Using multi‐item psychometric scales for research and practice in human resource management

Abstract

Questionnaires are a widely used research method in human resource management (HRM), and multi-item psychometric scales are the most widely used measures in questionnaires. These scales each have multiple items to measure a construct in a reliable and valid manner. However, using this method effectively involves complex procedures that are frequently misunderstood or unknown. Although there are existing methodological texts addressing this topic, few are exhaustive and they often omit essential practical information. The current article therefore aims to provide a detailed and comprehensive guide to the use of multi-item psychometric scales for HRM research and practice, including their structure, development, use, administration, and data preparation. K E Y W O R D Smeasurement, multi-item scales, psychometric scales, questionnaires, surveys | INTRODUCTIONQuestionnaires are one of the most widely used research methods in the social sciences (Bourque, 2004) and multi-item psychometric scales are the most widely used measures in questionnaires. For instance, 29 of the 62 articles published in Human Resource Management during 2015 used multi-item psychometric scales to collect data about topics as diverse as organizational ambidexterity (Halevi, Carmeli, & Brueller, 2015), employee voice (Matsunaga, 2015), and performance management (Festing, Knappert, & Kornau, 2015).Despite their widespread use, however, the complex principles and procedures underlying multi-item psychometric scales are frequently misunderstood or unknown, even by experienced researchers and practitioners in human resource management (HRM). This is particularly true of HRM practitioners conducting staff surveys (e.g., employee engagement), which ostensibly appear psychometric in nature but often neglect key steps in research design and analysis. Although methodological guidance is available, most texts focus on specific topics or phases and omit essential practical information. Accordingly, this article addresses all phases of multi-item psychometric scale use-including their structure, development, administration, and the preparation of the collected data for analysis-to provide a comprehensive resource for HRM researchers and practitioners that addresses the many practical issues and common points of confusion.The article will also be useful for researchers and practitioners in other social sciences (e.g., industrial and organizational psychology, management) who use multi-item psychometric scales frequently.Questionnaires comprise a number of questions that participants are required to answer and are therefore usually a self-report research method (Stone & Turkkan, 2000); although the same methods are sometimes used to rate others, such as supervisor ratings of performance (see, e.g., Yam, Fehr, & Barnes, 2014). Multi-item psychometric scales, the focus of this article, are a specialized type of quantitative measure used in questionnaires (see, e.g., Nevill, Lane, Kilgour, Bowes, & Whyte, 2001) and the most frequently used measure in HRM rese...

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