THEORY OF WORK ADJUSTMENT- BY:

RENE DAWIS & LLOYD LOFQUIST 1984

RENE DAWIS- Is an American Psychology proffesor. He taught at University of

Minnesota and is currently an emeritus professor.His focused on the
individual differences ,work adjustment and human potential. He received
the American Psychological Association’s Leona Tyler Award in 1999.
LLYOD HENRY LOFQUIST- Lloyd Henry Lofquist was more than the prototype
University of Minnesota-trained psychologist-he devoted
the greater part of his life to university and to the field of
counselling university. Born in Minneapolis in 1917 into a
tradesman’s family ,Lofquist spent his entire life in the
Minneapolis-st.Paul ,Minnesota area ,except for the period
1942-1946.Lofquist was psychologist in the personnel
branch of the U.S Army’s Adjutant General’s Office and
applied the counselling and personnel skills he had learned
while completing his mater’s degree in 1941 at the
University of Minnesota.
DEVELOPMENT
• The Theory of Work Adjusment(TWA) developed into two phases during the 1960s and
1970s.
• During the 1960s ,Lloyd h. Lofquist and Rene V. Dawis,University of Minnesota
psychologist, formulated a trait-and-factor matching model and in collaboration with
David J. Weiss devevelop instruments to measure the major constructs introduced by the
theory(Eggerth & Tinsley,2008)
• During the 1970’s ,the authors first bridged the theoretical gap between vocational needs
and work values. Integration of the structural and dynamic aspect of the theory during the
1970’s transformed the TWA from a static trait-and –factor model to developmentally
oriented model that better described the ongoing interaction beteween individual and
their work environment.
• Originally designed to meet the needs of vocational rehabilitation clients, by providing
improved rehabilitation services to vocationally challenge client (Sharf,2010)
• TWA is a specific example of general trait and factor theory in that it makes use of
clearly defined concept and follow articulated theoretical concept (sharf 2010)
Unlike many of the current career theories, the theory of work adjustment(TWA) relates to
working a job successfully once and occupation is chosen. Work involves physical, social, and
psychological needs and helping workers meet these needs as successfully is as important as
choosing career. TWA is instrumental to employment counselors for helping clients meet these
needs (Renfro-Mitchel, Burlew & Robert, 2009).
Theory of Work Adjustment(TWA)
Dawis and Lofquist (1984) defined work adjustment as a “continuous and dynamic process by
which a worker seeks to achieve and maintain correspondence with a work environment” .This
correspondence is the reciprocal process between the worker’s satisfaction and the employer’s
satisfactoriness (Eggert, 2008).
Two major components to the prediction of work adjustment:
• SATISFACTION: being satisfied with the work one does.
• SATISFACTORINESS: employer’s satisfaction with the individual’s performance.
“Satisfaction is a key indicator of work adjustment” state Lofquist and Dawis(1984).

Step 1: Assessing Abilities ,Values , Personality, and Interests

To assess abilities, Dawis and Lofquist(1984) make use of the General Aptitude Test Battery
(GATB), developed by the U.S. Department of Labor in 1982. It is the most practical because of
the information it provides for counselors to use in matching jobs with an individual’s abilities
and values (Sharf, 2010).
General Aptitude Test Battery(GATB)
The GATB scales measure nine specific abilities, it is widely used by employment counselling
agencies:
• G – General learning ability
• V – Verbal ability
• N – Numerical ability

Values (6) Need Scale (20)

Achievement Ability utilization Achievement

Comfort Activity Compensation

Variety Independence
Security Working conditions
 Status Advancement Recognition Authority Social S

Altruism Coworkers Moral values

Social service

Safety Company policies and practices

Human relations
Technical

autonomy Creativity
Responsibility

• S – Spatial ability
• P – Form perception
• Q – Clerical ability
• K – Eye/hand coordination
• F – Finger dexterity
• M – Manual dexterity
Minnesota Importance Questionnaire (MIQ)
The MIQ (Rounds, Henley, Dawis,Lofquist & Weiss, 1981) is a measure of needs. The 20 need
scales it encompasses characterize work-related concepts.
Using the Statistical technique of factor analysis, Dawis and Lofquist (1984)derived 6 values
from the 20 needs.

