Taking the Measure of Work
Taking the Measure of Work: A Guide to Validated Scales for Organizational Research and Diagnosis
By Dail L. Fields
Published by SAGE, 2002.
This is a 7" by 10" hardcover book running to 327 pages including the bibliography and indices, plus an introduction.
The preface is simply a paragraph explaining the need that this book addresses; previously, there did not exist any good compilation of measures and questionnaires to use when interviewing employees to diagnose problems in an organization or otherwise meausure its functioning from the point of view of workers. The problem was encountered by both academic researchers and management consultants. So what this book does is simply compile measures, validated within the standards of sociology research methods, that look at job satisfaction, organizational commitment, job characteristics, job stress, job roles, organizational justice, work-family conflict, person-organization fit, work behaviors and work values. The book is intended for practical use by researchers and management consultants. It is not a bibliographic guide to measures found elsewhere, but an actual source of tools, though citations to the original publications are given.
A typical measure is given in two facing pages. A short paragraph describes the measure, relating the situation of its origin and purpose. Then there is a statement of its reliability, a paragraph on its validity as determined by further experiments (cited), a citation of the source (including original and modified items), a list of items and instructions for the questionnaire, and a brief rundown of modified items and instructions. That's all that's given for each measure, but it is enough for practical purposes and allows the book to include many useful meaures. Here are the titles of some measures found in the book:
By Dail L. Fields
Published by SAGE, 2002.
This is a 7" by 10" hardcover book running to 327 pages including the bibliography and indices, plus an introduction.
The preface is simply a paragraph explaining the need that this book addresses; previously, there did not exist any good compilation of measures and questionnaires to use when interviewing employees to diagnose problems in an organization or otherwise meausure its functioning from the point of view of workers. The problem was encountered by both academic researchers and management consultants. So what this book does is simply compile measures, validated within the standards of sociology research methods, that look at job satisfaction, organizational commitment, job characteristics, job stress, job roles, organizational justice, work-family conflict, person-organization fit, work behaviors and work values. The book is intended for practical use by researchers and management consultants. It is not a bibliographic guide to measures found elsewhere, but an actual source of tools, though citations to the original publications are given.
A typical measure is given in two facing pages. A short paragraph describes the measure, relating the situation of its origin and purpose. Then there is a statement of its reliability, a paragraph on its validity as determined by further experiments (cited), a citation of the source (including original and modified items), a list of items and instructions for the questionnaire, and a brief rundown of modified items and instructions. That's all that's given for each measure, but it is enough for practical purposes and allows the book to include many useful meaures. Here are the titles of some measures found in the book:
- Measure of Ethical Viewpoints
- Helping and Voice Behaviors
- Organizational Culture Profile
- Fairness Perceptions of an Organizational Policy
- Job Role Ambiguity
- Cross-Culutural Role Conflict, Ambiguity, and Overload
- Commute Strain Scale
- Frustration with Work
- Job Demands and Decision Latitude
- Subjective Monotony
- Extent of Computer Use
- Empowerment at Work Scale
- Social Support
- Commitment to a Parent Company Versus Local Operation
- Pay Satisfaction Questionnaire