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PurposeCitizenship behaviours are used in organisation studies to explain their effectiveness and to capture the role of unsolicited, extra-role behaviours. Recent extensions towards the interorganisational context provide evidence that Interorganisational Citizenship Behaviours (ICBs) are important in facilitating supply chain operations and cluster innovation activities. This study took stock of citizenship behaviours literature within and among organisations, in order to develop and validate a measurement scale for ICBs useful in the food industry and beyond.Design/methodology/approachDeparting from a literature driven 10-dimensional construct, Th authors proceeded with validating our scale in the South African craft brewing industry. The authors ran a face validation, followed by confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses on a sample of 108 expert informants. The authors ran nomological tests through correlation and regression analysis. Finally, logical analysis was done to ensure the theoretical integrity of the mathematical indications.FindingsThe authors found support that the model consisting of interorganisational magnanimity, interorganisational advancement and interorganisational constructiveness, is relevant for value creation within coopetitive networks. The purified scale included three psychometrically distinct ICBs dimensions, measured by 31 items.Practical implicationsManagers can benefit from adequately identifying ICB in their environment, and among their competitors in particular. The study’s measurement scale offers a useful tool for an initial monitoring of firms in their competitive environment.Originality/valueThe authors extended and advanced prior research on the ICB construct by providing a rigorously validated, parsimonious measurement scale of ICBs. The authors bridged the ICB and coopetition literature to better understand spontaneous extra-role coopetitive network facilitating behaviours.

PurposeHumane entrepreneurship (HumEnt) has been theoretically proposed as a new model of entrepreneurship supporting the idea of an enlarged entrepreneurial strategic posture. The aim of paper is to frame humane entrepreneurial orientation’s (HEO) characteristics by showing how firms apply the HumEnt approach, and to offer suggestions to build an HEO measurement scale.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopts a case study approach, focusing on five Italian small and medium enterprises (SMEs).FindingsThe study (1) identifies which are the characteristics of HEO strategic posture in the enterprises under examination; (2) shows that entrepreneurs' personal values and credos are fundamental to having an HEO strategic posture adopted; (3) provides indications on the development of a measurement scale through a discussion of emerging HEO themes.Originality/valueThe value of the study is that emerging themes of HEO strategic posture was derived from the analysis of five Italian SMEs. Entrepreneur's personal values have been proven to be relevant in the implementation of HEO. Based on the emerging HEO themes, the study contributes to the literature opening the way toward the building of an all-encompassing HEO measurement scale.

The current literature on test equating generally defines it as the process necessary to obtain score comparability between different test forms. The definition is in contrast with Lord’s foundational paper which viewed equating as the process required to obtain comparability of measurement scale between forms. The distinction between the notions of scale and score is not trivial. The difference is explained by connecting these notions with standard statistical concepts as probability experiment, sample space, and random variable. The probability experiment underlying equating test forms with random scores immediately gives us the equating transformation as a function mapping the scale of one form into the other and thus supports the point of view taken by Lord. However, both Lord’s view and the current literature appear to rely on the idea of an experiment with random examinees which implies a different notion of test scores. It is shown how an explicit choice between the two experiments is not just important for our theoretical understanding of key notions in test equating but also has important practical consequences.

PurposeThis paper aims to offer a multi-dimensional scale for measuring the concept of perceived unfairness of revenue management pricing (RMP) in the context of hospitality.Design/methodology/approachTo develop a measurement scale for the perceived unfairness of RMP, the authors conducted a qualitative study using the critical incident technique to identify the key components of our measurement tool. They then collected two samples of quantitative data enabling them to have compelling evidence of the scale’s reliability and validity.FindingsThis research identified three dimensions of perceived unfairness of RMP in the context of hospitality: perceived normative deviation, perceived opacity and negative effects. The new scale proposed here is an alternative measurement instrument that could be useful for detecting and correcting some negative aspects of RMP.Practical implicationsThis measurement scale will help hotel managers to detect potential feelings of unfairness in relation to the RMP policies. It might also be used within the framework of market analyses and pricing strategy plans. Finally, the results of this research show that transparency, fairness and ethics based pricing could help hotel managers increase their revenue-per-available-room during and post COVID-19 pandemic.Originality/valueThis research develops a complete measurement scale for perceived unfairness of RMP, including cognitive and affective dimensions. The richness of this scale will help hospitality companies effectively identify the indicators that denote perceived unfairness of RMP, making them better equipped to handle customer dissatisfaction.

Des enseignants du postsecondaire constatent que de nombreux étudiants qui pourraient bénéficier du soutien des centres d’aide disciplinaires de leur établissement pour réussir leurs cours ne s’y présentent pas. Des moyens de motiver les étudiants à utiliser ces services sont en développement et devront être évalués. Cet article présente le processus d’élaboration et de validation de l’Échelle de perception d’un centre d’aide en français du postsecondaire (ÉPCAFP). L’instrument comporte trois sous-échelles (intérêt, utilité et contrôlabilité). Des collégiens (n = 1324) provenant de quatre cégeps du Québec ont participé à son évaluation. Les analyses factorielles exploratoire et confirmatoire révèlent une structure qui distingue bien les dix items de l’échelle en fonction des trois dimensions conceptuelles représentant les sous-échelles. De plus, les résultats sont satisfaisants quant à la consistance interne, la validité discriminante ainsi que la validité critériée de l’instrument. Les résultats de cette étude sont discutés en fonction de la problématique ayant justifié sa conduite., Post-secondary teachers find that many students who could benefit from the support of their institution’s academic skills centres to succeed in their courses do not show up. Ways to motivate students to use these services are in development and will need to be evaluated. This article presents the process for developing and validating the Échelle de perception d’un centre d’aide en français du postsecondaire (ÉPCAFP). The instrument is composed of three subscales (Interest, Utility and Controllability) and has been evaluated with 1,324 college students from four colleges in Quebec. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyzes revealed a structure that clearly distinguishes the 10 items of the scale according to the three conceptual dimensions representing the subscales. Moreover, results are satisfactory with regard of internal consistency, discriminant validity as well as criterion-related validity of the instrument. The results of this study are discussed in light to the issue that justified its conduct.

