The Minnesota satisfaction questionnaire (MSQ) measures satisfaction with the work environment. The long version takes 15-20 minutes to complete, using 100 satisfaction items. It is easy to read and Weiss et al. (1967) say it is both reliable and valid. It can be completed as a postal questionnaire or in an interview setting.

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (May/June 2020). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

1. [1] (a) Hoyt's ANOVA was used. Table 1 presents co-efficients for all twenty items and most are greater than 0.9.
2. [1] Test-retest correlations were used at one week (N = 75) and at one year (N = 115). Correlations range from 0.66 to 0.91 for the twenty items. Data in Table 2 of study. / A correlation was applied to test-retest data.
3. [1] (b)(i) Ability Utilization (e.g. Q7: the chance to do the kind of work that I do best);
4. [1] Achievement; / Activity; / Advancement; / Authority; / Company Policies; / Compensation; / Co-workers; / Creativity; / Independence (e.g. Q24: the chance to work alone on the job); / Moral Values; / Recognition (e.g. Q18: the way I am noticed when I do a good job); / Responsibility; / Security; / Social Status; / Social Service (e.g. Q41: the chance to help people); / Supervision-Human Relations; / Supervision-Technical; / Variety (e.g. Q25: the chance to do different things from time to time); / Working Conditions.
5. [1] (b)(ii) Participants may be enthusiastic at the start but lose interest as time passes. / Same applies if any questionnaire is too long/has too many questions.
6. [1] Participant does not answer questions in the right way, and validity is lost. / This is why split-half measures are taken.
7. [2] (c) participants could 'opt-out' and give neutral responses for certain questions. A participant may do this if they fear that management will see the responses (example from list of 20 above).
8. [2] Opting out/neutral responses do not help researchers to draw conclusions. MSQ: 5-point scale is: Very dissatisfied – Dissatisfied – Neither dissatisfied nor satisfied – Satisfied – Very satisfied. A forced four- or six-point choice does not allow an opt out and a decision, even 51/49 one way or the other, must be made.
9. [1] (d) Advantages: people can read at their own leisure (in their own home), think and then make decisions (without pressure from anyone). / questionnaires can provide quantitative data which may allow comparisons; Questionnaires can provide qualitative data through open ended questions allowing a worker to report in detail. / questionnaires can be completed anonymously, and so honest answers are more likely. / postal questionnaire can be more detailed than an interview, or a 'do-it-now' questionnaire.
10. [1] Disadvantages: people may not receive the mailing; or receive it but never read it. / people read the information but not act on it (or forget to act on it). / people may forget to return it. Approx 10% of postal questionnaires are returned. / costs of postage sending out and returning; cost of printing and envelopes.
11. [1] Conclusion: any appropriate conclusion drawn from the discussion that has been presented. A conclusion is a 'decision reached by reasoning' and so a summary of points already made scores 0 marks.