MIQ: values and need scales

Step 2: Measuring the requirements and conditions of Occupations

In addition to measuring individuals’ values and abilities, there are methods to measure abilities
and values needed for many occupations. Work environments differ in the degree to which they
meet the needs and values of an individual. To assess how much an occupation reinforces the
values of individuals the Minnesota Job Description Questionnaire (MJDQ) was developed
(MJDQ; Borgen, Weiss, Tinsley, Dawis & Lofquist, 1968a).

MJDQ Need Scales:

Assessment of Individuals Assessment of Occup

Abilities Ability Patterns

General Aptitude Test Battery (GABT) Occupational Ability

Values Value Patterns

Minnesota Importance Questionnaire (MIQ) Minnesota Job Descr

Personality Styles Personality Styles

Matching Assessment of Individual Occupation

Minnesota occupational classification System (MOCS)

Adjustment Styles ( instrument are Not yet develop)

 The MJDQ uses the same 20 needs as the Minnesota Importance Questionnaire.
Thus the needs of an individual are matched with reinforces provided by the job.
 Using information about value patterns helps counselors to see how the values of
their clients match the values that are met or reinforced by a large number of
occupations (Sharf, 2010).
Step 3: Matching Abilities, Values and Reinforces.
When matching values and abilities , counselors have three tools available:
1. Minnesota Importance Questionnaire(MIQ),
2. GATB manual (US Dept. of Labor,1982)
3. Minnesota Occupational Classification System (MOCS).
All helpful in identifying occupations for clients to explore further (Sharf, 2010).

Instruments Used In TWA

Who could benefit by the use of this theory?

Job Adjustment Counseling
Theory of Work Adjustment is applicable to adults:
• In the process of making career choices.
• Those experiencing work adjustment problems.
• Retirees who want to continue working but need to explore career choices.
Retirement
Although retirement is traditionally defined as the end of a career and withdrawal from the
workforce, a significant percentage of retirees want or need to continue working after retirement
(Harper & Shoffner,2004).In a survey by the American Association of Retired Persons(AARP)
one third of the retirees who responded indicated that they would prefer to work (AARP, 1993).
In addition to being challenged by changing capacities, some retirees recognize that their career
development options might be limited by social attitudes toward aging.(Harper &
Shoffner,2004).

TWA in Retirement Counseling

• Dawis and Lofquist (1984) stated that a primary objective in retirement counselling is for
the retiree to achieve a level of individual-environment correspondence during retirement
that is similar to what the retiree experienced before retirement.
• The counsellor using TWA with a client who is planning for retirement attempts to help
the client compare skills and abilities with the requirements of the environment, needs
and values with reinforces of the environment and personal style with the work
environment style (Harper & Shoffner, 2004).
Culturally diverse populations(continued).
• TWA can be applied to discrimination experienced by homosexual men and women as
well as heterosexual women.
• TWA predicts job satisfaction of lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals, despite the
discrimination that they may experience in their workplace.—
• Dawis (1994) states that “gender, ethnicity, national origin, religion, age, sexual
orientation, and disability status are seen as inaccurate and unreliable bases for estimating
the skills, abilities, needs, values, personality style and adjustment style of a particular
person.”

Linear and Non-Linear clients

• Linear thinking clients could benefit from the step-by-step process of matching their own
abilities, values and reinforces to those required of a specific job.
• Non-linear clients could be guided in a general direction of what jobs they are a better
match that will allow them to explore different careers.

Counselor Issues
Lofquist and Dawis (undated) believe that it is necessary for the counsellor to identify basic
abilities and reinforces within himself or herself and the client so that effective counselling can
take place. A key characteristic for a counsellor is flexibility.
They suggested that it is helpful for counselors to see themselves, as well as their clients, as
environments.

How might identifying his/her own abilities and reinforces help a counselor be more effective
in counselling clients?

THANK YOU
GOD BLESS AND
STAY SAFE EVERYONE!