Systematic comparative content analysis of 17 work environment questionnaires using a new taxonomy

BACKGROUND:
Many questionnaires have been developed to measure how psychosocial characteristics are perceived in a work environment. But the content validity of these questionnaires has rarely been questioned due to the absence of a reference taxonomy for characteristics of work environments.
OBJECTIVES:
To propose an exhaustive taxonomy of work environment characteristics involved in psychosocial risks and to apply this taxonomy to questionnaires on workplace psychosocial factors.
METHODS:
The taxonomy was developed by categorizing factors present in the main theoretical models of the field. Questionnaire items most frequently cited in scientific literature were retained for classification.
RESULTS:
The taxonomy was structured into four hierarchical levels and comprises 53 categories. The 17 questionnaires analyzed included 927 items: 59 from the "physical environment" category, 116 from the "social environment" category, 236 from the "work activity" category, 255 from the "activity management" category, and 174 from the "organizational context" category.
CONCLUSIONS:
There are major content differences among analyzed questionnaires. This study offers a means for selecting a scale on the basis of content.