0,84 0,79 0,81 0,83 0,85 0,10

Model 2 (one-
factor) – English

324,73 3,69 0,88 0,84 0,87 0,88 0,90 0,09

Model 1 
(three-factor) 
– Afrikaans and 
African

360,31 3,11 0,85 0,80 0,83 0,86 0,88 0,09

Model 2 
(three-factor) 
– Afrikaans and 
African

250,87 2,92 0,88 0,84 0,87 0,89 0,91 0,08

Model 1 (three-
factor) – English

433,04 3,73 0,86 0,81 0,84 0,85 0,88 0,09

Model 2 (three-
factor) – English

319,35 3,71 0,88 0,83 0,87 0,88 0,90 0,09

Model 1 
(adjusted) 
– Afrikaans and 
African 

297,46 3,42 0,87 0,82 0,87 0,88 0,90 0,09

Model 2 
(adjusted) 
– Afrikaans and 
African

165,37 2,76 0,91 0,87 0,91 0,93 0,94 0,08

Model 1 
(adjusted) 
– English

314,97 3,62 0,88 0,84 0,87 0,88 0,90 0,09

Model 2 
(adjusted) 
– English

127,97 2,13 0,95 0,92 0,94 0,96 0,97 0,06

First, a unidimensional model, which assumes that all 17 UWES 
items load on one single factor, was tested. Table 4 provides a 
summary of the fit statistics for the hypothesised one-factor 
model. This model, however, revealed very poor overall fit,  
as indicated by the statistically significant χ2 value of 430,03  
(df = 119; p = 0,01) for the Afrikaans and African language 
group and 499,45 (df = 119; p = 0,01) for the English language 
group. All the other fit indices confirmed a poor fit with the 
data. In order to obtain a better fit between the theoretical 
one-factor model with the population data, modification of 
the model is needed. 

To pinpoint possible areas of misfit, modification indices were 
examined. Looking at the regression weights, items 16 and 
17 demonstrated comparatively low values. The standardised 
residual covariances confirmed the problematic nature of items 
16 and 17, with loadings higher than 2,58 (Byrne, 2001). 

The rejection of the postulated theoretical model in the 
previous section initiated, by implication, an exploratory factor 
analysis process where the constructs of work engagement 
are studied specifically in the insurance company worker 
population. Given the high cross-loading levels of items 16 and 
17, it was decided to re-specif y the model by deleting these 
variables. Also, errors of two item pairs (i.e. 1 and 4 and 11 and 



EVALUATION OF MEASURES OF EFFECTIVE WELL-BEING 11

12) were allowed to correlate, given the comparatively high 
covariance associated with these errors. Subsequent analysis 
therefore includes only 15 items, labelled Model 2. Fit statistics 
for Model 2 are presented in Table 2. The various fit statistics 
in Table 2 indicate an incremental improvement from the first 
model fit with the empirical data. This model, however, still 
revealed very poor overall fit as indicated by the statistically 
significant χ2 value of 302,78 (df = 88; p = 0,01) for the Afrikaans 
and African language group and 324,73 (df = 88; p = 0,01) for 
the English language group. All the other fit indices confirmed 
a poor fit with the data. 

Subsequently, the hypothesised 17-item three-factor UWES 
model was fitted with the data. In Table 4 the fit statistics 
are provided for the fit between the original model and the 
empirical data for both language groups. Statistics of the  
fit bet ween the theoretical three-factor model and the 
empirical data for both language groups is given in Table 
4. The χ2 value of 360,31 (df = 116; p = 0,01) obtained for  
the Afrikaans and African language group, and of 443,04  
(df = 116; p = 0,01) for the English language group, is indicative 
of a poor overall fit to the theoretical three-factor model of  
the UWES. The goodness-of-fit indices also support this 
finding by not reaching the recommended critical values. 
Values lower than 0,90 for GFI, AGFI, NFI, TLI and CFI  
were found. The RMSEA value is also higher than the 
recommended value of 0,05. 

