With the globalization of occupational health psychology, more and more researchers are interested in applying
employee well-being like work engagement (i.e., a positive, fulfilling, work-related state of mind that is characterized
by vigor, dedication, and absorption) to diverse populations. Accurate measurement contributes to our further
understanding and to the generalizability of the concept of work engagement across different cultures. The present
study investigated the measurement accuracy of the Japanese and the original Dutch versions of the Utrecht Work
Engagement Scale (9-item version, UWES-9) and the comparability of this scale between both countries. Item
Response Theory (IRT) was applied to the data from Japan (N = 2,339) and the Netherlands (N = 13,406). Reliability of
the scale was evaluated at various levels of the latent trait (i.e., work engagement) based the test information
function (TIF) and the standard error of measurement (SEM). The Japanese version had difficulty in differentiating
respondents with extremely low work engagement, whereas the original Dutch version had difficulty in differentiating
respondents with high work engagement. The measurement accuracy of both versions was not similar. Suppression
of positive affect among Japanese people and self-enhancement (the general sensitivity to positive self-relevant
information) among Dutch people may have caused decreased measurement accuracy. Hence, we should be
cautious when interpreting low engagement scores among Japanese as well as high engagement scores among
western employees.