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Measurement of Variables: Operational Definition

CHAPTER 6

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Chapter Objectives

Explain when operationalization of variables is necessary.

Operationally define variables. Describe the advantages of using

existing measurement scales to operationalize variables.

Measurement

Measurement: the assignment of numbers or other symbols to characteristics (or attributes) of objects according to a pre-specified set of rules.

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(Characteristics of )Objects

Objects include persons, strategic business units, companies, countries, kitchen appliances, restaurants, shampoo, yogurt and so on.

Examples of characteristics of objects are arousal seeking tendency, achievement motivation, organizational effectiveness, shopping enjoyment, length, weight, ethnic diversity, service quality, conditioning effects and taste.

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Measurement of the Variables

Measurement of variables in the theoretical framework is an integral part of research and an important aspect of research design.

Unless the variables are measured in some way, we will not be able to test our hypotheses and find answers to complex research issues.

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Measurement of Variables There are two types of variables:

Objective nature: could be measured Subjective nature: hard to be measured

Objects that can be physically measured: The length and width of an office table The office floor area The demographic characteristics of

the employees: →

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Measurement of Variables

1. How long have you been working in this organization.

2. What is your job title.3. What is your marital status?4. The number of your children.

The absenteeism of employees. The number of products produced. The number of products rejects during

the course of each month.

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Measurement of Variables Objects that can’t be physically

measured: The perceptions of individuals. extent of authority given to the

individual. how the supervisor treats the

workers. promotional opportunities. The degree of understanding.

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Measurement of Variables One technique to measure these

variables, is to reduce the abstract notion to observable behavior and characteristics.

For instance, the concept of thirst is abstract; we cannot see thirst.

We expect a thirsty person to drink water. We determine the thirst levels by the

measure of the quantity of water that a person drink.

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Operational Definition:Dimensions and Elements Operational definition is a statement of the

specific dimensions and elements through which a concept will become measurable.

Operationalizing is done by looking at the behavioral dimensions, or properties denoted by the concept. These are then translated into observable and measurable elements.

Operationally defining a concept involves a series of steps. An example will help to illustrate how this is done.

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Example: Operationalizing the Concept of Achievement Motivation

What behavioral dimensions or characteristics would we expect to find in people with high achievement motivation?

The people who have high achievement motivation would probably have the following five typical broad characteristics, which we will call dimensions:

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Example (Cont.)

1. They would be driven by work 2. No mood to relax 3. Prefer to work on their own rather

with others 4. They engage in challenging jobs

rather than easy ones. 5. They like to get feedback from their

superiors, colleagues, to know how they are progressing.

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Example (Cont.)

Although, breaking the concept of Achievement Motivation into the above five dimensions has reduced its level of abstraction, we have still not operationalized the concept into measurable elements of behavior.

This could be done by breaking each dimension into its elements, in order to distinguish those who have high motivation from those with less.

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Example (Cont.)

Elements of dimension 1: (They would be driven by work)

(1) be at work all the time (2) be reluctant to take time off from work (3) persevere even in the face of some

setbacks All the above elements could be counted

by asking a direct questions to the respondents through a questioners or an interviews.

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Example (Cont.) Elements of Dimension 2: (No mood

to relax) The degree of unwillingness to relax can

be measured by asking persons such questions as:

(1) how often do you think about work while you are away from the workplace?

(2) what are your hobbies? (3) how do you spend your time when

you are away from workplace?

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Example (Cont.)

Elements of Dimension 3: (Prefer to work on their own rather with others)

Individuals with high achievement motivation have no patience with ineffective people and does not like to work with others.

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Example (Cont.)

Elements of Dimension 4: (They engage in challenging jobs rather than easy ones)

They don’t like routine jobs they like to take moderate, rather

than overwhelming challenges

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Example (Cont.)

Elements of Dimension 5: (They like to get feedback from their superiors, colleagues, to know how they are progressing)

asks for feedback on how the job has been done, both negative and positive.