To pinpoint possible areas of misfit, modification indices were 
examined. Looking at the regression weights, items 16 and 
17 demonstrated comparatively low values. The standardised 
residual covariances confirmed the problematic nature of items 
16 and 17, with loadings higher than 2,58. Given the high cross-
loading levels of items 16 and 17, it was decided to re-specif y the 
model by deleting these variables. Also, errors of one item pair 
(i.e. VI1-VI4) were allowed to correlate, given the comparatively 
high covariance associated with these errors. Subsequent analysis 
therefore includes only 15 items, labelled Model 2. Fit statistics 
for Model 2 are presented in Table 4. The various fit statistics 
in Table 4 indicate an incremental improvement from the first 
model fit with the empirical data. The difference between Model 
1 (∆χ2(116) = 360,31) and Model 2 (∆χ2(86) = 250,87) is ∆χ2(30) = 
109,44 for the Afrikaans and African language groups and the 
difference between Model 1 (∆χ2(116) = 433,04) and Model 2 
(∆χ2(86) = 319,35) is ∆χ2(30) = 113,69 for the English language 
group. These differences are substantial. The goodness-of-fit 
indices do not reach the recommended critical values. Except 
for the CFI, values lower than 0,90 for the fit indices were found. 
The RMSEA value is also higher than the recommended value 
of 0,05. 

These findings could possibly be explained in terms of the 
possibility of semantic differences in terms of understanding 
the content of the items by the different language groups. It 
is possible that certain items were misunderstood by some 
of the language groups, which led to inconsistent responses 
by the different language groups in this sample. Therefore 
some items were replaced with items that were written in a 
more familiar South African vocabulary, in order to address 
the possible semantic problems. Item 4 (“I feel strong and 
vigorous in my job.”) was replaced with item 19 (“I feel strong 
and full of energy in my work.”). Item 9 (“I feel happy when 
I am engrossed in my work.”) was replaced with item 18 
(“I feel happy when my attention is totally focused on my 
work.”). Item 11 (“I am immersed in my work.”) was replaced 
with item 21 (“I enjoy devoting all my attention and energy 
to my work.”). Item 15 (“I am very resilient, mentally, in my 
job.”) was replaced with item 20 (“In my job I can comfortably 
deal with stressful situations and I easily recover from such 
situations.”). 

The adjusted three-factor model was fitted with the data. In 
Table 4 the fit statistics are provided for the fit bet ween the 

adjusted model and the empirical data for both language 
groups. According to Table 4, it is evident that the SEM 
analysis yielded a marginal fit at most bet ween the theoretical 
model and empirical data for both language groups. The 
statistically significant χ2 value of 297,46 (df = 87; p = 0,01) 
for the Afrikaans and African language group and 314,97 
(df = 87; p = 0,01) for the English language group, along 
with the relatively elevated RMSEA values, indicate possible 
existing misspecifications in the theoretical model. None 
of the fit indices, except the CFI, reached the recommended 
critical values. Since model fit was not acceptable, further 
modification of the model was deemed necessary. 

Inspection of the standardised residual covariances led to 
the identification of item 14 with two loadings > 2,58 for 
the Afrikaans and African language groups and one loading 
> 2,58 for the English language group, and of item 20 with 
one loading > 2,58 for the English language group. Also, 
errors of two item pairs (i.e. DE7-DE13 and AB3-AB21) were 
allowed to correlate, given the comparatively high covariance 
associated with these errors. Having identified possible areas 
of misspecification in the model, modification of the adjusted 
model is needed.

The theoretical model was re-specified by deleting items 14 
and 20. The various fit statistics in Table 4 indicate a marginal 
improvement from the adjusted model fit with the empirical 
data with a significant χ2 value of 165,37 (df = 60; p = 0,01) 
for the Afrikaans and African language group, and of 127,97 
(df = 60; p = 0,01) for the English language group. All of the 
indices, except the AGFI (for the Afrikaans and African language 
group), the RMSEA (for both language groups), reached the 
recommended critical values. A difference of ∆χ2(17) = 132,09 for 
the Afrikaans and African language group and ∆χ2(17) = 187,00 
for the English language group was found between Model 1 and 
Model 2, which is significant. Because this model represented 
acceptable comparative evidence of fit for both language groups 
between the empirical data and a theoretical model in line with 
the theoretical premises of the UWES, no further modification 
of the model was deemed necessary. 

