A bifactor exploratory structural equation modeling representation of the structure of the basic psychological needs at work scale

- ESEM solutions provide better fit to the data compared to CFA models.
- Bifactor-ESEM solution provides the best fit to the data.
- Results support two sources of construct relevant psychometric multidimensionality.
- The BPNWS is invariant across samples of male and female employees.
- The nomological validity is supported in relations to psychological well/ill-being.

This study investigates the structure of employees' ratings of the satisfaction of their basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness at work using the newly developed bifactor exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) framework. Using a sample of 366 exercise professionals who completed the new Portuguese version of the Basic Psychological Needs at Work Scale (BPNWS: Brien et al., 2012), the results demonstrated the superiority of a Bifactor-ESEM representation of BPNWS ratings when compared to alternative representations of the data (first-order and bifactor confirmatory factor analyses, and first-order ESEM). The results also supported the composite reliability, measurement invariance across gender, and nomological validity (in relations to measures of psychological wellbeing and distress at work) of BPNWS ratings. Importantly, these results demonstrated the importance of relying on measurement models providing a way to achieve a proper disaggregation of employees' global levels of need satisfaction relative to the satisfaction of their more specific needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness.