A two-steps study for the Italian adaptation of the Work-reLated Flow (WOLF) inventory: the I-WOLF

Flow at work is defined as a short-term peak experience characterized by absorption, work enjoyment, and intrinsic work motivation. This study tests the psychometric properties of the Italian version of the WOrk-reLated Flow (I-WOLF) inventory developed by Bakker (2008). In a first step, an exploratory factor analysis (N = 323) and a multigroup confirmatory factor analysis (N = 977) were performed. The exploratory factor analysis showed a three-factor structure without cross-loadings, and the multigroup confirmatory factor analysis confirmed this structure and the distinction between absorption, work enjoyment, and intrinsic work motivation, in line with the original scale. In the second step, the relationships between the three work-related flow dimensions and other constructs (such as personal and job characteristics, and cognitive/emotional indicators of well-being) were established. These results offer evidence of the validity of the I-WOLF by showing significant relationships with variables that are generally expected to be related with flow at work.