Next, tests of invariance in different language groups for the 
UWES were determined, and these are indicated in Table 5.

A difference of ∆χ2(18) = 61,00 was found bet ween the 
hypothesised adjusted three-factor UWES model (Model 1) 
and the hypothesised model with factor loadings, variances 
and covariances constrained to be equal. This difference is 
statistically significant (p < 0,01). The different factor loadings 
were then separately constrained and tested against Model 1. 
Model 2 (Model 1 with factor loadings on Vigour constrained 
to be equal) displayed a difference of ∆χ2(3) = 7,91 with Model 
1, which is non-significant. Model 3 (Model 2 with factor 
loadings of items 2, 5 and 7 on Dedication constrained to be 
equal) displayed a difference of ∆χ2(3) = 0,87 with Model 2, 
which is non-significant. Model 4 (Model 3 with factor loadings 
on Absorption constrained to be equal) displayed a difference 
of ∆χ2(3) = 9,06 with Model 3, which is non-significant. Model 
5 (Model 4 with error covariances constrained to be equal) 
displayed a difference of ∆χ2(2) = 4,24 with Model 4, which 
is non-significant. A difference of ∆χ2(3) = 20,05 were found 
between Model 5 and Model 5 with covariances constrained 
to be equal. 

The results in Table 5 shows that construct equivalence exists 
between the various language groups. The error covariances for 
the different language groups were not equivalent. But Byrne 
(2001) indicates that the equality of error covariances test has 
a restrictive nature on the data and is relatively unimportant. 
These results provide support for part of Hypothesis 2 in that 
work engagement, as measured by the UWES, can be defined as 
a three-dimensional construct with an equivalent structure for 
different language groups.



COETZER, ROTHMANN12

Descriptive statistics and internal consistency of the scales
The descriptive statistics, alpha coefficients and inter-item 
correlations of the three factors of the MBI-GS and the three 
factors of the UWES are given in Table 6.

Table 6 
desCripTive sTaTisTiCs, alpha CoeffiCienTs and inTer-iTem CorrelaTions 

of The mbi-Gs and The uwes

Item Mean SD Skewness Kurtosis r(Mean) α

MBI-GS

Exhaustion 15,11 0,05 -0,02 -0,58 0,54 0,86

Cynicism 9,16 0,11 0,20 -0,67 0,50 0,80

Professional  
Efficacy

28,68 0,09 -0,87 0,39 0,36 0,76

UWES

Vigor 19,93 0,10 -0,58 -0,17 0,45 0,80

Dedication 15,63 0,06 -0,65 -0,28 0,62 0,87

Absorption 17,35 0,10 -0,93 0,94 0,38 0,69

The information in Table 6 indicates that the scores on the 
factors of the MBI-GS and the factors of the UWES are normally 
distributed. With regard to the internal consistency of the 
scales, Exhaustion, Cynicism, Professional Efficacy, Vigour and 

Dedication seem to demonstrate acceptable coefficient alphas 
above the 0,70 guideline provided by Nunnally and Bernstein 
(1994). Furthermore, except for Exhaustion (factor of the MBI-
GS) and Dedication (factor of UWES), acceptable levels of inter-
item correlations were obtained for all the rest of the factors, 
consistent with the guideline of 0,15< r < 0,50 suggested by Clark 
and Watson (1995). These results provide support for the aspect 
of internal consistency of Hypothesis 1 and 2.

The relationship between the MBI-GS and UWES
To assess the relationship bet ween burnout and work 
engagement, a second-order principal component analysis was 
carried out on the three scales of the MBI-GS (Exhaustion, 
Cynicism and Professional Efficacy) and the UWES (Vigour, 
Dedication and Absorption). This resulted in two related factors 
(r = -0,38) with eigenvalues higher than 1, which explained 75% 
of the variance. Subsequently, a direct oblimin rotation was 
carried out on the scales of the MBI-GS and the UWES. The 
pattern matrix revealed that Exhaustion (loading = 0,95) and 
Cynicism (0,72) loaded on one factor (labelled Burnout), while 
Professional Efficacy (0,83), Vigour (0,77), Dedication (0,81) 
and Absorption (0,90) loaded on the second factor (labelled 
Work Engagement). Therefore, our third hypothesis, namely 
that burnout and work engagement are separate, but related 
aspects of work-related well-being, was accepted.

