The Work Needs Satisfaction Scale in Brazil: Psychometric Evidence and Differences by Gender and Race/Color

This study examined the psychometric properties of the Brazilian version of the Work Needs Satisfaction Scale and investigated differences in work-related need satisfaction across gender and race/color groups, informed by an intersectional perspective. Participants were 1521 Brazilian adults (67.2% women; mean age = 35.09 years), recruited across three independent waves of data collection. Confirmatory factor analyses, multi-group invariance tests, and comparisons across gender and race/color groups were conducted. The five-factor structure, survival, social contribution, competence, relatedness, and autonomy showed adequate fit (CFI = .94; RMSEA = .07) and high internal consistency (α = .79–.92; ω = .83–.94). Invariance analyses indicated metric and scalar equivalence across gender and race/color based on practical fit-index criteria. Group comparisons revealed a significant main effect of race/color, with Black participants reporting lower levels of satisfaction in survival, social contribution, competence, and autonomy than White participants; the gender-by-race/color interaction was not significant. These findings indicate that, although the scale’s structure remains psychometrically stable, work-related need satisfaction is unequally distributed, reflecting persistent structural inequalities in the Brazilian labor market. The study extends the application of the Psychology of Working Theory within a Brazilian context situated in the Global South and reinforces the importance of reliable measures for research and promoting social justice and equity in the workplace.