To be or not to be (absent) : development and validation of the voluntary intent to be absent measure

Abstract

Although absenteeism has received a considerable amount of research attention it has, thus far, mainly been examined in a post hoc fashion. To further our understanding regarding employees’ absenteeism I developed a voluntary intent to be absent (VIA) measure. Using a shortitudinal study design I examined VIA measure’s factor structure, psychometric properties, its nomological network – by analyzing its relationship with constructs, such as perceived absence norms, job satisfaction, workplace incivility, and psychological distress, and its incremental value over-and-above Martocchio’s (1992) absence intentions scale and the aforementioned work attitudes. Factor analyses revealed that a 7-item VIA scale accounted for a similar amount of variance in measuring this construct as compared to lengthier versions. Additionally, findings showed that the 7-item VIA scale is a reliable and valid measure that adds value in predicting future voluntary absences over and above the existing absence intentions scale and work attitudes.