Table 5  
TesTs of invarianCe of The uwes in differenT lanGuaGe Groups

Model Groups Comparative 
model

χ2 df ∆χ2 ∆df P

Hypothesised model: one-factor UWES (Model 1) Afrikaans/English/African 627,53 176 - - -

Factor loadings constrained to be equal Afrikaans/English/African Model 1 674,89 191 47,36 15 p < 0,01

Model 1 with error covariances constrained to be equal Afrikaans/English/African Model 1 678,13 193 50,60 17 p < 0,01

Hypothesised model: three-factor UWES (Model 1) Afrikaans/English/African 570,21 172 - - -

Factor loadings, variances and covariances constrained to be equal Afrikaans/English/African Model 1 632,12 191 61,91 19 p < 0,01

Factor loadings constrained to be equal Afrikaans/English/African Model 1 613,54 184 43,33 12 p < 0,01

Factor loadings on Vigour constrained to be equal Afrikaans/English/African Model 1 590,99 176 20,78 4 p < 0,01

Factor loading of item 1 on Vigour constrained to be equal Afrikaans/English/African Model 1 572,30 173 2,09 1 NS

Factor loadings of items 1 and 4 on Vigour constrained to be equal Afrikaans/English/African Model 1 575,64 174 5,43 2 NS

Factor loadings of items 1, 4 and 8 on Vigour constrained to be equal 
(Model 2)

Afrikaans/English/African Model 1 577,09 175 6,88 3 NS

Factor loadings of items 1, 4, 8 and 12 on Vigour constrained to be equal Afrikaans/English/African Model 1 590,99 176 20,78 4 p < 0,01

Model 2 with Factor loadings on Dedication constrained to be equal Afrikaans/English/African Model 2 594,19 179 17,10 4 p < 0,01

Model 2 with Factor loadings of item 2 on Dedication constrained to be 
equal

Afrikaans/English/African Model 2 577,15 176 0,06 1 NS

Model 2 with Factor loadings of items 2 and 5 on Dedication constrained 
to be equal

Afrikaans/English/African Model 2 577,90 177 0,81 2 NS

Model 2 with Factor loadings of items 2,5 and 7 on Dedication constrained 
to be equal (Model 3)

Afrikaans/English/African Model 2 578,40 178 1,31 3 NS

Model 2 with Factor loadings of items 2,5,7 and 10 on DE constrained to 
be equal

Afrikaans/English/African Model 2 594,19 179 17,10 4 p < 0,01

Model 3 with factor loadings on AB constrained to be equal (Model 4) Afrikaans/English/African Model 3 584,92 182 6,52 4 NS

Model 4 with error covariances constrained to be equal Afrikaans/English/African Model 4 592,93 183 8,01 1 p < 0,01

Model 4 with covariances constrained to be equal Afrikaans/English/African Model 4 599,34 185 14,42 3 p < 0,01

Hypothesised model: three-factor adjusted UWES (Model 1) Afrikaans/English/African 293,36 120 - - -

Factor loadings, variances and covariances constrained to be equal Afrikaans/ English/African Model 1 354,36 138 61,00 18 p < 0,01

Factor loadings constrained to be equal Afrikaans/ English/African Model 1 329,76 130 36,40 10 p < 0,01

Factor loadings on Vigour constrained to be equal (Model 2) Afrikaans/English/African Model 1 301,27 123 7,91 3 NS

Model 2 with factor loadings on Dedication constrained to be equal Afrikaans/English/African Model 2 320,81 127 19,54 4 p < 0,01

Model 2 with factor loading of item 2 on Dedication constrained to be 
equal 

Afrikaans/English/African Model 2 301,29 124 0,02 1 NS

Model 2 with factor loading of item 2 and 5 on Dedication constrained to 
be equal 

Afrikaans/English/African Model 2 301,70 125 0,43 2 NS

Model 2 with factor loading of item 2, 5 and 7 on Dedication constrained 
to be equal (Model 3)

