Perceived collective hope: Development and validation of a scale

Abstract

This multi-sample study develops and validates the Collective Hope Scale (CHS), extending hope theory to organizational contexts by assessing employee perception of their organization's capacity to set and pursue goals. In Sample 1 (N = 15,892; public sector employees across 100+ agencies), exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (EFA/CFA) confirmed the CHS as distinct from dispositional hope, with structural modeling showing incremental validity in predicting burnout. In Sample 2 (N = 3285; human service agency employees), EFA/CFA distinguished the CHS from perceived organizational support, with CHS scores uniquely predicting burnout. In Sample 3 (N = 3423; human service agency employees), CHS scores predicted variance in affective commitment beyond perceived organizational support. Across three large samples, findings support the CHS as a reliable, valid measure with sound psychometric properties and predictive utility, offering a novel tool for advancing organizational research.