Validation of a New General Self-Efficacy Scale
Abstract
Researchers have suggested that general self-efficacy (GSE) can substantially contribute to organizational theory, research, and practice. Unfortunately, the limited construct validity work conducted on commonly used GSE measures has highlighted such potential problems as low content validity and multidimensionality. The authors developed a new GSE (NGSE) scale and compared its psychometric properties and validity to that of the Sherer et al. General Self-Efficacy Scale (SGSE). Studies in two countries found that the NGSE scale has higher construct validity than the SGSE scale. Although shorter than the SGSE scale, the NGSE scale demonstrated high reliability, predicted specific self-efficacy (SSE) for a variety of tasks in various contexts, and moderated the influence of previous performance on subsequent SSE formation. Implications, limitations, and directions for future organizational research are discussed.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
The SRL scale's reliability and validity were confirmed in prior studies (Chen et al., 2001; Guay et al., 2000; Wang et al., 2016).
“Its reliability and validity were confirmed in prior studies (Chen et al., 2001;Guay et al., 2000;Wang et al., 2016).”
From Empowering ChatGPT with Guidance Mechanism in Blended Learning: Effect of Self-Regulated Learning, Higher-Order Thinking Skills, and Knowledge Construction (2024) · cites this paper as Chen et al., 2001
The New General Self-Efficacy Scale proposed by Chen et al. (2001) was adapted to measure self-efficacy.
“The New General Self-Efficacy Scale proposed by Chen et al. (2001) was adapted, defining self-efficacy as confidence in mobilizing resources to meet situational demands,”
From Empowering ChatGPT with Guidance Mechanism in Blended Learning: Effect of Self-Regulated Learning, Higher-Order Thinking Skills, and Knowledge Construction (2024) · cites this paper as Chen et al. (2001)
Cites
Self-efficacy: The exercise of control
Bandura, A., Freeman, W. H., & Lightsey, R. (1999) · Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy · doi:10.1891/0889-8391.13.2.158 · Cited by 46,835 · see citing works
Society and the Adolescent Self-Image
Rosenberg, M. (1965) · doi:10.1515/9781400876136 · Cited by 30,126 · see citing works
What is coefficient alpha? An examination of theory and applications
Cortina, J. M. (1993) · Journal of Applied Psychology · doi:10.1037/0021-9010.78.1.98 · Cited by 8,810 · cited 1× · see citing works
“As Cortina (1993) has shown, high internal consistency reliability does not necessarily imply factorial unidimensionality.”
BackgroundSocial cognitive theory of self-regulation
Bandura, A. (1991) · Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes · doi:10.1016/0749-5978(91)90022-l · Cited by 6,875 · see citing works
The Self-Efficacy Scale: Construction and Validation
Sherer, M., Maddux, J. E., Mercandante, B., Prentice-Dunn, S., Jacobs, B., & Rogers, R. W. (1982) · Psychological Reports · doi:10.2466/pr0.1982.51.2.663 · Cited by 4,028 · see citing works
Mischel, W., & Shoda, Y. (1995) · Psychological Review · doi:10.1037/0033-295x.102.2.246 · Cited by 3,889 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
The Mediating Role of Self-Efficacy in the Development of Entrepreneurial Intentions.
Zhao, H., Seibert, S. E., & Hills, G. E. (2005) · Journal of Applied Psychology · doi:10.1037/0021-9010.90.6.1265 · Cited by 2,996 · see citing works
CREATIVE SELF-EFFICACY: ITS POTENTIAL ANTECEDENTS AND RELATIONSHIP TO CREATIVE PERFORMANCE.
Tierney, P., & Farmer, S. M. (2002) · Academy of Management Journal · doi:10.2307/3069429 · Cited by 2,787 · see citing works
Financial Literacy, Financial Education, and Downstream Financial Behaviors
Fernandes, D., Lynch, J. G., & Netemeyer, R. G. (2014) · Management Science · doi:10.1287/mnsc.2013.1849 · Cited by 2,152 · see citing works
A meta-analytic examination of the goal orientation nomological net.
Payne, S. C., Youngcourt, S. S., & Beaubien, J. M. (2007) · Journal of Applied Psychology · doi:10.1037/0021-9010.92.1.128 · Cited by 1,242 · see citing works
Evaluation of the mental health continuum–short form (MHC–SF) in setswana‐speaking South Africans
Keyes, C. L. M., Wissing, M., Potgieter, J. P., Temane, M., Kruger, A., & van Rooy, S. (2008) · Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy · doi:10.1002/cpp.572 · Cited by 1,118 · see citing works
Jacka, F. N., O’Neil, A., Opie, R., Itsiopoulos, C., Cotton, S., Mohebbi, M., Castle, D., Dash, S., Mihalopoulos, C., Chatterton, M. L., et al. (2017) · BMC Medicine · doi:10.1186/s12916-017-0791-y · Cited by 1,093 · see citing works
Netemeyer, R. G., Warmath, D., Fernandes, D., & Lynch, J. G. (2018) · Journal of Consumer Research · doi:10.1093/jcr/ucx109 · Cited by 842 · see citing works
Leading virtual teams: Hierarchical leadership, structural supports, and shared team leadership.
