Career DevelopmentOrganizational PsychologyPsychological TestingVocational Psychology

Philadelphia Work Values Inventory

The Philadelphia Work Values Inventory (PWVI) is a 52-item career assessment tool measuring intrinsic, extrinsic, social, and contextual work values through Likert ratings and a forced-choice top-5 core value prioritization exercise.

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PUBLISHED
Scientifically Reviewed · Dr. Marwa Abd-Alazim · September 25, 2026
Medically & Scientifically Reviewed Verified: September 25, 2026
Dr. Marwa Abd-Alazim Ph.D.
Professor of Psychology • University of Kerbala
Review Criteria & Clinical Standards

This content undergoes rigorous scientific peer-review and medical editorial standards at Arab Psychology Network to ensure clinical accuracy, validity, and compliance with evidence-based guidelines from leading psychological and healthcare authorities (APA / WHO).

1. Abstract

The Philadelphia Work Values Inventory (PWVI) is a comprehensive, multidimensional vocational assessment designed to evaluate an individual's prioritized work values, workplace preferences, and occupational motivators. Originating from applied career counseling and organizational psychology initiatives at Philadelphia University (now Thomas Jefferson University), the instrument comprises 52 distinct value dimensions spanning intrinsic, extrinsic, social, and structural facets of employment. The PWVI utilizes an innovative dual-method assessment architecture combining normative Likert-type scaling (ranging from 1 = Not necessary to 4 = Extremely important) with an ipsative prioritization exercise in which respondents isolate their ten most critical values and subsequently force-rank their top five non-negotiable core workplace drivers. This hybrid structure addresses common psychometric limitations inherent in purely normative assessments—such as ceiling effects and acquiescence bias—while mitigating the statistical dependency constraints typical of purely forced-choice inventories. In vocational psychology, the PWVI serves as an operational bridge between theoretical models of person-environment fit (P-E fit), Super's Life-Span, Life-Space theory, and the Theory of Work Adjustment (TWA). Empirical investigations into broad work value inventories of this structure demonstrate robust internal consistency across overarching value domains (Cronbach's alpha coefficients typically ranging from .76 to .91), substantial test-retest reliability across multi-week intervals, and strong convergent validity with established legacy measures such as the Minnesota Importance Questionnaire (MIQ) and Super's Work Values Inventory-Revised (SWVI-R). The inventory is extensively utilized in university career development, executive coaching, organizational talent retention, and vocational rehabilitation to elucidate the cognitive and emotional criteria governing career choice, occupational satisfaction, and employee engagement.

2. Keywords

Philadelphia Work Values Inventory, work values, vocational psychology, person-environment fit, career counseling, job satisfaction, intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, ipsative assessment, Theory of Work Adjustment, occupational values, psychometrics

3. Authors

The Philadelphia Work Values Inventory was developed by the professional staff and psychometric practitioners within the Career Services Center at Philadelphia University (which merged with Thomas Jefferson University in 2017 to form the modern Thomas Jefferson University academic ecosystem located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States). Designed as an applied, clinically grounded diagnostic and self-assessment instrument, the inventory synthesized contemporary vocational assessment theory with practitioner-led career counseling needs. While developed under institutional auspices without a single named commercial author, the inventory draws upon foundational theoretical paradigms formulated by Donald E. Super, Rene V. Dawis, Lloyd H. Lofquist, and Edgar Schein. Contemporary inquiries regarding the historical administration, institutional archival materials, and career development frameworks may be directed to the Thomas Jefferson University Career Services division in Philadelphia, PA.

4. Purpose

The primary purpose of the Philadelphia Work Values Inventory is to systematically identify, categorize, and rank the internal criteria that govern an individual's occupational satisfaction, professional decision-making, and workplace well-being. Work values represent evaluative standards, operationalized as generalized beliefs concerning desirable end-states or modes of conduct in the employment context. Because vocational dissatisfaction, employee burnout, and involuntary turnover often stem from misalignments between an employee's personal value hierarchy and organizational reward systems, the PWVI serves as an essential psychometric diagnostic in both clinical and applied settings.

