CWEQ Scale Information

Scoring and Interpretation

CWEQ I and II

Opportunity:

A subscale mean score is obtained by summing and averaging the items. Score range is between 1 and 5. Higher scores represent stronger access to opportunity.

Resources:

A subscale mean score is obtained by summing and averaging the items. Score range is between 1 and 5. Higher scores represent stronger access to resources.

Information:

A subscale mean score is obtained by summing and averaging the items. Score range is between 1 and 5. Higher scores represent stronger access to information.

Support:

A subscale mean score is obtained by summing and averaging the items. Score range is between 1 and 5. Higher scores represent stronger access to support.

Total Structural Empowerment:

An overall empowerment score is calculated by summing the four subscales. Score range is between 4 and 20. Higher scores represent stronger perceptions of working in an empowered work environment. Scores ranging from 4 to 9 are described as low levels of empowerment, 10 to 14 as moderate levels of empowerment, and 16 to 20 as high levels of empowerment.

Job Activities Scale (Formal Power)

A scale mean score is obtained by summing and averaging the items. Score range is between 1 and 5. Higher scores represent job activities that give higher formal or position power.

Organization Relationships Scale (Informal Power)

A scale mean score is obtained by summing and averaging the items. Score range is between 1 and 5. Higher scores represent stronger networks of alliances in the organization or higher informal power.

Global Empowerment

In 1995, a global measure of empowerment (GE) was added to the questionnaire as a validation index. The GE score is obtained by summing and averaging the two global empowerment items at the end of the questionnaire. Score range is between 1 and 5. Higher scores represent stronger perceptions of working in an empowered work environment.

Manager’s Activities Scale

A scale mean score is obtained by summing and averaging the items. Score range is between 1 and 5. The instrument can be used to measure either staff's perceptions of their manager's power or managers' own perception of their power (the stem of the questionnaire should be changed depending on what group is being measured). Higher scores represent increased perceived ability by the manager to mobilize resources to accomplish tasks in the organization.

Descriptive Statistics