Afrikaans/English/African Model 2 302,14 126 0,87 3 NS

Model 2 with factor loading of item 2, 5, 7 and 10 on Dedication 
constrained to be equal 

Afrikaans/English/African Model 2 320,81 127 19,54 4 p < 0,01

Model 3 with factor loadings on Absorption constrained to be equal 
(Model 4)

Afrikaans/English/African Model 3 311,20 129 9,06 3 NS

Model 4 with error covariances constrained to be equal (Model 5) Afrikaans/English/African Model 4 315,44 131 4,24 2 NS

Model 5 with covariances constrained to be equal Afrikaans/English/African Model 5 335,49 134 20,05 3 p < 0,01



EVALUATION OF MEASURES OF EFFECTIVE WELL-BEING 13

DISCUSSION

The aim of this study was to investigate the psychometric 
properties of the MBI-GS and the UWES for employees 
in an insurance company in South Africa and to assess 
the relationship between burnout and work engagement. 
Firstly, the results supported a three-dimensional factor 
structure of the MBI-GS, as has been consistently found 
across various samples, occupational groups and countries 
(Leiter & Schaufeli, 1996; Schaufeli, Salanova et al., 2002; 
Schutte et al., 2000; Storm, 2002; Taris et al., 1999). The three-
dimensional factor structure of the UWES was also confirmed, 
a finding supported by research in different samples, groups 
and countries (Naudé, 2003; Schaufeli, Martinez et al., 
2002; Schaufeli, Salanova et al., 2002; Storm & Rothmann, 
2003b). Also, reliability analysis confirmed sufficient internal 
consistency of the subscales of the MBI-GS and the UWES. The 
construct equivalence of the scales for Afrikaans/African and 
English participants was confirmed.

Based on both conceptual and empirical grounds, item 13 (“I 
just want to do my job and not be bothered”) was eliminated 
from the original MBI-GS, resulting in a 15-item scale. This 
is consistent with the study of Storm (2002), where item 
13 was deleted to confirm the three-factor structure of the 
MBI-GS. Schutte et al. (2000) also excluded this item from a 
cross-national study of the factorial validity of the MBI-GS. 
According to these authors problems might be caused by the 
ambivalent nature of this item. On the one hand, a high score 
may indicate disengagement and social isolation by closing 
oneself off from contacts with others at work. On the other 
hand, a higher score may indicate strong motivation and work 
engagement: one concentrates on the task and does not want 
to be interrupted. 

In examining the factor struct ure, some undesirable 
psychometric characteristics were found to be associated with 
several items of the UWES. Items 16 and 17 (in the initial three-
factor model) and items 14 and 20 (in the adjusted three-factor 
model) showed high standardised residual errors. Additionally, 
these items had the highest modification indices. These 
findings suggest that the items may require either deletion 
or content modification, in which instance the latter must 
rather be considered. The particular items may be problematic 
because they do not correspond to the conceptual domain of 
the particular dimension. However, it is more likely that they 
are somewhat ambiguous, or that they are either sample- or 
country-specific. The deletion of items from the UWES for 
reasons of bias and model-fit improvement resulted in the 
sacrifice of model parsimony, in other words, relationships 
have been eliminated which could be viewed as an erosion in 
meaning of the work engagement construct. Also, it is possible, 
due to sampling procedure (subgroup representation), that 
these findings could have been obtained by pure chance. Also, 
the problems of some of the items may be related to difficult 
words that some of the participants could have found difficult 
to understand and/or interpret (e.g. vigorous, immersed and 
resilient). This resulted in the adjustment of the initial UWES 
questionnaire with the replacement of items 4, 9, 11 and 15 
respectively with items that were written in a more familiar 
South African vocabulary. 

The prominent correlated errors in this study presented another 
problem. In general, the specification of correlated error terms 
for the purpose of achieving a better-fitting model is not an 
acceptable practice. Correlated error terms in measurement 
models represent systematic, rather than random, measurement 
error in item responses. They may derive from characteristics 
specific either to the items or the respondents (Aish & Jöresk og, 
1990). For example, if these parameters reflect item characteristics, 
they may represent a small omitted factor. However, as may 
be the case in this instance, correlated errors may represent 
respondent characteristics that reflect bias such as yea-/nay-

saying, social desirability (Aish & Jöresk og, 1990), as well as a 
high degree of overlap in item content (Byrne, 2001). 