This paper aimed to develop a valid and reliable measurement scale for green organizational climate. Both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies were applied. In the research, the three-stage scale development process proposed by Schwab (1980) was be used. The conceptual framework were first clarified and a proposal pool were created by compiling the expressions in scale through a qualitative exploration study, which includes literature review, in-depth interviews and focus group studies using deductive and inductive methods. Expert opinions were sought for the examination of face validity and content validity. After the pilot application, draft scale was applied to 750 managers of businesses operating in different sectors in various provinces of Turkey. According to the results of the exploratory factor analysis, 21 items and 4 dimensions were extracted, namely green economic climate, green social climate, green digital climate, and green bureaucratic climate. The results of confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the measurement items developed were had an acceptable level of compatibility. The cronbach alpha coefficients had sufficient reliability in all dimensions. As a result, it was seen that the green organizational climate scale is a valid and reliable measurement tool.

Pre-service training is a critical period for establishing the beliefs of future teachers in their ability to successfully assume their responsibilities as teachers. One of the goals of teacher education programs would therefore be to cultivate a high sense of competence among students. For this purpose, a scale to measure the perception of self-efficacy (PSE) among Quebec physical and health education trainees during teaching has been developed and empirically validated. Teacher trainees (n = 232) enrolled in 3rd and 4th year in the Bachelor of Education in Physical and Health Education (PHE) in four different university programs in Quebec participated in the study. Subsequent exploratory and quasi-confirmatory factor analyses led to the development of an instrument with 19 items divided into three factors, explaining 66.10 % of the total variance. The convergent and divergent measures of validity are satisfactory, as are those of the reliability of the three scales (upper lower limit: .78 to .93). Finally, the RMSR, CFI, RMSEA and NNFI indices show an excellent goodness of fit of the model obtained.

The aim of this study was to develop a Spanish Version of the Trunk Measurement Scale (TCMS-S) to analyze its validity and reliability and determine the Standard Error of Measurement (SEM) and Minimal Detectable Change (MDC) in children with Cerebral Palsy (CP). Participants were assessed twice 7–15 days apart with the TCMS-S and once with the Gross Motor Function Measurement-88 (GMFM-88), Pediatric Disability Inventory-Computer Adaptive Test (PEDI-CAT), Cerebral Palsy Quality of Life (CPQoL), and Gross Motor Classification System (GMFCS). Internal consistency was evaluated using Cronbach’s alpha, and the intraclass correlation (ICC) and kappa coefficients were used to investigate the agreement between the assessments. Finally, 96 participants with CP were included. The TCMS-S showed excellent internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.95 [0.93 to 0.96]); was highly correlated with the GMFM-88 (rho = 0.816) and the “mobility” subscale of the PEDI-CAT (rho = 0.760); showed a moderate correlation with the “feeling about functioning” CPQoL subscale (rho = 0.576); and differentiated between the GMFCS levels. Excellent test–retest agreement was found for the total and subscale scores (ICC ≥ 0.94 [0.89 to 0.97). For the total TCMS-S score, an SEM of 1.86 and an MDC of 5.15 were found. The TCMS-S is a valid and reliable tool for assessing trunk control in children with CP.

This research was carried out to develop and validate a measurement scale to determine internal stakeholders’ perceptions of university brand capital by internal stakeholders. To this end, the main contributions in the literature related to the study of brand capital and its application in the educational sector were analysed, identifying which variables determine brand capital in this sector. Once a suitable model was established, an empirical study was realised using a sample of 303 valid responses from lecturers at two Spanish universities (one public and one private). In order to validate the proposed construct, the partial least squares method (PLS) has been applied. The results obtained show the significance of all the variables, while laying the foundation for university managers to develop marketing strategies adapted to maximize the building of educational brand capital.

In clinical practice, assessing digital health literacy is important to identify patients who may encounter difficulties adapting to digital health using digital technology and service. We developed the Digital Health Technology Literacy Assessment Questionnaire (DHTL-AQ) to assess the ability to use digital health technology, services, and data. The DHTL-AQ was developed in three phases. In the first phase, the conceptual framework and domains and items were generated from a systematic literature review using relevant theory and surveys. In the second phase, a cross-sectional survey with 590 adults age ≥ 18 years was conducted at an academic hospital in Seoul, Korea in January and February 2020 to test face validity of the items. Then, psychometric validation was conducted to determine the final items and cut-off scores of the DHTL-AQ. The eHealth literacy scale, the Newest Vital Sign, and 10 mobile app task ability assessments were examined to test validity. The final DHTL-AQ includes 34 items in two domains (digital functional and digital critical literacy) and 4 categories (Information and Communications Technology terms, Information and Communications Technology icons, use of an app, evaluating reliability and relevance of health information). The DHTL-AQ had excellent internal consistency (overall Cronbach’s α = 0.95; 0.87–0.94 for subtotals) and acceptable model fit (CFI = 0.821, TLI = 0.807, SRMR = 0.065, RMSEA = 0.090). The DHTL-AQ was highly correlated with task ability assessment (r = 0.7591), and moderately correlated with the eHealth literacy scale (r = 0.5265) and the Newest Vital Sign (r = 0.5929). The DHTL-AQ is a reliable and valid instrument to measure digital health technology literacy. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10916-022-01800-8.

This article examines the factors of e-learners' perceptions of service quality in terms of the physical appearance of the learning management system, students' assurance of personnel's level of knowledge, and the customized attention to students' needs. The authors use a survey to measure the five dimensions of the SERVQUAL scale, adapted to the e-learning context. A total of 325 responses were obtained. To validate their scale, the authors performed exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. They found that the most important determining factors for e-learning are: ergonomics, corresponding to the attractiveness of the e-learning system; assurance, corresponding to instructors' ability to satisfy students' needs; and empathy, corresponding to the attention given to each individual student. The authors also found that in the context of e-learning, the relative importance of the dimensions of perceived quality is different from what is typically observed in more traditional services. Their findings enable educational institutions to improve their understanding of the expectations and perceptions of e-learners.

Rapid household food insecurity (HFI) tracking has been identified as a priority in the context of the COVID‐19 pandemic and its aftermath. We report the validation of the Latin American and Caribbean Food Security Scale (Escala Latinoamericana y Caribena de Seguridad Alimentaria [ELCSA]) among pregnant women in Sri Lanka. The eight‐item adult version of the ELCSA was translated from English to Sinhala and Tamil. Cognitive testing (on 10 pregnant women and five local experts) and psychometric validation of the self‐administered HFI tool were conducted among pregnant women (n = 269) attending the special clinics of the Rajarata Pregnancy Cohort (RaPCo) in Anuradhapura in February 2020. We assessed the psychometric properties and fit using a one parameter logistic model (Rasch model analysis) using STATA Version 14 and WINSTEP software Version 4.3.4. Concurrent validity was tested using psychological distress. The scale was internally consistent (Cronbach's alpha = 0.79) and had a good model fit (Rasch items infit statistic range: 0.85 to 1.07). Item 8 (‘did not eat for the whole day’) was removed from the model fit analysis, as it was not affirmed by respondent. Item severity scores ranged from −2.15 for ‘not eating a diverse diet’ to 4.43 for ‘not eating during the whole day’. Concurrent validity between HFI and psychological distress was confirmed (r = 0.15, p

Objective The aim of this study was to create a Polish adaptation of the Multidimensional Attitudes Scale toward Persons with Disabilities (MAS) by performing a statistical psychometric analysis in a sample of Polish students. Material and methods The study included 540 person (82.0% of students and 18.0% of workers), whose attitudes towards the disabled were measured with the Polish version of the MAS (MAS-PL). Mean age of respondents was 24.72 years (SD = 5.7), with a significant majority of women (n = 455, 84.3%). Data was collected during university classes and via an online survey. Results Factor analysis yielded a three-factor structure of the MAS-PL, including affective, cognitive, and behavioural domains, which explained almost 45% of the total variance. Further factor-based solutions increased this percentage only slightly (0.8). Conclusions The Polish version of the MAS scale (MAS-PL) has been developed and presented as a reliable instrument for studying the attitudes of Poles towards people with disabilities. The scale can be used as a preliminary assessment tool when creating educational programmes, including those for training and social Policy, as well as assessing the effectiveness of programmes. Studies with the use of the MAS-PL will allow comparisons of research findings conducted with the use of MAS scales in other English-speaking (original/English MAS) or Spanish-speaking (Spanish MAS) populations and German (G-MAS), Korean (MAS-K), Serbian (Serbian MAS), Turkish (Turkish MAS) and French populations (French MAS autism).

This article reports on the development of an instrument to measure the perceived stress that results from the use and ubiquity of digital technology in the workplace. Based upon a contemporary understanding of stress and a set of stressors that is a substantial update to existing scales, the Digital Stressors Scale (DSS) advances the measurement of digital stress. Initially, 138 items were constructed for the instrument and grouped into a set of 15 digital stressors. Based on a sample of N = 1,998 online questionnaires completed by individuals representative of the US employed population, the scale was refined using exploratory factor analyses (EFA) and PLS-SEM. The resulting and final scale consists of ten stressor categories reflective of one higher-order construct and a total of 50 items. Through a nomological network that includes important outcome variables of digital stress (emotional exhaustion, innovation climate, job satisfaction, user satisfaction) it was then demonstrated that the DSS provides substantial explanatory power, particularly related to emotional exhaustion and user satisfaction. Thus, the DSS constitutes a state-of-the-art self-report instrument to measure the extent of distress appraisal related to digital technologies in the workplace and helps to explain further how and why information and communication technologies can lead to adverse outcomes in individuals, thereby providing the starting point for job related organizational interventions.

We theorize that people with high Public Service Motivation (PSM) are especially prone to engage in prosocial rule-breaking (PSRB) behavior, which ultimately leads to discriminatory practices, particularly for clients associated with positive affect. We conduct an original vignette study in three countries (Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands) with 928 observations in total. Our findings provide tentative behavioral evidence on a linear relationship between PSM and the likelihood of PSRB and a strong positive association with client likeability, which is an asymmetric relationship: Negative affect cues have a larger negative effect than positive affect cues have a positive effect on PSRB. Although our results vary across the three country studies regarding the effects of PSM, overall, the results imply that high-PSM individuals have a tendency to being more likely to engage in PSRB and that clients who are perceived as more favorable will receive a less strict application of bureaucratic rules compared to less favorable clients.

La fidélité comportementale en tourisme connaît de nombreuses limites, car soumise aux contraintes et motivations des touristes. Récemment introduit en marketing relationnel, le concept d’Engagement Client est mobilisé pour sa capacité à dépasser la vision selon laquelle la re-visite, peu probable dans le cas des Petites Destinations Insulaires (PDI), serait un indicateur pertinent de compétitivité. L’objectif est de discuter de la transposition du concept au champ du tourisme au sein de la relation individu/destination. L’apport réside dans la proposition d’une définition et d’une échelle de mesure multidimensionnelle testée sur la destination « Ile de La Réunion » auprès de 572 individus., Behavioral loyalty in tourism has many limitations, as it is subject to the constraints and motivations of tourists. Recently introduced in relational marketing, the concept of “Customer Engagement” is mobilized for its ability to overcome the vision according to which the re-visit, unlikely in the case of Small Island Destinations (SIDs), would be a relevant indicator of competitiveness. The objective is to discuss the transposition of the concept to the field of tourism within the individual/destination relationship. The contribution lies in the proposal of a definition and a multidimensional measurement scale tested on the destination “Reunion Island” with 572 individuals., La fidelidad en el turismo tiene sus límites, ya que está sujeta a las limitaciones y motivaciones de los turistas. Recientemente introducido en el marketing relacional, el concepto de Customer Engagement se moviliza por su capacidad de superar la visión según la cual las revisitas, poco probables en el caso de los Pequeñas Destinaciones Insulares (PDI), serían un indicador relevante de competitividad. El objetivo es discutir la transposición del concepto al ámbito del turismo dentro de la relación individuo/destino. La contribución radica en la propuesta de una definición y una escala de medición multidimensional puesta a prueba en el destino “Isla de la Reunión” con 572 individuos.

Introducción. El rendimiento académico de los alumnos está fuertemente condicionado por las habilidades y estrategias que éstos presentan para el estudio. Es por ello, que en el marco de las evaluaciones a gran escala del Sistema Educativo, cobra especial importancia contar con instrumentos validos y fiables que permitan indagar en dichas variables, y cuya extensión no exceda los limites que garanticen su correcto funcionamiento. Este trabajo presenta el análisis psicométrico de una escala de medida del citado constructo, que ha permitido mejorar el instrumento, garantizando la potencia en la recogida de la información y las correctas conclusiones posteriores.Método. Este estudio se enmarca dentro de un estudio longitudinal en el que se evaluó el rendimiento en matemáticas y en comprensión lectora de tres cohortes simultáneas de alumnos, matriculados en el último ciclo de Educación Primaria y los dos ciclos de Educación Secundaria. Junto con la evaluación del rendimiento, se aplicó un cuestionario que buscaba conocer la forma de estudiar de los alumnos, y cuyo análisis es el propósito de este trabajo.Resultados. La fiabilidad de la escala inicial resultó ser igual a .88. El estudio de la estructura teórica subyacente a los datos se efectuó a partir de un análisis factorial confirmatorio, en el que se confirmó la estructura subyacente a la escala que agrupa sus elementos en torno a siete factores. El análisis de la escala desde la perspectiva de la Teoría de la Respuesta al Ítem (Modelo de Crédito Parcial y el Modelo de Escalas de Clasificación) ha permitido identificar los ítems con mejor y peor funcionamiento. Tras eliminar los siete ítems con peor ajuste, ha resultado una nueva versión de la escala compuesta por 38 reactivos y con una fiabilidad de .86.Discusión y conclusión. El análisis psicométrico del instrumento desde la perspectiva clásica y desde el punto de vista de la Teoría de la Respuesta al Ítem ha permitido optimizar el instrumento, reduciendo su longitud, sin que por ello se pierda potencia en la recogida de información. La reducción del número de elementos de la escala, facilita que pueda ser aplicada en futuras evaluaciones a gran escala del Sistema Educativo.

A health system’s ability to deliver quality health care depends on the availability of motivated health workers, which are insufficient in many low income settings. Increasing policy and researcher attention is directed towards understanding what drives health worker motivation and how different policy interventions affect motivation, as motivation is key to performance and quality of care outcomes. As a result, there is growing interest among researchers in measuring motivation within health worker surveys. However, there is currently limited guidance on how to conceptualize and approach measurement and how to validate or analyse motivation data collected from health worker surveys, resulting in inconsistent and sometimes poor quality measures. This paper begins by discussing how motivation can be conceptualized, then sets out the steps in developing questions to measure motivation within health worker surveys and in ensuring data quality through validity and reliability tests. The paper also discusses analysis of the resulting motivation measure/s. This paper aims to promote high quality research that will generate policy relevant and useful evidence.

With the opening up of the economy and the proliferation of mall culture, the economic relevance of impulsive buying behaviour has assumed significance. Impulsive buying behaviour is better understood by examining the impulsive buying tendency that shapes such behaviour, and since consumer behaviour differs across cultures, by incorporating an indigenous perspective in understanding and measuring the tendency. Studies were conducted to develop an Indian scale for measuring impulsive buying tendency and to validate it by examining its association with other relevant variables. A two factor, 8-item scale was developed; a significant positive relationship was seen between impulsive buying tendency and impulsive buying behaviour, and the relationship between impulsive buying tendency and self-control was found to be inversely significant. Results also showed significant relationship between impulsive buying tendency and the two personality constructs of Conscientiousness and Extraversion.

The caregiver–child interaction during mealtime, which refers to responsive feeding (RF), influences child's dietary intake. In Cambodia, given the level of malnutrition, getting better knowledge of RF among young children is essential, but to do so, using an appropriate assessment tool is necessary. We aim to develop and to validate a measurement tool to assess RF in two different situations (before and after an intervention) among children 6–23 months old. This research is part of a larger trial assessing the impact of nutrition education combined or not with the provision of complementary foods on child nutritional status. The “Opportunistic Observation Form” from the Process for the Promotion of Child Feeding package was used to collect data on RF through direct observations of child's meal episodes. Data were used to define an initial scale composed of four constructs and 15 indicators. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) and Hancock and Mueller's H reliability indices were computed to assess the validity and reliability of the scale. The final tool was applied to baseline and endline data. At baseline, the sample included 243 pairs and, at endline, 248 pairs. The final scale included two latent constructs (RF and active feeding) that comprise three indicators for active feeding and five for RF. Criteria for fit indices of CFA were met for both constructs though better at baseline. Reliability coefficients were above 0.80 for each construct at baseline and endline. This research proposes a scale that could be used to assess active feeding and RF. Further validation is warranted in different contexts.

Objectives The Singapore Caregiver Quality of Life Scale (SCQOLS) comprises five domains and 51 items in total. This study aimed to develop and evaluate short forms of SCQOLS. Study Design and Setting Data were collected from 612 family caregivers of patients with advanced cancers in Singapore. Exploratory factor analysis and best subset regression were used to identify candidate items for each domain. The short forms were evaluated for measurement properties. Results Inclusion of at least two items per domain in the short form gave correlation coefficients of at least 0.8 with the corresponding domain scores in the full-length version. The short forms and full-length version had similar correlation coefficients with Negative Personal Impact and Positive Personal Impact measures. Two of the five domains of the 10-item version had Cronbach’s alpha ≤0.50 and test-retest reliability ≤0.65. A 15-item version of the scale with two to four items per domain performed satisfactorily in all aspects evaluated. Conclusion A 15-item short form of the SCQOLS (SCQOLS-15) is valid and reliable for the assessment of the overall and domain-specific quality of life of family caregivers. A 10-item short form (SCQOLS-10) may serve as a quick, valid and reliable assessment of the overall level of quality of life.

