Validation of the Inventory of Professional Functioning (IPF): Occupational Health of Social Workers

Abstract

This article reports on the validation of the Inventory of Professional Functioning (IPF), a four-dimensional scale designed to measure the professional functioning of social workers. The IPF was developed as an outcome measure to be used with independent measures of substance use, depression, distress, relationship problems, and organizational variables, as well as protective factors such as social support, self-esteem, and coping strategies. Data from a random sample of 215 social workers were collected in an anonymous Internet survey that measured factors related to social workers' health. Using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, the new measure was found to have acceptable reliability and construct validity at the scale level. Convergent and discriminant validity were established at the scale level of analysis by examining correlations of the items of the IPF and its subscales with Class I, II, and III Criterion variables. The IPF is a useful measure to assess employee strengths in the workplace.

KEYWORDS:

• impairment
• organizations
• professional functioning
• scale development
• social workers

The author would like to thank Jinseok Kim, PhD, Seoul Women's University, for offering his critical feedback on the manuscript and contributing his expertise in structural equation modeling.