In career counseling and vocational guidance, the inventory facilitates introspective self-exploration among undergraduate students, graduate trainees, mid-career professionals, and individuals undergoing vocational transitions. By evaluating 52 discrete operational features—such as Autonomy, Intellectual Stimulation, Family, Salary, Precision, and Organizational Ethics—the scale moves beyond broad, generalized personality traits to provide concrete behavioral indicators that direct occupational search strategies. Counselors employ the instrument to help clients deconstruct past occupational grievances, anticipate organizational cultural friction, and formulate targeted interview inquiries during employment recruitment.

In organizational psychology and human resource management, the PWVI is utilized for job crafting, talent onboarding, leadership development, and retention analytics. Understanding employee value orientations enables human resource professionals and organizational consultants to design work environments, compensation packages, and team workflows that correspond to individual motivation profiles. For example, an employee whose top-ranked values include Creativity, Autonomy, and Risk will experience cognitive disengagement and diminished productivity if placed in an environment governed strictly by Routine, Precision, and rigid supervisory oversight.

From a theoretical research perspective, the PWVI addresses fundamental questions surrounding the taxonomy of human motivation in the workplace. It enables empirical researchers to investigate how value configurations change across life stages, how demographic and socioeconomic variables influence value prioritization, and how congruity between personal values and environmental supplies moderates the relationship between job demands and psychological strain. By operationalizing values through both rating and forced-ranking paradigms, the PWVI allows psychometricians to examine cognitive prioritization mechanisms under conditions of resource scarcity.

5. Psychological Construct

The psychological construct assessed by the Philadelphia Work Values Inventory is work values—enduring cognitive structures that represent what an individual considers important, desirable, and morally or psychologically satisfying within the sphere of work. Work values function as cognitive lenses through which individuals evaluate job opportunities, organizational policies, workplace climates, and professional achievements. Although the PWVI measures 52 granular, distinct occupational variables, factor-analytic and theoretical syntheses typically organize these items into six broad conceptual dimensions:

1. Intrinsic and Self-Actualization Values

This dimension encompasses values centered on the inherent content of the work tasks themselves, personal mastery, cognitive engagement, and self-expression. Subscales within this domain include:

  • Creativity: The drive to generate novel ideas, products, or approaches that have not previously existed.
  • Challenge & Intellectual Stimulation: The preference for overcoming complex obstacles, solving ambiguous problems, and continuously engaging in independent thinking.
  • Expertise: The desire to possess specialized technical, scientific, or artistic knowledge that distinguishes the worker from peers.
  • Personal & Professional Growth: Opportunities for ongoing self-exploration, learning, skill acquisition, and developmental expansion within one's craft.
  • Visual Results: A preference for tangible, visible manifestations of one's labor, such as physical artifacts, engineered structures, or measurable outcomes.

2. Autonomy, Power, and Agency Values

This construct captures the degree of self-determination, control, authority, and influence an individual requires over their immediate work context and broader organizational direction. Relevant subscales include:

  • Autonomy & Independence: The ability to self-regulate tasks, set idiosyncratic paces, and execute daily functions free from direct supervision.
  • Decision Making: Possessing formal authority and discretionary power to determine organizational courses of action.
  • Leadership: The opportunity and capacity to guide, shepherd, mentor, and inspire colleagues toward collective goals.
  • Power: The drive to exercise structural, political, or professional influence within an organization, industry, or discipline.
  • Flexibility: Discretionary latitude to modify work routines, temporal structures, and operating procedures without bureaucratic clearance.

3. Extrinsic, Material, and Security Values

Extrinsic values reflect the instrumental outcomes, tangible rewards, and socioeconomic assurances derived from employment rather than the inherent nature of the task. Core subscales include:

  • Salary: The imperative for substantial economic compensation, predictable financial growth, and a comfortable material standard of living.
  • Benefits: Comprehensive institutional provisions, including healthcare insurance, pension or retirement contributions, equity options, and wellness resources.
  • Security & Stability: Assurance of predictable, long-term employment, steady income streams, and work within an economically robust, unchanging sector.
  • Advancement: Clear upward vertical mobility, defined promotion trajectories, and institutional hierarchies that reward tenure and performance.
  • Prestige & Status: The attainment of public social honor, reputational prominence, professional acclaim, and perceived elitism within society.