Uncertainties are an integral part of intimate relationships. They exist because people, at certain points, find it difficult to resolve the tension between their desires to simultaneously pursue self and relational goals. Relational contradictions have been found to vary, ranging from uncertainty to dialectics. The present study investigated the validity and reliability of a measure on relational dialectics harmony. The scale measures how relational partners may cognitively project and harmonize their personal-relational tensions to stay connected in healthy relationships. The procedure involved content and principal component analyses and the convergent/discriminant validity evaluation of the new scale with four existing and related measures: the relational maintenance strategies measure, infidelity proneness scale, attributional complexity scale and the marital performance ecology scale which was simultaneously developed. Pilot survey involving 70 married persons yielded a Cronbach alpha of .91. The scale was later administered to 664 couples (1328 respondents) at different stages of their marital relationships. A high internal consistency estimate for the Marital Dialectics Harmony Scale (MDHS) was obtained. An exploratory factor analysis produced a simple factor (eigen value = 3.674) accounting for 52.5% of variability based on seven of the 10 scale items that loaded between .70 and .75 factor pattern coefficient. A single scale was therefore created to represent the Marital Dialectics Harmony Scale with a Cronbach’s alpha of .85. Significant convergent relationships were also found between the Marital Dialectics Harmony scale and each of the four relational measures. The scale has therefore filled an important gap in couples’ empathic research that was hitherto open. It is therefore recommended that researchers adopt the measure for marital assessment and interventions.

The presence of dental plaque is associated with deterioration of oral health, tooth decay, gingivitis and periodontal disease. The study of content validity of a new instrument aims to determine whether the items included in the measuring instrument are representative of the assessed construct. The objective of this research was to design and validate the content of an oral hygiene habits scale. A Likert-like scale, named Oral Hygiene Habits Scale (OHHS), containing 10 items and five response options on frequency of behavior, was developed to assess the dimensions of tooth brushing and flossing. Six experts were recruited for the study. They were asked to conduct their evaluations individually. Four characteristics (adequacy, clarity, consistency and relevance) were evaluated for each item, using an assessment scale of four ordinal values (from 1 = "does not meet the criteria" to 4 = "high level of compliance"). Data were analyzed using the binomial test, Kendall’s W and Fleiss’s Kappa coefficient. The judges mostly indicated a high level of compliance with the characteristics evaluated for each item and their judgments were consistent with one another. It is concluded that the OHHS composed of 10 items showed content validity. Further studies are suggested to determine its reliability and construct validity.

Flow theory is a popular theoretical framework for understanding the underpinnings of the prolonged use of information systems. While there has been an increasing interest in examining flow experience during nearly four decades, the concept of flow still suffers from various limitations concerning its use as a measurable construct in empirical research. To address these limitations, the present study developed a 26-item instrument for examining flow experience in the domain of social networking services. A cross-sectional survey was administered to 804 Facebook users. The development and validation process consisted of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, second-order factor analysis, and examination of instrument validity and reliability. The developed instrument represents six components of flow experience: skill, machine interaction, social interaction, playfulness, concentration and enjoyment. The developed instrument possesses good model fit and high validity and reliability. This paper discusses the uses and limitations of the instrument in the examination of users' experiences of social networking services, and suggests avenues for future research on the topic with a special focus on research on user-centric innovations in online service. The study develops an instrument for research on flow experience in social networking.Flow experience has been imprecisely understood in the context of social networking.Flow is a combination of skill, interaction, playfulness, concentration and enjoyment.Previously used constructs of flow suffer from inappropriate psychometric properties.The study acknowledges that contingencies in social networks affect flow experience.

In recent years employer branding has become increasingly important as a source of sustainable competitive advantage. Companies are trying to engender affective commitment in the best employees in a global labor market. We develop and validate a multidimensional scale to measure the strength of an employee´s affective commitment to the employer brand in five separate studies. In Study 1 and 2 the Affective Commitment to the Employer Brand (ACEB) scale was developed and tested for its factor structure, reliability and convergent validity. Study 3 examines additional reliability and discriminant validity, showing that the scale is differentiated from measures of satisfaction and motivation. Study 4 provides evidence of external validity. Lastly, Study 5 examines the scale´s nomological validity by investigating three experiential dimensions within a nomological network and showing that a positive experience with the employer brand is important in making the employee develop an affective commitment towards it. The limitations of the scale and the boundary conditions of its applicability are also discussed.

Background The quality of life of family caregivers of patients with advanced cancers is an important concern in oncology care. Yet, there are few suitable measurement scales available for use in Asia. This study aims to develop and evaluate a locally derived measurement scale in English and Chinese to assess the quality of life of family caregivers of patients with advanced cancers in Singapore. Methods Scale contents were generated from qualitative research that solicited inputs from family caregivers. Six hundred and twelve family caregivers of patients with advanced cancers were recruited, of whom 304 and 308 chose to complete the English and Chinese versions of the quality of life scale, respectively. A follow-up survey was conducted for test-retest reliability assessment. Analyses began with pooling all observations, followed by analyses stratified by language samples and ethnic groups (among English-speaking participants). Results Factor analysis identified 5 domains of quality of life. The Root Mean Square Error of Approximation was 0.041 and Comparative Fit Index was 0.948. Convergent and divergent validity of the total and domain scores were demonstrated in terms of correlation with the Brief Assessment Scale for Caregiver and its sub-scales and a measure of financial concern; known-group validity was demonstrated in terms of differences between groups defined by patient’s performance status. Internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha) of the total and domain scores ranged from 0.86 to 0.93. Test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient) ranged from 0.74 to 0.89. Separate analyses of the English- and Chinese-speaking samples and ethnic groups gave similar results. Conclusion A new, validated, multi-domain quality of life measurement scale for caregivers of patients with advanced cancers that is developed with inputs from family caregivers is now available in two languages. We call this the Singapore Caregiver Quality Of Life Scale (SCQOLS). Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12955-019-1108-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

12 pags., 7 figs., Effect pigments in coatings produce eye-catching colour and texture effects and are widely used in automotive, cosmetics, coatings, inks, flooring, textile or decoration. One of these texture effects is graininess, which is the perceived texture exhibited when the effect coating is observed under diffuse illumination. To date there is not a standard procedure to measure graininess from reflectance measurements. The objective of this work is to propose a methodology for traceable graininess measurements, similarly as it was proposed for colour in 1931. In this article, the relevant reflectance-based quantities are clearly defined, and a formal relation with data from visual experiments is given. This methodology would allow a measurement scale of graininess and a difference formula to be agreed once conclusive visual data become available., The EMPIR is jointly funded by the EMPIR participating countries within EURAMET and the European Union. Part of the authors (Instituto de Óptica “Daza de Valdés” (IO, CSIC), Agencia Estatal CSIC) are also grateful to Comunidad de Madrid for funding the project SINFOTON-CM: S2013/MIT-2790. Part of the authors (Color & Vision Group, University of Alicante) are also grateful to Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness for funding the project ADIREVGAO: DPI2015-65814-R.

