Measurement of

variables:
Operational
definition

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Contents
Here’s what you’ll find in this session:
1. Explain how variables are measured.
2. Explain when operationalization of variables is necessary.
3. Operationally define (or operationalize) abstract and subjective
variables.
Introduction
1. Measurement of the variables is an integral part of research and an
important aspect of research design (see shaded portion in Figure 1).
2. Unless the variables are measured in some way, we will not be able to
find answers to our research questions.
3. In this session we will discuss how variables lend themselves to
measurement.
How Variables are Measured
1. To test the hypothesis that workforce diversity affects organizational effectiveness we have to measure
workforce diversity and organizational effectiveness.
2. Measurement is the assignment of numbers or other symbols to characteristics (or attributes) of objects
according to a prespecified set of rules.
3. Objects include persons, strategic business units, companies, countries, bicycles, elephants, kitchen
appliances, restaurants, shampoo, yogurt, and so on.
4. Examples of characteristics of objects are achievement motivation, organizational effectiveness, shopping
enjoyment, length, weight, ethnic diversity, service quality, conditioning effects, and taste.
5. It is important that you realize that you cannot measure objects (for instance, a company); you measure
characteristics or attributes of objects (for instance, the organizational effectiveness of a company).
6. In a similar fashion, you can measure the length (the attribute) of a person (the object), the weight of an
elephant, the shopping enjoyment of women, the service quality of a restaurant.
7. To be able to measure you need an object and attributes of the object, but you also need a judge.
How Variables are Measured
1. A judge is someone who has the necessary knowledge and skills to assess “the quality” of something, such as
the taste of yogurt, the arousal‐seeking tendency of stockbrokers, or the communication skills of students.

2. In many cases the object and the judge are the same person. For instance, if you want to measure the gender
(the attribute) of your employees (the objects), or the shopping enjoyment (the attribute) of women (the
objects), you can simply ask the objects (employees and women respectively) to provide you with the
necessary details via a self‐administered questionnaire.

3. However, it is unlikely that the object has the necessary knowledge and skills to act as a judge when you want
to measure the taste (the attribute) of yogurt (the object), the service quality of a restaurant, the
communication skills of students, or even the managerial expertise of supervisors.
How Variables are Measured
1. Attributes of objects that can be physically measured by some calibrated instruments pose no measurement
problems. For example, the length and width of a rectangular office table can be easily measured with a
measuring tape or a ruler. Data representing several demographic characteristics of office personnel are also
easily obtained by asking employees simple, straightforward questions, such as: “How long have you been
working in this organization?” or “What is your marital status?”
2. The measurement of more abstract and subjective attributes is more difficult, however. For instance, it is
relatively difficult to measure the level of achievement motivation of office clerks, the shopping enjoyment of
women, or the need for social responsibility of companies.
3. Likewise, it is not straightforward to test hypotheses on the relationship between workforce diversity,
managerial expertise, and organizational effectiveness. The problem is that we cannot simply ask questions
like “How diverse is your company’s workforce?” or “How effective is your organization?” because of the
abstract nature of the variables “workforce diversity” and “organizational effectiveness.”
OPERATIONAL DEFINITION (OPERATIONALIZATION)

1. Despite the lack of physical measuring devices to measure the more nebulous
(vague) variables, there are ways of tapping these types of variable.
2. One technique is to reduce these abstract notions or concepts to observable
behavior and/or characteristics. In other words, the abstract notions are broken
down into observable behavior or characteristics.
3. For instance, the concept of Quality is abstract; we cannot see it. However, we
would expect Quality of a product defined as something that is acceptable by the
consumers of a product of service determined in terms of the nature of the product
or service received. Quality of a product like mobile would be different to quality
of service in a restaurant.
OPERATIONAL DEFINITION (OPERATIONALIZATION)

1. Operationalizing is done by looking at the behavioral dimensions, facets, or properties denoted by the
concept.
2. These are then translated into observable and measurable elements so as to develop an index of measurement
of the concept.
3. Operationalizing a concept involves a series of steps. The first step is to come up with a definition of the
construct that you want to measure. Then, it is necessary to think about the content of the measure; that is, an
instrument (one or more items or questions) that actually measures the concept that one wants to measure has
to be developed.
4. Subsequently, a response format (for instance, a seven ‐point rating scale with end ‐points anchored by
“strongly disagree” and “strongly agree”) is needed, and, finally, the validity and reliability of the
measurement scale has to be assessed.
Operationalization: Dimensions and Elements

1. Example of Unidimensional Constructs (it does not have more than one main component or dimension). Other
scales like Servant Leadership or University Social Responsibility can be multi-dimensional.
2. items are needed to measure the variable . These items are needed because if we used fewer than these items,
our measurement scale would probably not represent the entire domain; in other words, our measure would
probably not include an adequate and representative set of items (or elements). As a consequence, our measure
would not be valid.
Operationalizing the (Multidimensional) Concept of Achievement
Motivation
1. Suppose that we are interested in establishing a relationship between gender and achievement
motivation.
2. To test this relationship we will have to measure both gender and achievement motivation. At
this point, you will probably understand that whereas measuring gender will not cause any
problems, measuring achievement motivation probably will, because the latter construct is
abstract and subjective in nature.
3. For this reason we must infer achievement motivation by measuring behavioral dimensions,
facets, or characteristics we would expect to find in people with high achievement
motivation. Indeed, without measuring these dimensions, facets, or characteristics we will not
be able to arrive at bottom‐line statements about the relationship between gender and
achievement motivation.
4. After we have defined the construct, the next step in the process of measuring abstract
constructs such as achievement motivation is to go through the literature to find out whether
there are any existing measures of the concept.
5. Both scientific journals and “scale handbooks” are important sources of existing measures.
Dimensions and elements of Service Quality in
Higher Education
1. Audit of Teacher Performance
2. Cordial Relationship with teacher
3. Easy to Understand teachers
4. Teachers Well trained
5. Respect from Administration
6. Easy Schedule
7. Meritorious System
8. Smooth Processes
9. Staff well-trained to deal with student issues`
10. Lab Facilities
11. Transport Facilities
12. Sports and Recreation facilities