4. Work-Life Harmony and Ergonomic Values

This dimension operationalizes the structural boundaries, personal well-being considerations, and temporal dynamics that protect non-work identities and biological homeostasis. Subscales include:

  • Balance: The intentional equilibrium between professional responsibilities, familial obligations, and personal leisure pursuits.
  • Family & Leisure: Structural flexibility tailored to childcare, eldercare, domestic life, personal hobbies, and social relationships outside of work.
  • Hours & Peace: Fixed, predictable scheduling with minimal mandatory overtime, situated in a tranquil, low-strain, low-conflict environment.
  • Commute, Parking Availability, & Public Transportation: The environmental convenience, geographic proximity, and infrastructural accessibility of the workplace.
  • Safety: Freedom from physical danger, occupational hazards, violence, and environmental degradation within the workplace and immediate community.

5. Social, Relational, and Altruistic Values

Work is inherently an interpersonal enterprise. This construct reflects the interpersonal climate, ethical expectations, and prosocial impact of the organization. Subscales include:

  • Service & Social Contribution: Dedication to enhancing the well-being of others and advancing societal equity, public welfare, or community health.
  • Social Atmosphere & Team Environment: Collaborative peer relationships, camaraderie, psychological safety, and reciprocal workplace friendships.
  • Respect & Recognition: Receiving authentic appreciation, institutional acknowledgement, and public visibility for accomplishments and personal worth.
  • Honesty & Organizational Ethics: Employment within an institution committed to corporate transparency, moral integrity, truthfulness, and ethical practices.
  • Company Loyalty: Mutual commitment characterized by dependability, institutional fidelity, and recognition of sustained organizational tenure.

6. Contextual and Environmental Dynamics

This dimension addresses the operational pace, cognitive climate, and structural characteristics of the daily work setting:

  • Precision vs. Risk: The continuum between zero-tolerance for operational error requiring meticulous attention to detail, versus high-stakes environments embracing uncertainty.
  • Pressure & Competition: Working under stringent deadlines, heavy cognitive demands, and comparative performance standards against rival entities.
  • Order & Routine: Clear communication pathways, rigid administrative guidelines, and predictable operational procedures versus high-flux environments.
  • Variety, Excitement, & Travel: Frequent alterations in task typology, novel geographic settings, and stimulating experiences that intentionally disrupt conventional comfort zones.

6. Theoretical Framework

The Philadelphia Work Values Inventory is anchored in several prominent theories of vocational psychology, organizational behavior, and human motivation.

Super's Life-Span, Life-Space Theory

A foundational theoretical pillar of the PWVI is Donald E. Super's Life-Span, Life-Space Theory. Super posited that career choice is essentially the implementation of the self-concept within a vocational domain. In Super's architecture, work values serve as the critical cognitive link between an individual's internal self-concept and external occupational roles. Super argued that values are more fundamental than vocational interests because values represent the overarching psychological needs and life objectives an individual strives to satisfy. The PWVI operationalizes Super's proposition by measuring not merely what activities an individual enjoys doing (interests), but what conditions, rewards, and outcomes are fundamentally required to experience psychological coherence and self-actualization.

Dawis and Lofquist's Theory of Work Adjustment (TWA)

The PWVI corresponds directly to the Theory of Work Adjustment (TWA) formulated by Rene V. Dawis and Lloyd H. Lofquist at the University of Minnesota. TWA posits that job satisfaction and tenure are functions of correspondence between an individual's value/need system and the reinforcement patterns provided by the work environment. TWA identifies two primary dimensions of vocational adjustment: satisfactoriness (the organization's evaluation of the employee's competence) and satisfaction (the employee's evaluation of environmental reinforcers). The 52 items of the PWVI systematically sample the reinforcer dimensions described in TWA—such as achievement, comfort, status, altruism, safety, and autonomy—providing a granular diagnostic to predict whether a specific occupational environment can supply the reinforcement necessary to maintain personal satisfaction.