Traits-based community analyses are receiving increasing attention. However, consistent interpretation of empirical results and ecological understanding in stream ecology are limited by ambiguous terminology. Furthermore, the measurement scales used to analyze trait data, especially ordinal-scale data, are often inappropriately applied. We identify and discuss these shortcomings and offer a solution for an operative and algebraically correct treatment of traits and a unified nomenclature that facilitates direct comparison among traits-based studies. A unified terminology allows for logical translation among existing, alternative trait nomenclatures and should facilitate communication of research findings among stream ecologists and more directly connect stream traits-based research with general ecology.

In recent decades, the so-called international residential tourism has increased considerably, creating a new consumer base in tourist destinations. While the importance of tourism shopping is widely recognized and tourist destinations are aware of its contributions, little is known at present about the actual behaviour and shopping styles of international residential tourists (IRTs). Bearing this in mind and taking as a starting point research carried out in two top international tourist destinations, this study analyses IRT shopping styles. The results obtained indicate the existence of seven different segments presenting specific socio-demographic characteristics and represent progress in research into IRT shopping styles. They may also be of interest not only to managers of retail outlets where IRTs do their shopping but also to tourist resort managers when devising their product range. This work is based on research supported in part by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science (Grant specific unique reference number: MEYC, DGI Research Project, grant SEJ2006/08342, Spain).

ResumenEl objetivo de la presente investigación fue determinar las propiedades psicométricas (estructura, validez factorial y consistencia interna) de un instrumento para medir la autoeficacia ante conductas de riesgo en adolescentes mexicanos. Participaron en el estudio 850 jóvenes, entre 13 y 21 años de edad, estudiantes de bachillerato de la Ciudad de México. El análisis psicométrico para determinar la validez de constructo reveló seis dimensiones: autoeficacia ante el consumo de alcohol, tabaco, drogas, conducta sexual, daños a la salud y conducta antisocial. La confiabilidad mostró un nivel óptimo para cada factor. Adicionalmente la validez factorial tuvo un buen ajuste a la muestra. La discusión analiza la utilidad de la escala para la evaluación de la autoeficacia ante conductas de riesgo en diferentes situaciones y contextos.AbstractThe objective of this research was to analyze the psychometric properties (structure, factorial validity, and reliability) of the scale for measuring self-efficacy to avoid behavior risk in Mexican adolescents. The sample consisted of 850 teenagers aged between 13 and 21 years, students of public high schools in Mexico City. The psychometric analysis showed six factors: self-efficacy to avoid tobacco consumption, alcohol drinking, drug use, sexual behavior, health injury, and antisocial behavior. The reliability analysis showed an optimal level for each factor. Additionally, the results indicated the factorial validity of self-efficacy to avoid behavior risk. The discussion analyzes the utility for self-efficacy assessment, and intervention development implications are suggested.

The primary objective of the study was to quantitatively test the DART model, which despite being one of the most popular representations of co-creation concept was so far studied almost solely with qualitative methods. To this end, the researchers developed a multiple measurement scale and employed it in interviewing managers. The statistical evidence for adequacy of the model was obtained through CFA with AMOS software. The findings suggest that the DART model may not be an accurate representation of co-creation practices in companies. From the data analysis it was evident that the building blocks of DART had too much of conceptual overlap to be an effective framework for quantitative analysis. It was also implied that the phenomenon of co-creation is so rich and multifaceted that it may be more adequately captured by a measurement model where co-creation is conceived as a third-level factor with two layers of intermediate latent variables.

This study deals with an unexplored question regarding the role of the acculturation of international residential tourists (IRT), and provides companies in tourist destinations with keys to develop strategies aimed at this type of tourists. Results show that the acculturation of IRT follows a Pareto/Bradford distribution: few show high levels of acculturation and many show low levels. Finally, we find significant differences in shopping behaviour and socio-demographic variables. The authors would like to express their thanks for the financial support received under the MEYC, DGI Research Project, grant SEJ2006/08342, Spain.

La importancia de la responsabilidad social es mayor al relacionar esta variable empresarial con otras de naturaleza estratégica en la actividad de las empresas (éxito competitivo que la empresa alcanza, rendimiento o desempeño que desarrolla e innovaciones que acomete). El objetivo de este trabajo ha sido definir y validar una escala de medida de la orientación a la responsabilidad social que permita posteriormente determinar el grado de relación entre los elementos señalados según las relaciones causales que se plantean y se justifican con base en la escasa literatura previa en este campo. Como resultado del análisis, se concluye con una escala original de 21 indicadores validada con una muestra de 777 empresas pertenecientes a la Comunidad Autónoma de Extremadura The importance of social responsibility in the corporate world is enhanced by its linkage with other variables of a strategic nature in the firm’s activity (the competitive success the company achieves, its performance, and the innovations it implements). The objective of this study was to define and validate a scale for the measurement of social responsibility that will then allow the degree of linkage of the aforementioned elements to be determined, under the assumption of causal relationships posited on the basis of the limited existing literature in this field. The result of the analysis was an original scale of 21 indicators validated against a sample of 777 firms in the Autonomous Community of Extremadura

Participation has emerged as a central concept in defining the goals of disability policy in Sweden as well as internationally. Yet it has rarely been operationalized as a foundation for planning services. As part of an attempt to survey the needs of individuals experiencing psychiatric disabilities, the authors have developed a scale for measuring participation in five areas of community life. The scale uses four distinct categories as levels, specific for each area of life, and a set of statistical descriptive techniques designed to illustrate and communicate information regarding levels, capacities, and wishes related to a participatory life in the community. Based on a pilot study, the article illustrates how the collective needs of a population of individuals experiencing psychiatric disability can be described and presented to practitioners as a support for system planning.

