摘要:The degree of work involvement: a bipolar continuum? In a motivational approach towards the degree of work involvement work alienation and work involvement were conceptualized as extreme poles of a continuum. Some theorists even suggested that the continuum should be extended towards extreme work involvement. This study empirically investigated the possibility to conceptualize the degree of work involvement as a bipolar continuum. Results of this study show that low work involvement is an indicator of work alienation and that high work involvement is an indicator of workaholism and type A behaviour. Further proof of a bipolar continuum resulted from a confirmatory factor analysis on the work involvement questionnaire, because some items loaded negatively and others positively on the same factor. Opsomming In 'n motiveringsbenadering tot die graad van werkbetrokkenheid is werkvervreemding en -betrokkenheid as uiterste pole van 'n kontinuum gekonsepsualiseer. Sommige teoretici het selfs gesuggereer dat die kontinuum in die rigting van ekstreme werkbetrokkenheid uitgebrei moet word. Hierdie studie het die moontlikheid om die graad van werkbetrokkenheid as 'n bipolere kontinuum te konsepsualiseer, empirics ondersoek. Resultate van hierdie studie dui daarop dat lae werkbetrokkenheid 'n aanduider van werkvervreemding is en dat hoe werkbetrokkenheid 'n aanduider van werkbeheptheid en tipe A-gedrag is. Verdere stawing vir 'n bipolere kontinuum word deur 'n bevestigende faktorontleding op die werkbetrokkenheidvraelys verskaf, omdat sommige items negatief en ander positief op dieselfde faktor laai.