OCCUPATIONAL SELF-EFFICACY SCALE (OSES-PCD)
Introduction-
Beliefs are powerful filters that shape how we interpret new experiences. Our knowledge,
skills, and outcomes form our self-efficacy beliefs, but these beliefs ultimately influence how
we view new information and efforts.
Albert Bandura originally developed the concept of self-efficacy, which he defined as the
personal belief in one's ability to perform effectively and appropriately to achieve specific
goals.
Occupational self-efficacy is defined as the belief in one's ability and competence to perform
tasks within a specific occupation (Pethe, Chaudhari, & Dhar, 1999). Measures of self-
efficacy are generally more effective than trait-based conceptions in predicting behaviour in
specific circumstances. According to Bandura (1997), self-efficacy involves "people's beliefs
about their capability to exercise control over their own level of functioning and over events
that affect their lives," and it refers to "judgments of how well one can execute courses of
action required to deal with prospective situations" (Bandura, 1982, p. 122). These beliefs
evolve over time (Gist & Mitchell, 1992). While occupational self-efficacy builds on the
broader definition of self-efficacy, it has a more focused scope. Unlike task-specific self-
efficacy, which is limited to tasks, occupational self-efficacy is broad enough to compare
individuals across various jobs, organizations, and professional levels (Schyns & von Collani,
2002). Therefore, it can be used to assess self-efficacy across different professions and
contexts (Schyns & von Collani, 2002).
These are six factors in the scale-
I. Confidence: This factor measures the belief in one's ability to accomplish tasks and
overcome challenges in the workplace. High confidence reflects a strong self-
assurance in handling job-related duties effectively.
II. Command: Command refers to the ability to take charge and lead in various work
situations. It involves assertiveness and the capacity to make decisions and direct
others efficiently.
III. Adaptability: Adaptability assesses how well an individual can adjust to changes and
new conditions in the workplace. It reflects flexibility and the capability to manage
unexpected situations and transitions smoothly.
IV. Personal Effectiveness: This factor gauges an individual's efficiency in achieving
work-related goals. It encompasses productivity, time management, and the overall
ability to perform tasks successfully.
V. Positive Attitude: Positive attitude involves maintaining an optimistic outlook
towards work and its challenges. It includes resilience, motivation, and the tendency
to view obstacles as opportunities for growth.
VI. Individuality: Individuality measures the extent to which a person can maintain their
uniqueness and personal style while performing their job. It reflects the ability to
bring personal strengths and creativity into the work environment
Employees with high occupational self-efficacy are often characterized by their persistence
and determination, driven by their belief in future success (Breso, Schaufeli, & Salanova,
2011). Research has shown that occupational self-efficacy is associated with various positive
attitudes, behaviors, and work performance outcomes, such as commitment (Schyns &
Collani, 2002), job satisfaction (Rigotti et al., 2008), work performance (Rigotti et al., 2008),
improved performance (Eden & Ravid, 1982), training success (McLaughlin, Moutray, &
Muldoon, 2008; Tziner, Fisher, Senior, & Weisberg, 2007), learning styles (Berings, Poell,
Simons, & van Veldhoven, 2007), and career satisfaction (Abele & Spurk, 2009).
Methodology
Aim-
To assess the Occupational Self Efficacy of the subject.
Plan-
To administer to the Occupational Self Efficacy Scale and to assess the self efficacy of the
subject by summarizing the scores on the factors of Confidence, Command, Adaptability,
Personal Effectiveness, Personal Attitude and Individuality among the subject(s). Finally,
referring to the scoring and interpretation tables to determine whether the subject has high,
normal or low Occupational Self Efficacy.
Materials-
1. Occupational Self Efficacy Scale
2. Scoring key and norms
3. Writing Materials
Procedure-
The subject is seated comfortably in a quiet room. After establishing initial rapport with the
subject. the experimenter requests the subject to fill up their personal details in the
Occupational Self Efficacy Scale. Then the subject is instructed to read answer all the items
by reading it carefully and selecting the most appropriate response. There is no time limit for
the test but subject is told to be as honest and quick with their responses as they can. The
experimenter scores and analyses the scale after the subject completes answering it.
Instructions-
“Read the 19 statements given on the next pages and respond by the five alternative that is
Strongly Agree, Agree, Neutral, Disagree and Strongly Disagree and put a right tick mark in
the appropriate box which describes you the best. There are no right or wrong answers. Please
start when I say and answer all the questions. There is no time limit, but try to give the first
answer that comes to your mind. If you do not understand the meaning of any question, you
can ask me.”
Precautions-
1. The experimenter must make sure that the subject has understood the instructions
properly and if there are any doubts, that should be clarified.
2. If the subject does not understand the meaning of any question. The experimenter
must explain it in an objective manner.
3. The subject should be encouraged to answer freely and spontaneously.
4. If the test is administered to a group. The examiner should investigate and see that the
subjects do not consult each other.
Scoring and Analysis-
1. Manual scoring is done conveniently. Each item or statement is scored 5 for strongly
agree, 4 for agree, 3 for neutral and 1 for strongly disagree.
2. Sum of the score is the Occupational Self Efficacy Score.
3. The given interpretation table is to be followed
Table 1- Interpretation Table with item numbers, factor-wise scores and total score
interpretation key.
Factors I II III IV V VI Total
Confide Comma Adaptab Personal Positive Individu
nce nd ility Effective Attitude ality
ness
Item No. 10, 11, 4, 6, 17 2, 5, 9 1, 14, 18, 3, 7, 8 15, 16 All 19
12, 13 19 items
High 19 and 14 and 14 and 20 3 and 10 83 and
above above above above above
Normal 13-18 10-13 10-13 15-19 8-12 5-9 65-82
Low 12 and 9 and 9 and 14 and 9 and 4 and 64 and
below below below below below below below
Table 2- Percentile Scores of Total Occupational Self Efficacy
Percentiles Raw Score
P90 83
P80 81
P70 78
P60 75
P50 74
P40 72
P30 69
P20 66
P10 63
P5 59
Discussion-
Table 3-Individual Table showing the results of the subject on the Occupational Self Efficacy
Scale
Factors Raw Score Interpretation
I
II
III
IV
V
VI
Total
Percentile
Conclusion-
Applications-