Our aim is to construct a general measurement framework for analyzing the effects of measurement errors in multivariate measurement scales. We define a measurement model, which forms the core of the framework. The measurement scales in turn are often produced by methods of multivariate statistical analysis. As a central element of the framework, we introduce a new, general method of estimating the reliability of measurement scales. It is more appropriate than the classical procedures, especially in the context of multivariate analyses. The framework provides methods for various topics related to the quality of measurement, such as assessing the structural validity of the measurement model, estimating the standard errors of measurement, and correcting the predictive validity of a measurement scale for attenuation. A proper estimate of reliability is a requisite in each task. We illustrate the idea of the measurement framework with an example based on real data.

Safety attitude is of vital importance to accident prevention, and the high accident rate in the coal mining industry makes it urgent to undertake research on coal miners’ safety attitude. However, the current literature still lacks a valid and reliable safety attitude measurement scale for coal miners, which stands as a barrier against their safety attitude improvement. In this study, a scale is developed that can be used to measure coal miners’ safety attitude. The preliminary scale was based on an extended literature review. Empirical data were then collected from 725 coal miners using the preliminary scale. Both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were undertaken to validate and improve the scale. The final scale, which consists of 17 items, contains four dimensions: management safety commitment, team safety climate, fatalism and work pressure. Results show that this safety attitude scale can effectively measure the safety attitude of coal miners, showing high psychological measurement validity. This paper contributes to the occupational safety research by developing the factor structure and indicator system of coal miners’ safety attitude, thus providing more profound interpretation of this crucial construct in the safety research domain. The measurement scale serves as an important tool for safety attitude benchmarking among different coal mining enterprises and, thus, can boost the overall safety improvement of the whole industry. These findings can facilitate improvement of both theories and practices related to occupational safety attitude.

Biological systems produce outputs in response to variable inputs. Input-output relations tend to follow a few regular patterns. For example, many chemical processes follow the S-shaped Hill equation relation between input concentrations and output concentrations. That Hill equation pattern contradicts the fundamental Michaelis-Menten theory of enzyme kinetics. I use the discrepancy between the expected Michaelis-Menten process of enzyme kinetics and the widely observed Hill equation pattern of biological systems to explore the general properties of biological input-output relations. I start with the various processes that could explain the discrepancy between basic chemistry and biological pattern. I then expand the analysis to consider broader aspects that shape biological input-output relations. Key aspects include the input-output processing by component subsystems and how those components combine to determine the system's overall input-output relations. That aggregate structure often imposes strong regularity on underlying disorder. Aggregation imposes order by dissipating information as it flows through the components of a system. The dissipation of information may be evaluated by the analysis of measurement and precision, explaining why certain common scaling patterns arise so frequently in input-output relations. I discuss how aggregation, measurement and scale provide a framework for understanding the relations between pattern and process. The regularity imposed by those broader structural aspects sets the contours of variation in biology. Thus, biological design will also tend to follow those contours. Natural selection may act primarily to modulate system properties within those broad constraints., Comment: Biology Direct 8:31

While complaining behaviour has widely been studied in marketing, few studies exclusively focus on non-complaining behaviour. The present communication studies a specific type of consumers: those who do not complain when dissatisfied. Three studies were conducted on 380 students and non-students in order to both identify the psychological deterrents of complaining behaviour and build a scale that measures consumer’s reluctance to complain. Three profiles were identified: consumers who are reluctant to interact with staff members, consumers who feel powerless in front of the firm, and consumers who tend to relativize their dissatisfaction.

El objetivo de esta investigación es comprobar si existen diferencias entre el patrón de respuestas dado en una escala de formato libre, o enfoque en primera persona, y el realizado en las escalas comúnmente utilizadas en la medición de la calidad percibida de servicios deportivos: Likert de 1 a 5 y de 1 a 7, y diferencial semántico de -3 a +3. Este estudio ha contado con dos muestras de consumidores de centros deportivos, y combina a nivel metodológico la noción de invarianza de escala y la utilización de los modelos de ecuaciones de estructuras de covarianza. Los resultados muestran que existe distorsión estadística entre los diferentes formatos de respuesta analizados y la escala preferida por los individuos. En aras de maximizar la validez de las respuestas obtenidas, se recomienda la utilización del enfoque en primera persona.

In the context of Markstrat simulation game, a group learning scale has been developed based on Churchill’s work (1979). Our methodology reveals that it is possible to measure group learning by developing a specific scale. This scale appears as reliable and valid. The scale falls into two dimensions we called « knowledge » dimension and « procedural » dimension.

International audience; This article presents a multi-scale theory based on wavelet decomposition to characterize the evolution of roughness in relation with a finishing process or an observed surface property. To verify this approach in production conditions, analyses were developed for the finishing process of the hardened steel by abrasive belts. These conditions are described by seven parameters considered in the Tagushi experimental design. The main objective of this work is to identify the most relevant roughness parameter and characteristic length allowing to assess the influence of finishing process, and to test the relevance of the measurement scale. Results show that wavelet approach allows finding this scale.