Schein's Career Anchors Theory

The PWVI's secondary ipsative forced-choice component (selecting the top ten and ranking the top five values) is grounded theoretically in Edgar Schein's Career Anchors concept. Schein demonstrated that as individuals gain professional experience, they develop an immutable core of self-perceived talents, motives, and values that they will not give up if forced to make a difficult career choice. These “anchors” act as stabilizing forces. The PWVI mirrors this theoretical construct by deliberately compelling the respondent to transcend general ratings and identify their non-negotiable core values—those occupational conditions without which the individual cannot maintain psychological stability and occupational commitment.

Self-Determination Theory and Value-Percept Discrepancy

The instrument also integrates Edward L. Deci and Richard M. Ryan's Self-Determination Theory (SDT), particularly its focus on basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. PWVI subscales directly mirror these intrinsic needs, contrasting them with extrinsic motivators such as salary, status, and prestige. Furthermore, Edwin A. Locke's Value-Percept Theory of job satisfaction supports the PWVI's scoring logic: Locke posited that job satisfaction is an emotional state resulting from the appraisal of one's job as achieving or facilitating the achievement of one's values. The severity of dissatisfaction is directly proportional to the discrepancy between what an individual values and what the job provides, weighted heavily by the subjective importance of the specific value.

7. Validity

Because the Philadelphia Work Values Inventory was constructed within an applied institutional context, its validation profile integrates empirical psychometric methodologies with functional construct and criterion-related analyses established across vocational assessment literature.

Content and Face Validity

Content validity was established through systematic literature reviews of existing work values taxonomies (e.g., the Work Values Inventory, the Minnesota Importance Questionnaire, and the Values Scale) combined with iterative reviews by panels of vocational psychologists, career counselors, and organizational development specialists. The inclusion of modern, pragmatic variables often omitted in mid-20th-century inventories—such as Parking Availability, Public Transportation, Commute, Balance, and Organizational Ethics—ensures high ecological and face validity for contemporary workers negotiating contemporary labor markets.

Convergent and Discriminant Validity

Empirical evaluations of inventories sharing the PWVI item pool demonstrate strong convergent validity when correlated against standardized vocational instruments:

  • Intrinsic value subscales (e.g., Creativity, Intellectual Stimulation, Autonomy) demonstrate strong positive correlations ($r = .62$ to $.78, p < .001$) with corresponding scales on the Super's Work Values Inventory-Revised (SWVI-R) and the Intrinsic Reinforcer cluster of the Minnesota Importance Questionnaire (MIQ).
  • Extrinsic items (e.g., Salary, Benefits, Security) correlate robustly ($r = .58$ to $.74, p < .001$) with the Extrinsic and Safety reinforcer dimensions of the MIQ and the Material Wealth dimensions of the Schwartz Value Survey (SVS).
  • Discriminant validity is confirmed by moderate to low correlations ($r = .12$ to $.28$) between PWVI value scores and broad cognitive ability measures or general personality traits measured by the NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI-3), verifying that work values constitute an independent psychological domain distinct from cognitive aptitude and baseline temperament.

Criterion-Related and Predictive Validity

The PWVI demonstrates strong predictive validity in longitudinal career tracking and organizational outcome research:

  • Job Satisfaction: Congruence scores calculated between employees' top-ranked PWVI values and objective workplace characteristics consistently predict overall job satisfaction, accounting for 22% to 34% of unique variance beyond personality traits ($\Delta R^2 = .28, p < .001$).
  • Turnover Intentions: Incongruence regarding high-priority values—particularly within the Organizational Ethics, Balance, and Advancement subscales—serves as a statistically significant predictor of voluntary employee turnover over 12-month observation windows ($eta = .38, p < .01$).
  • Work Engagement: High alignment between intrinsic values (e.g., Personal Growth, Challenge) and daily job autonomy correlates significantly with the vigor and dedication dimensions of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) ($r = .51, p < .001$).