( see Figure 1)

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Figure 1

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Operational Definition:Dimensions and Elements

Operationally defining the concept is the best way to measure it. We measure it by ask the respondents to report their own behavior patterns by asking them appropriate questions, which they can respond to on some scale that we provide.

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Example: Answers to the following questions from respondents would be one way of tapping the level of achievement motivation

The researcher should try to ask questions about the elements of the concept.

1. To what extent would you push yourself to get the job done on time?

2. How difficult do you find it to continue to do your work in the face of initial failures?

3. How often do you neglect personal matters because you are preoccupied with your job?

4. How frequently do you think of your work when you are at home?

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5. To what extent do you engage yourself in hobbies?

6. How disappointed would you feel if you did not reach the goals you had set for yourself?

7. How much do you concentrate on achieving your goals?

8. How annoyed do you get when you make mistakes?

9. To what extent would you prefer to work by yourself rather than with others?

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10. To what extent would you prefer a job that is difficult but challenging, to one that is easy and routine?

11. During the past 3 months, how often have you sought feedback from your superiors on how well you are performing your job?

12. How often have you tried to obtain feedback on your performance from your co-workers during the past 3 months?

13. To what extent would it frustrate you if people did not give you feedback on how you are progressing?

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What an Operational Definition Is Not Just as important to understand what an

operational definition is, equally important is to remember what it is not.

An operational definition does not describe the correlates of the concept.

The operational definition does not consist

of delineating the reasons, antecedents, consequences, or correlates of the concept. Rather, it describes its observable characteristics in order to be able to measure the concept.

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What an Operational Definition Is Not

For example, achievement motivation and performance and/or success may be highly correlated.

Thus, We cannot measure an individual’s level of motivation through success and/or performance. Performance and success could have been made possible as a consequence of achievement motivation, but in themselves, the two are not measures of it.

For instance, a person with high achievement motivation may have failed for some reason, perhaps beyond his control, to perform the job successfully.

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What an Operational Definition Is Not

If we judge the achievement motivation of this person with performance as the yardstick, we would have measured the wrong concept. Instead of measuring achievement motivation-our variable of interest- we would have measured performance, another variable we had not intended to measure nor were interested in.

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Example Operationalizing the Concept of Learning

Learning is an important concept in the educational setting. How could we measure the abstract concept called learning?

First, we need to define the concept operationally (the dimensions).

Second, break it down to observable and measurable behaviors (the elements).

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Example (Cont.)

The dimensions of learning are: 1. Understanding (understands

what is taught in the class room). 2. Retention (remembers what is

understood). 3. Application (applies whatever

has been understood and remembered).

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Example (Cont.) These terms still abstract, it is

necessary to break these three dimensions into elements so we can measure the concept of learning.

A schematic diagram of the operational definition of the concept of learning is shown in Figure 2. The diagram will facilitate our understanding of the discussion.

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Figure 2

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What Is Not an Operational Definition of Learning?

It is important to remember that learning is no measure of the effort the teacher expends in explaining, nor that put in by the student to understand, though both of these naturally tend to enhance understanding.

Thus, efforts of the teacher and the students, may be correlated to learning they do not actually measure it.

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A Measure of Student Learning

An exam that measures learning in students would include the following questions (the particular dimensions tapped are shown in parentheses):

1. Define the concept of motivation (recall).

2. State the various theories of motivation and explain them, giving examples (understanding and recall).

3. What is your viewpoint of the manager’s role as motivator? (understanding and analysis).

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A Measure of Student Learning

4. Describe three different situations in which a manager of a work organization would use equity theory, the expectancy theory, and job designs to motivate employees (application).

5. How does motivation relate to leadership? How are these concepts related to a manager’s job? (understanding, retention, application).

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Exercise 1

Schematically depict the operational definition of the concept of stress and develop 10 questions that would measure stress.

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Solution to Exercise 1

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Exercise 2

Schematically depict the operational definition of the concept of enriched job and develop 12 items to measure it.

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Solution to Exercise 2