Hoch, J. E., & Kozlowski, S. W. J. (2014) · Journal of Applied Psychology · doi:10.1037/a0030264 · Cited by 657 · see citing works
Fast, N. J., Burris, E. R., & Bartel, C. A. (2014) · Academy of Management Journal · doi:10.5465/amj.2012.0393 · Cited by 440 · see citing works
Measuring General Self-Efficacy: A Comparison of Three Measures Using Item Response Theory
Scherbaum, C. A., Cohen-Charash, Y., & Kern, M. J. (2006) · Educational and Psychological Measurement · doi:10.1177/0013164406288171 · Cited by 393 · see citing works
Kuenzi, M., Mayer, D. M., & Greenbaum, R. L. (2020) · Personnel Psychology · doi:10.1111/peps.12356 · Cited by 300 · see citing works
Roepke, A. M., Jaffee, S. R., Riffle, O. M., McGonigal, J., Broome, R., & Maxwell, B. (2015) · Games for Health Journal · doi:10.1089/g4h.2014.0046 · Cited by 265 · see citing works
Francis, H. M., Stevenson, R. J., Chambers, J. R., Gupta, D., Newey, B., & Lim, C. K. (2019) · PLOS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0222768 · Cited by 277 · see citing works
Lee, H.-Y., Chen, P.-H., Wang, W.-S., Huang, Y.-M., & Wu, T.-T. (2024) · International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education · doi:10.1186/s41239-024-00447-4 · Cited by 273 · see citing works
“The New General Self-Efficacy Scale proposed by Chen et al. (2001) was adapted, defining self-efficacy as confidence in mobilizing resources to meet situational demands, particularly in an academic context.”
MethodLeader–member social exchange (LMSX): Development and validation of a scale
Bernerth, J. B., Armenakis, A. A., Feild, H. S., Giles, W. F., & Walker, H. J. (2007) · Journal of Organizational Behavior · doi:10.1002/job.443 · Cited by 254 · see citing works
Schlotz, W., Yim, I. S., Zoccola, P. M., Jansen, L., & Schulz, P. (2011) · Psychological Assessment · doi:10.1037/a0021148 · Cited by 194 · see citing works
Help-Seeking by Rural Residents for Mental Health Problems: The Importance of Agrarian Values
Judd, F., Jackson, H., Komiti, A., Murray, G., Fraser, C., Grieve, A., & Gomez, R. (2006) · Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1111/j.1440-1614.2006.01882.x · Cited by 219 · see citing works
Martin, S. R., Côté, S., & Woodruff, T. (2016) · Academy of Management Journal · doi:10.5465/amj.2015.0680 · Cited by 155 · see citing works
Relationship between mindfulness, depression, anxiety and stress: Mediating role of self-efficacy
Sharma, P. K., & Kumra, R. (2022) · Personality and Individual Differences · doi:10.1016/j.paid.2021.111363 · Cited by 155 · see citing works
Transformational leadership effects on salespeople’s attitudes, striving, and performance
Gao, R. (. R., Murphy, W. H., & Anderson, R. E. (2020) · Journal of Business Research · doi:10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.01.023 · Cited by 98 · see citing works
Guerrero, L. R., Dudovitz, R., Chung, P. J., Dosanjh, K. K., & Wong, M. D. (2016) · Academic Pediatrics · doi:10.1016/j.acap.2015.12.016 · Cited by 92 · see citing works
Modeling AI-assisted writing: How self-regulated learning influences writing outcomes
Jin, F., Lin, C.-H., & Lai, C. (2025) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2024.108538 · Cited by 93 · see citing works
Flett, J. A. M., Conner, T. S., Riordan, B. C., Patterson, T., & Hayne, H. (2020) · Psychology & Health · doi:10.1080/08870446.2019.1711089 · Cited by 84 · see citing works
Sharma, S., Singh, G., Sharma, C. S., & Kapoor, S. (2024) · International Journal of System Assurance Engineering and Management · doi:10.1007/s13198-023-02193-8 · Cited by 80 · see citing works
Bannon, S., Lester, E. G., Gates, M. V., McCurley, J., Lin, A., Rosand, J., & Vranceanu, A.-M. (2020) · Pilot and Feasibility Studies · doi:10.1186/s40814-020-00615-z · Cited by 70 · see citing works
The role of voice efficacy in the formation of voice behaviour: A cross-level examination
Duan, J., Kwan, H. K., & Ling, B. (2014) · Journal of Management & Organization · doi:10.1017/jmo.2014.40 · Cited by 51 · see citing works
Koriat, N., & Gelbard, R. (2014) · International Journal of Information Management · doi:10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2014.04.009 · Cited by 44 · see citing works
Grier, R. A. (2012) · Journal of Cognitive Engineering and Decision Making · doi:10.1177/1555343412444606 · Cited by 37 · see citing works
Kagan, M. (2021) · Psychological Reports · doi:10.1177/0033294120945593 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
Feig, E. H., Amonoo, H. L., Onyeaka, H. K., Romero, P. M., Kim, S., & Huffman, J. C. (2020) · Clinical Obesity · doi:10.1111/cob.12361 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