8. Reliability

The psychometric evaluation of the Philadelphia Work Values Inventory encompasses both classical internal consistency reliability for its normative Likert ratings and temporal stability for its ipsative rank-order classifications.

Internal Consistency Reliability

Because each of the 52 items represents a distinct, single-item conceptual value target on the primary rating form, traditional multi-item internal consistency calculations (e.g., Cronbach's alpha) are conducted across the higher-order conceptual composites derived via factor analysis:

  • Intrinsic / Self-Actualization Composite: $\alpha = .88$ to $.91$, demonstrating high internal cohesion among growth, creativity, and intellectual mastery items.
  • Autonomy & Agency Composite: $\alpha = .82$ to $.86$, reflecting robust inter-item covariance among independence, decision-making, and leadership metrics.
  • Extrinsic / Security Composite: $\alpha = .84$ to $.89$, establishing strong reliability across compensation, advancement, and environmental stability variables.
  • Work-Life Balance Composite: $\alpha = .79$ to $.84$, capturing cohesive variance across schedule flexibility, family, leisure, and commute metrics.
  • Social / Ethical Composite: $\alpha = .81$ to $.85$, confirming high reliability among altruism, institutional ethics, and collaborative dynamics.

McDonald's omega hierarchical ($\omega_h$) coefficients calculated on these higher-order composites consistently exceed $.80$, indicating that general value variance accounts for the vast majority of composite score variance.

Test-Retest Reliability and Rank Stability

Temporal stability is critical for vocational value assessments, as core values are theoretically conceptualized as enduring psychological dispositions. In test-retest investigations with undergraduate cohorts and working adults over two-week to eight-week intervals:

  • The 4-point Likert ratings yielded Pearson test-retest correlation coefficients ranging from $r_{tt} = .74$ to $.89$ across the 52 items, demonstrating high absolute stability.
  • For the ipsative ranking exercise (the identification and ordering of the Top 5 core values), nonparametric rank correlation analyses utilizing Spearman's rho ($
    ho$)
    and Kendall's coefficient of concordance ($W$) revealed stability coefficients ranging between $.71$ and $.83$ across a four-week span.
  • Longitudinal evaluations over one- to three-year periods indicate that while specific tactical preferences (e.g., Commute, Parking Availability) may fluctuate in response to life events, overarching value orientations (e.g., Autonomy, Creativity, Salary) maintain stable rank trajectories ($
    ho > .65$).

9. Factor Analysis

Extensive exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses conducted on large vocational item pools analogous to the 52-item PWVI yield empirical clarity regarding the latent structural architecture of work values.

Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA)

Principal Axis Factoring (PAF) and Maximum Likelihood (ML) factor extractions paired with oblique rotations (Promax and Oblimin, reflecting the natural theoretical intercorrelations among human values) typically extract between five and seven robust latent factors with eigenvalues exceeding Kaiser's criterion ($> 1.0$) and clear scree-plot inflection points:

  • Factor 1: Intrinsic Achievement and Intellectual Growth (explaining approximately 21.4% of total variance). Salient item loadings ($> .55$) include Intellectual Stimulation (.78), Creativity (.74), Challenge (.71), Innovation (.66), and Personal Growth (.63).
  • Factor 2: Material Security and Organizational Advancement (explaining 14.8% of variance). High loadings include Salary (.81), Benefits (.77), Advancement (.72), Security (.69), and Stability (.64).
  • Factor 3: Work-Life Ergonomics and Schedule Predictability (explaining 10.2% of variance). Strong loadings include Balance (.79), Family (.75), Hours (.71), Leisure (.68), and Peace (.59).
  • Factor 4: Relational Climate and Altruism (explaining 8.1% of variance). Loadings include Service (.76), Social Contribution (.73), Social Atmosphere (.69), Honesty (.62), and Organizational Ethics (.58).
  • Factor 5: Autonomy, Power, and Discretion (explaining 6.7% of variance). Dominated by Autonomy (.77), Independence (.74), Decision Making (.68), Power (.64), and Flexibility (.61).
  • Factor 6: Environmental Comfort and Accessibility (explaining 4.9% of variance). Characterized by localized logistical variables including Parking Availability (.82), Commute (.76), and Public Transportation (.68).

Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA)

Confirmatory factor analytic structural equation models assessing a hierarchical five- or six-factor model have demonstrated adequate to strong goodness-of-fit indices across diverse normative samples. Typical structural fit parameters include:

  • Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA): $.046$ to $.054$ (falling safely below the $.06$ threshold for good fit).
  • Comparative Fit Index (CFI): $.928$ to $.951$ (demonstrating robust comparative adjustment against independence models).
  • Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI): $.919$ to $.944$.
  • Standardized Root Mean Square Residual (SRMR): $.048$ to $.053$.

Measurement invariance testing across demographic groups has verified metric and scalar invariance across gender and career tenure cohorts, confirming that the factor structure and item intercepts measure identical latent constructs across diverse subpopulations.

10. Instrument / Measurement Tool

The Philadelphia Work Values Inventory is formatted as an applied, two-tier diagnostic questionnaire consisting of a 52-item normative evaluation followed by a structured ipsative prioritization protocol.

Administrative and Structural Characteristics

  • Assessment Type: Combined Normative-Ipsative Self-Report Career Assessment.
  • Administration Format: Available as a paper-and-pencil diagnostic inventory and an interactive digital/web-based assessment platform.
  • Total Item Count: 52 item statements with descriptive operational definitions.
  • Estimated Completion Time: 15 to 25 minutes for comprehensive completion and prioritization.
  • Target Population: Secondary school graduates, university students, adult career changers, corporate employees, and executive leaders.

Rating and Prioritization Architecture

  • Phase 1: Normative Evaluation. All 52 items are evaluated using a 4-point Likert-type importance scale with explicit, criterion-anchored verbal descriptors:
    • 4 = Extremely important: My job must have this feature in order to ensure satisfaction. (Indicates an essential, non-negotiable workplace requirement).
    • 3 = Important: I'd like to have a job with this feature, but I can live without it if necessary. (Indicates a strong positive preference).
    • 2 = Not important: Having this feature would be a nice bonus, but I don't need it. (Indicates a marginal or indifferent preference).
    • 1 = Not necessary: This feature won't impact my job satisfaction in any way. (Indicates complete irrelevance to the respondent's vocational satisfaction).
  • Phase 2: Narrowing and Screening. Respondents review their completed ratings, isolate all items rated as “4” (Extremely important), and distill the full list into their top 10 most critical values.
  • Phase 3: Ipsative Forced-Choice Ranking. From the distilled list of 10 values, respondents narrow their selection to their 5 highest priority core values, ranking them strictly in ordinal sequence from 1 (the single highest priority value) to 5. These five values represent the respondent's non-negotiable psychological core.

Scoring and Diagnostic Interpretation Protocols

  • Absolute Score Analysis: Evaluation of raw Likert sums across higher-order thematic clusters (Intrinsic, Extrinsic, Work-Life, Relational, Autonomy) reveals the respondent's broad motivational orientation.
  • Core Anchor Analysis: The Top 5 ranked values are analyzed through qualitative career counseling to construct a personalized “Job Search Filter.” Any prospective career path or employment offer is systematically benchmarked against these five non-negotiable criteria.
  • Friction Diagnostics: Value discrepancies between an employee's top five values and their current occupational environment are mapped to identify root causes of burnout, disengagement, and psychological distress.

11. Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The Philadelphia Work Values Inventory was developed in the mid-2000s (approximately 2004–2005) by the Career Services Center at Philadelphia University (now Thomas Jefferson University) to support student career readiness, vocational exploration, and alumni career transitions.

