• Definitions– Economist articles

• Types of Scales

• Features of Criterion Measures– Census article

Developing Measures in HR

• Variable• Can take two or more ‘values’, exist in

multiple states (e.g., Supervisory rating)

• Concept• General label used to describe observations

(e.g., performance)

• Construct• Scientific concept used in theories (e.g., job

performance)

Definitions

• Operational Definition• Translate characteristics of the concept into

measurable features• Break down concept into dimensions that are

further broken down into elements

Definitions

FIGURE 8.2Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Sekaran/RESEARCH 4E

Example of Learning

• Identify the concept, construct, variable, dimensions & elements in the “measuring generosity” article

• Identify the main constructs in the unemployment article• What are the two variables? • How are the variables measured?• What are their relative advantages &

disadvantages?

Economist Articles

8BCopyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Sekaran/RESEARCH 4E

Types of Scales

8CCopyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Sekaran/RESEARCH 4E

8DCopyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Sekaran/RESEARCH 4E

8ECopyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Sekaran/RESEARCH 4E

• Nominal• Name-based differences between 2 or more

exclusive categories (a.k.a. categorical variable)• e.g., gender, nationality• Suggest 2 possible nominal variables and ways to

measure them

• Ordinal• Rank/order-based differences • e.g., Letter grades, IV in career-services study

Types of Scales

• Interval• Differences between categories are equal• Cannot square/take square roots • E.g rating scales, thermometer

• 4-2=5-3 (but 6 is not the same as 2x3)

• Ratio• Has an absolute zero-point, assesses

proportion of differences• Cannot add/subtract a constant number• e.g., GPA, absenteeism study, frequency scales,

quantity scales

Types of Scales

• Convert the following ratio scales to interval scales• In the past 3 months how often have you..• Sought feedback from your supervisor on how

well you are performing your job?• Checked w/your subordinates that what you are

doing is not getting in the way of their efficient performance

Exercise

• Criterion relevance• Assessing the concept

• Criterion deficiency• Lacking important components of concept

• Criterion contamination• Assessing irrelevant components• Leads to Bias, unreliability

• Example: CIR admission criteria

Features of Criterion Measures

ConstructMeasure

Criteriondeficiency

Criterioncontamination

Criterionrelevance

• Criterion Practicality

• Criteria’s ability to discriminate b/w objects

Features of Criterion Measures

• Discuss problems w/the following & apply defn of criterion relevance, contamination & deficiency:• Counting Immigrants • Counting visible minorities• Having high housing costs• Having non-traditional households• Having untrained researchers• Allowing for Open-ended responses

Census Article

• What is the item-order effect in the census? How can it be resolved?

• How would you re-define place of residence?

• How would you ask for race info?

• How would you re-define marriage?

• What is an example of a confidence interval given in the article?

Census Article

• Definitions– Economist articles

• Types of Scales

• Features of Criterion Measures– Census article

Developing Measures in HR