Le présent article décrit la démarche de validation d’un instrument permettant d’appréhender le contenu des projets professionnels des étudiants en psychologie. Cette démarche a consisté en trois études réalisées auprès d’étudiants de première année (n = 151, n = 203, n = 362). Les qualités psychométriques de l’outil ont été vérifiées par l’intermédiaire d’analyses factorielles et de cohérence interne. Au terme de la troisième étude, les résultats de l’analyse factorielle par la méthode des ULS (unweighted least squares) avec rotation varimax révèlent une structure à cinq facteurs (α entre 0,85 et 0,95). Ces facteurs reflètent cinq profils professionnels (entrepreneurial, clinique, éducatif, social et généraliste) établis sur la base de différents descripteurs liés à la profession de psychologue (les lieux, objets, actions et secteurs d’activité)., This article describes the validation of a scale for measuring the content of the psychology students’ occupational goals. This validation consists of three studies conducted with first-year students (n = 151, n = 203, n = 362). The psychometrical qualities of the scale were examined by factor and reliability analysis. After the third study, factor analysis with ULS (unweighted least squares) extraction method and varimax rotation shows a five-factor structure (α from 0,85 to 0,95). These factors represent five professional profiles (organisational, clinical, educational, social and general) based on different descriptors of the profession of psychologist (the places, objects, actions and sectors of activity)., Este artigo descreve o procedimento de validação de um instrumento que permite apreender o conteúdo dos projectos profissionais dos estudantes de psicologia. Este procedimento consistiu em três estudos realizados junto de estudantes do primeiro ano (n = 151, n = 203, n = 362). As qualidades psicométricas do utensílio foram verificadas por meio de análises factoriais e de coerência interna. No final do terceiro estudo, os resultados da análise factorial através do método ULS (unweighted least squares) com rotação varimax revelam uma estrutura a cinco factores (α entre 0,85 e 0,95). Estes factores reflectem cinco perfis profissionais (organizacional, clínico, educativo e generalista) estabelecidos na base de diferentes descritores ligados à profissão de psicólogo (os lugares, objectos, acções e sectores de actividade).

For the last decade, research has shown inconsistent findings about validity of parental mediation scales for children’s Internet use. This inconsistency has manifested itself in at least 10 parental mediation models, which are also inconsistent in contents and definitions, lacking content validity thereof. With the goal of facilitating a consistent framework, this narrative review focuses on the content and factorial validity of 10 measurement scales. A panel of eight experienced researchers in the field of children’s online safety/risks assessed the content validity. Based on this assessment, the present review proposes a trichotomy of restrictive-enabling-observant parental mediation and corresponding conceptual definitions for further research.

This research studies the concept of fetishism as a magical relationship to products in the context of contemporary consumption. Fetishism is conceptualized as a multi-dimensional construct underlining the attribution of an aura and magical powers to a product. This research explores the way consumers develop fetishist relationships to products through exposure to puffed ads. To do this, this research introduces a conceptualization and a scale of fetishism in the context of contemporary consumption by conducting a qualitative exploratory study as well as two scale development studies. We also carry out a survey to show how product fetishism stems from transformation expectations about the product. Finally, we conduct an experiment to demonstrate the way a magical puffed claim in an ad influences the emergence of transformation expectations for the consumer. The results show that magical puffed claims positively influence transformation expectations only if the advertised brand is unknown by the respondent. The results also suggest that a known brand rather provoke transformation expectations through factual claims.; Cette recherche propose de déployer le concept de fétichisme afin d’étudier des rapports d’ordre magique entre les consommateurs et les produits dans le contexte de la consommation contemporaine. Le fétichisme du produit est conceptualisé comme un construit multi-dimensionnel, mettant en exergue l’attribution d’une aura et d’un pouvoir extraordinaire au produit. Elle explore le mécanisme pouvant mener un consommateur exposé à une publicité exagérée à développer à terme un rapport fétichiste au produit annoncé. Pour ce faire, cette recherche propose une conceptualisation et un instrument de mesure du fétichisme dans le contexte de la consommation contemporaine en se fondant sur une étude qualitative et deux études visant à la construction d’une échelle de mesure valide et fiable de ce construit. Une survey est menée afin de montrer que le fétichisme du produit découle d’une attente transformationnelle vis-à-vis du produit. Enfin, une expérimentation est mise en œuvre pour mettre en évidence l’influence de la mobilisation d’un slogan exagéré dans une annonce publicitaire sur le développement d’attentes transformationnelles chez le consommateur. Les résultats de cette étude montrent que l’usage d’un slogan exagéré dans une publicité a bien une influence sur les attentes transformationnelles vis-à-vis du produit dans le cas où la publicité est associée à une marque inconnue. Pour une marque connue, un slogan factuel est plus à même de susciter des attentes transformationnelles vis-à-vis du produit présenté dans la publicité et donc potentiellement un rapport fétichiste au produit.

This chapter analyses residents’ perceptions of mountain destinations. The aim is to develop a scale for assessing residents’ mountain images. An extensive literature review and insights from an empirical study of 315 residents of the Serra da Estrela in Portugal, the Alps in France, Austria and Switzerland, and the Peaks of Europe in Spain show that mountain images held by local people refer to the dimensions: mystic/sacred, historic-cultural life; health and affective image. Results were obtained by both content analysis of open-ended questions and by a quantitative approach based on scale items identified as belonging to specific dimensions in the literature review, whose relevance was confirmed through a confirmatory factor analysis using LISREL. Discussion is focused on theoretical and practical implications of findings and limitations are also presented.

The aim of this thesis is to assess creativity in advertising. While creativity is currently measured by advertising professionals, our measure focuses on consumers’ judgments of the creativity of advertisements (perceived creativity). In Study 1, in-depth interviews were conducted to explore consumers’implicit theories of creativity in advertising. In Study 2, a scale was developed to measure perceived advertising creativity. Advertisements seen as creative by the consumer include three dimensions: novelty, complexity and aesthetics. Novelty is the association of stimuli both unexpected and relevant to the advertisement. Complexity is associated with an advertisement rich in multiple meanings. The aesthetics dimension relates to design specific to creative advertising. Our research provides a better understanding of consumers’perception of creativity, and offers the opportunityfor practitioners to improve the creativity of their campaigns., L'objet de cette thèse est de clarifier la perception de la créativité publicitaire. Alors que la créativité en publicité est actuellement mesurée par les professionnels du secteur, notre démarche s'appuie sur les jugements des consommateurs (créativité perçue). Dans un premier temps, nous avons développé une échelle de mesure de la créativité publicitaire perçue composée de trois dimensions : la nouveauté, la complexité et l'esthétique. Une seconde étude permet de mieux comprendre l'influence positive de la créativité sur l'attention et l'attitude à l'égard de l'annonce et de la marque. D'un point de vue théorique, les implications sont les suivantes : clarification du construit de créativité, exploration des dimensions de lacréativité, création d'un instrument de mesure fiable et valide. D'un point de vue pratique, notre recherche fournit aux praticiens une meilleure compréhension de la perception de la créativité par les consommateurs, de son influence sur la persuasion et de ce fait, la possibilité d'améliorer la créativité de leurs campagnes.