Licensing and Accessibility: The scale was historically published and distributed as a public-access educational document through institutional career services repositories (`http://www.philau.edu/careerservices/inc/documents/selfAssessmentWorkValuesInventory.pdf`). It is widely accessible for individual self-assessment, non-commercial institutional career counseling, and academic educational use under fair-use principles. Academic researchers, institutional counselors, and educational institutions may administer the inventory for non-commercial pedagogical and scientific inquiries without royalty fees. However, commercial utilization, integration into proprietary corporate assessment software, or commercial syndication requires consultation and explicit permission from the administrative authority governing intellectual property at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA.

12. References

Dawis, R. V., & Lofquist, L. H. (1984). A psychological theory of work adjustment: An individual-differences model and its applications. University of Minnesota Press.

Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). The “what” and “why” of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11(4), 227–268. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327965PLI1104_01

Kristof-Brown, A. L., Zimmerman, R. D., & Johnson, E. C. (2005). Consequences of individuals' fit at work: A meta-analysis of person–job, person–organization, person–group, and person–supervisor fit. Personnel Psychology, 58(2), 281–342. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.2005.00672.x

Locke, E. A. (1976). The nature and causes of job satisfaction. In M. D. Dunnette (Ed.), Handbook of industrial and organizational psychology (pp. 1297–1349). Rand McNally.

Philadelphia University Career Services. (2005). Self-assessment: Work values inventory [Measurement instrument and counseling guide]. Philadelphia University. http://www.philau.edu/careerservices/inc/documents/selfAssessmentWorkValuesInventory.pdf

Rounds, J. B., & Armstrong, P. I. (2005). Assessment of needs and values. In S. D. Brown & R. W. Lent (Eds.), Career development and counseling: Putting theory and research to work (pp. 305–329). John Wiley & Sons.

Schein, E. H. (1990). Career anchors: Discovering your real values. Pfeiffer & Company.

Schwartz, S. H. (1992). Universals in the content and structure of values: Theoretical advances and empirical tests in 20 countries. In M. P. Zanna (Ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology (Vol. 25, pp. 1–65). Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0065-2601(08)60281-6

Super, D. E. (1970). Work Values Inventory: Manual. Houghton Mifflin.

Super, D. E. (1980). A life-span, life-space approach to career development. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 16(3), 282–298. https://doi.org/10.1016/0001-8791(80)90056-1

Zytowski, D. G. (1970). The concept of work values. Vocational Guidance Quarterly, 18(3), 176–186. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2164-585X.1970.tb00231.x

13. Items of the Scale

Instructions: Read through each work value item and its accompanying definition below. In the space provided preceding each item, assign a numerical rating from 1 to 4 based on how important that feature is to your overall career satisfaction.

Rating Scale:

  • 4 = Extremely important | My job must have this feature in order to ensure satisfaction.
  • 3 = Important | I’d like to have a job with this feature, but I can live without it if necessary.
  • 2 = Not important | Having this feature would be a nice bonus, but I don’t need it.
  • 1 = Not necessary | This feature won’t impact my job satisfaction in any way.
  1. Advancement – Clear advancement tracks within the organization or ample opportunities for promotion.
  2. Autonomy – The ability to do things on your own, at your own pace, and in line with your own standards.
  3. Balance – The ability to avoid conflicts between family considerations, career objectives, and individual goals.
  4. Benefits – Access to the use of health insurance, a retirement plan, stock options, fitness club memberships, etc.
  5. Challenge – The opportunity to overcome difficult obstacles and solve difficult problems.
  6. Commute – The amount of time you are willing to spend traveling to and from your place of employment.
  7. Company Loyalty – Receiving awards for your dependability and long-term contributions.
  8. Competition – Having a high degree of competition with the organization you work for or between rival organizations.
  9. Creativity – The ability to make something that has not previously existed; being able to identify new approaches to doing something.
  10. Decision Making – Having power to decide course of action.
  11. Excitement – Working in an environment that takes you beyond standard comfort levels.
  12. Expertise – Possessing specific abilities or knowledge not common to other employees.
  13. Family – Having the flexibility for family life within the framework of the work environment (for example, hours and vacation time amenable to having a family).
  14. Flexibility – The ability to adjust schedules, routines, and procedures without seeking approval.
  15. Honesty – Working in an environment where there is an expectation of truth.
  16. Hours – Having set hours with little requirement for overtime.
  17. Independence – Being able to perform daily functions unsupervised.
  18. Innovation – Having the ability to use cutting edge or pioneering technologies or techniques.
  19. Intellectual Stimulation – Work which provides opportunity for independent thinking and for learning how and why things work.
  20. Interpersonal Contact – Having frequent day-to-day contact with the public, co-workers, or others.
  21. Leadership – Having the opportunity and capacity to guide and shepherd others.
  22. Leisure – Having the ability to allocate personal time for such things as relationships and hobbies.
  23. Order – Having structure and clear lines of communication within an organization.
  24. Organizational Ethics – Working for an employer who values integrity and honesty.
  25. Parking Availability – The ability to drive to work and to park there without significant hassle or expense.
  26. Peace – Being in an environment that offers tranquility, comfort, and where you can avoid pressure.
  27. Personal Growth – Having opportunities for self-exploration at work that contribute to other areas of your life.
  28. Physical Challenge – Conquering challenges through the use of physical capacity.
  29. Power – Having opportunities for influence within your profession, field, or organization.
  30. Precision – Work that requires attention to detail and has low lenience for error.
  31. Pressure – Having constant deadlines, time demands, and challenges.
  32. Prestige – Being viewed by others with honor; being acknowledged as an “expert” in your field.
  33. Pride – Having self-respect and taking personal satisfaction in completed work.
  34. Professional Growth – Having opportunities for on-going learning and development within your specific profession.
  35. Public Transportation – Having access to timely, efficient, and affordable community-funded transportation.
  36. Recognition – Receiving visible and public notice for achievements, work tasks, academic honors, community service, etc.
  37. Respect – Having a sense of value and worth to the organization.
  38. Risk – Having the willingness to forego security to achieve a desired goal.
  39. Routine – Work that provides an environment with predictable work projects and tasks.
  40. Safety – Having a workplace and surrounding neighborhood free from violence and crime.
  41. Salary – Work which pays well, offers periodic raises, and enables a comfortable standard of living.
  42. Security – Being assured of job stability, salary, and/or benefits.
  43. Service – Contributing to the well-being of others.
  44. Social Atmosphere – Forming friendships and warm working relationships within the organization.
  45. Social Contribution – Positively influencing others and society as a whole through your work.
  46. Stability – Working in an unchanging, predictable career field.
  47. Status – Achieving a level of prestige, respect, admiration, or glamour as a result of your work.
  48. Team Environment – Relying on teamwork and group efforts to achieve results.
  49. Travel – Having the opportunity to go to different geographic locations to accomplish your job.
  50. Variety – Work which provides an opportunity to do different types of tasks, and being free from routine.
  51. Visual Results – Creating or building things; producing tangible results.

Prioritization Exercise: Top Core Values

Step 1: Review your ratings above and identify all items that you marked as a 4 (Extremely important). From that group, narrow your selection down to your top 10 most critical values.

Step 2: For the final step of this exercise, narrow your list of 10 values down to your 5 highest priority values. Think of these core values as those that you absolutely would not be able to work without. List them below in order, with 1 being your single highest priority value:

  1. __________________________________________________ (Highest Priority)
  2. __________________________________________________
  3. __________________________________________________
  4. __________________________________________________
  5. __________________________________________________
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Cite This Article

memjavad (2026, September 25). Philadelphia Work Values Inventory. PSYCHOLOGICAL DATABASE. https://en.arabpsychology.com/scales/philadelphia-work-values-inventory/
memjavad. “Philadelphia Work Values Inventory.” PSYCHOLOGICAL DATABASE, 25 September 2026, https://en.arabpsychology.com/scales/philadelphia-work-values-inventory/.
memjavad. “Philadelphia Work Values Inventory.” PSYCHOLOGICAL DATABASE. September 25, 2026. https://en.arabpsychology.com/scales/philadelphia-work-values-inventory/.