Previous research with psychological constructs in general (e.g., 
Jöreskog, 1982; Newcomb & Bentler, 1988; Tanaka & Huba, 1984), 
and with measuring instruments in particular (Byrne, 1988, 
2001), has demonstrated that the specification of correlated 
errors can often lead to substantially better fitting models. 
Bentler and Chou (1987) also argue that the specification of a 
model that forces these error parameters to be uncorrelated is 
rarely appropriate with real data. Therefore, it was considered 
more realistic to incorporate the correlated errors in this study, 
rather than to ignore their presence.

It is believed that this confusing state of affairs regarding 
the UWES does not ref lect weaknesses inherent in the 
instrument, but is rather due to more general factors. First, 
the UWES is a recently constructed measuring instrument. 
Therefore, relatively few studies have critically reviewed  
its psychometric properties. Secondly, the UWES is an 
instrument that was originally constructed from data based 
on samples of individuals in the Netherlands (Schaufeli & 
Bakker, 2001). Despite a few studies of the UWES in South 
Africa (e.g. Naudé, 2003; Storm & Rothmann, 2003b), more 
research regarding work engagement in different occupational 
settings in South Africa is required. Schaufeli, Martinez et al. 
(2002) also found that the hypothesised three-factor model 
of work engagement was invariant across Spanish, Dutch and 
Portuguese samples. 

The results of this study showed that burnout and work 
engagement are separate aspects of a larger factor, namely 
affective work-related well-being. This contradicts the view of 
Maslach and Leiter (1997) that work engagement is the direct 
opposite of burnout. The results confirmed findings elsewhere 
that exhaustion and cynicism form part of a core burnout factor, 
while vigour, dedication, absorption and professional efficacy 
form part of an extended work engagement factor (Schaufeli & 
Bakker, 2004). 

In conclusion, the results of this st udy could serve as 
a standard for measuring burnout and work engagement 
levels of employees in an insurance company. The three-
factor structure of the MBI-GS and the UWES is largely 
confirmed with acceptable internal consistency of its subscales 
of Exhaustion, Cynicism, Professional Efficacy, Vigour, 
Dedication and Absorption. 

This st udy had several limitations. First, items of the 
measuring instruments were allowed to correlate in the 
model specification. This may impose interpretation problems 
because, as correlated error terms are added to the model, the 
correspondence between the posited construct of interest and 
the empirically defined factor becomes unclear (Gerbing & 
Anderson, 1984). Second, the sample size, and specifically the 
distribution of language groups and the sampling procedure 
in the present study were limitations. The study, which was 
conducted in the Western Cape, did not include sufficient 
numbers of African language speakers, which makes it 
difficult to assess the validity of the results for African 
language speakers. Future studies could benefit in terms 
of a stratified random-sample design, which would ensure 
sufficient representation of the different groups in the total 
population of employees in an insurance company. Third, the 
instruments were administered in English, which could have 
impacted on the scores of participants.

RECOMMENDATIONS

According to the results obtained in this study, the use of the 
MBI-GS is recommended to assess burnout and the UWES to 
assess work engagement in employees in an insurance company. 



COETZER, ROTHMANN14

In the MBI-GS, item 13 should be omitted from the questionnaire 
and in the UWES, items 14, 16 and 17 should be omitted from 
the questionnaire in the multicultural context. Item 20 was 
an item that replaced item 15 due to semantic problems and 
may therefore need to be rewritten in a more acceptable South 
African language format.

It is suggested that future research focus on the reliability and 
validity of the MBI-GS and the UWES for other occupational 
settings. It is also important to determine norm levels for 
other occupations in South Africa for both questionnaires 
respectively. It is recommended that larger samples with a more 
powerful sampling method be utilised to enable generalisation 
of the findings to other similar groups. It is also necessary to 
translate the MBI-GS and the UWES into other languages used 
in South Africa.

Author’s Note
This material is based upon work supported by the National 
Research Foundation under Grant number 2053344. 

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