Due to the absence of suitable questionnaires for capturing the evolving demands and conditions of highly educated professionals, we created a new German-language instrument targeting knowledge work. Grounded in theory, we identified three fundamental aspects of knowledge work: novelty, complexity, and autonomy. To operationalize these dimensions, we conducted a multi-step development process involving higher education graduates, which included a cognitive pretest, an initial quantitative study, and a replication study. From an original set of 173 items, the questionnaire was refined to 22 items. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling confirmed that the instrument reliably and validly assesses novelty (4 items), complexity (9 items across three subdimensions), and autonomy (9 items across three subdimensions). An English version has been prepared; however, its empirical validation and potential further refinements are suggested as directions for future research.