Psychological mediators of psychological distress and quality of life in inflammatory bowel disease
Kantidakis, J. D., Moulding, R., & Knowles, S. R. (2021) · Journal of Psychosomatic Research · doi:10.1016/j.jpsychores.2021.110596 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
Stojanovic, M., Fries, S., & Grund, A. (2021) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.643753 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
Choi, B. K., Moon, H. K., & Chun, J. U. (2015) · Asian Journal of Social Psychology · doi:10.1111/ajsp.12095 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
Peer learning and technology adoption in a digital farmer-to-farmer network
Lasdun, V., Harou, A. P., Magomba, C., & Guereña, D. (2025) · Journal of Development Economics · doi:10.1016/j.jdeveco.2025.103496 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Psychosocial modification of general self-efficacy in older adults: a restricted review
FitzGerald, J., Wells, Y. D., & Ellis, J. M. (2022) · Australasian Journal on Ageing · doi:10.1111/ajag.13052 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Associations of mindfulness with adolescent outcomes and sexuality.
Leavitt, C. E., Allsop, D. B., Busby, D. M., Driggs, S. M., Johnson, H. M., & Saxey, M. T. (2020) · Journal of Adolescence · doi:10.1016/j.adolescence.2020.04.008 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
Wang, L., Norman, I., Xiao, T., Li, Y., Li, X., Liu, T., Wang, J., Zeng, L., Zhong, Z., Jian, C., et al. (2024) · European Journal of Psychotraumatology · doi:10.1080/20008066.2023.2299195 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
Zielke, M. A., Zakhidov, D., Lo, T., Craig, S. D., Rege, R., Pyle, H., Meer, N. V., & Kuo, N. (2025) · International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction · doi:10.1080/10447318.2024.2323280 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
Isbăşoiu, A. B., Tulbure, B. T., Rusu, A., & Sava, F. A. (2021) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.752249 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
“Secondary outcome measures included several self-concept measures: Self-Compassion Scale (SCS); Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES); Unconditional Self-Acceptance Questionnaire (USAQ); New General Self-Efficacy Scale (NGSE); and Self-Concept Clarity Scale (SCCS).”
MethodBharmal, N., Beidelschies, M., Alejandro-Rodriguez, M., Alejandro, K., Guo, N., Jones, T., & Bradley, E. (2022) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/s12889-022-12833-6 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
“General self-efficacy was assessed by 8 items with possible scores ranging from 8 to 40; higher scores represent greater perceived self-efficacy [15].”
MethodTian, X., Chae, H., Song, D., & Zhang, Y. (2025) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-025-17500-5 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
“We measured focal employees’ general self-efficacy with the eight item New General Self-Efficacy Scale 71 .”
Chan, C. C., Guan, Y., & Choi, P. Y. W. (2011) · International Journal on Disability and Human Development · doi:10.1515/ijdhd.2011.032 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
- Authors
- Chen, G., Gully, S. M., & Eden, D.
- Affiliations
- George Mason University (US)
- Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey (US)
- Tel Aviv University (IL)
- ORCID
- Gully, Stanley M.
- Venue
- Organizational Research Methods
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2001-01
- Volume
- 4
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 62-83
- ISSN
- 1094-4281 (ISSN-L)
- 1552-7425
- OpenAlex
- W2109638824
- Cited by
- 3,542
- References
- 6
- Citations by year
- 2026: 248 · 2025: 303 · 2024: 284 · 2023: 268 · 2022: 287 · 2021: 269 · 2020: 235 · 2019: 198 · 2018: 171 · 2017: 176 · 2016: 135 · 2015: 176 · 2014: 142 · 2013: 119 · 2012: 117
- FWCI
- 29.58
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Organizational Research Methods (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Management Science and Operations Research › Psychometric Methodologies and Testing
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Education, Achievement, and Giftedness
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management › Job Satisfaction and Organizational Behavior
- Keywords
- general self-efficacy, scale development, construct validity, psychometric properties, specific self-efficacy, performance feedback, self-efficacy measurement, multidimensionality
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review