The following diploma thesis is a scale development study in context of the public sector. A set of sound measurement models had to be developed for measuring an initially supplied, not yet quantitatively evaluated, conceptual model of Barth and Veit (2011). As the individual parts of the conceptual model are not of a directly observable nature, scale development techniques had to be used to make them empirically manifest (e.g. DeVellis, 2003; Gerbing and Anderson, 1988). A stringent procedure, based on literature recommendations and best practices was followed, as the development of reliable and valid scales is not trivial. There- fore, a generalized scale development procedure and its corresponding subparts were derived of a large amount of available publications from different fields of research like information systems, operations management, psychometrics, etc. Two specific processes of the public sector, namely the civil marriage and residency change, were used as context for phrasing meaningful sentences and cap- turing a broad range of citizens’ resistance towards conducting a public process virtually. Eventually, the measurement models should be usable to easily apply the conceptual model to ideally any process of the public sector.
After the creation of an initial pool of items, resulting preliminary scales were qualitatively tested and refined in multiple steps, ranging from expert opinions to comprehensiveness checks and particular sorting procedures. Notably, 62 distinct qualitative interviews with citizens were accomplished to reduce the set of indicators from 150 to 64. In a following step, a quantitative survey was employed, which yielded around 350 responses as a basis for data preparation and statistical analyses. This statistical evaluation procedure was twofold. First generation techniques like the exploratory factor analysis or Cronbach’s Alpha were discussed and applied. Afterwards, the developed scales were tested in a confirmatory manner by the use of a multivariate second generation structural equation modeling approach. The two most common analysis methods for structural equation modeling, covariance-based via LISREL and variance-based via partial least squares, were compared, before the latter was applied due to theoretical considerations. Quality criteria of the measurement models were analyzed. As a result, all of these models comply to generally acknowledged evaluation criteria with regard to reliability and validity.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
1.1 Motivation
1.2 Initially supplied conceptual model
1.3 Research question
1.4 Research context: processes of the public sector
1.5 Structure of thesis
2 Theoretical foundation: methodology of scale development
2.1 Introduction to scale development
2.2 A generalized scale development procedure
2.2.1 Derivation of discrete procedure aspects
2.2.2 Indicator creation
2.2.3 Preliminary instrument design choices
2.2.4 Reliability and validity requirements
2.2.4.1 Reliability
2.2.4.2 Validity
2.2.5 Repeated analysis and refinement of instrument
2.2.5.1 Qualitative analysis and refinement
2.2.5.2 Quantitative analysis and refinement
2.2.5.2.1 First generation techniques
2.2.5.2.2 Second generation techniques
2.3 Scale development procedure of Hensley (1999)
2.4 Scale development procedure of DeVellis (2003)
2.5 Scale development procedure of Homburg and Giering (1996)
3 Practical implementation: applied scale development procedure
3.1 Derivation of applied procedure
3.2 Preliminary scale development (phase 1)
3.2.1 Clear definition and description of constructs
3.2.2 Item pool generation
3.2.3 Control variables
3.3 Qualitative development of survey instrument (phase 2)
3.3.1 Instrument design choices
3.3.2 Qualitative pre-test of instrument
3.3.2.1 Round 1: procedure and results
3.3.2.2 Round 2: procedure and results
3.3.2.3 Round 3: procedure and results
3.4 Quantitative development of final scales (phase 3)
3.4.1 Quantitative survey and data collection
3.4.2 Quantitative data analysis and evaluation
3.4.2.1 Data preparation
3.4.2.2 Sample description
3.4.2.3 Choice of analysis techniques and corresponding evaluation procedure
3.4.2.4 Separate evaluation of measurement models
3.4.2.4.1 Reflective measurement models
3.4.2.4.2 Formative measurement models
3.4.2.5 Joint evaluation of measurement models
4 Discussion
4.1 Proposal of sound measurement models
4.2 Limitations
4.3 Further research
5 Conclusion
Appendices
1 Questionnaires
1.1 Questionnaire of quantitative survey (German)
1.2 Final questionnaire (German)
1.3 Final control variables (German)
1.4 Final questionnaire (English)
1.5 Final control variables (English)
2 SPSS evaluation Results
2.1 Separate evaluation of measurement models
2.1.1 Cronbach’s alpha and item to total-correlations
2.1.2 Exploratory factor analysis
2.1.3 Multicollinearity tests
2.2 Joint evaluation of measurement models
2.2.1 Exploratory factor analysis
2.2.1 Multicollinearity tests
3 SmartPLS evaluation results
3.1 Separate evaluation of measurement models
3.2 Joint evaluation of measurement models
Objective & Topics
The primary objective of this diploma thesis is to develop sound measurement models for a pre-existing conceptual model in the public sector, which has not yet been quantitatively evaluated. The research aims to operationalize theoretical constructs by applying established scale development techniques, ensuring high reliability and validity to empirically test the model's propositions regarding citizen resistance to process virtualization.
- Methodological rigor in scale development and validation.
- Application of both first-generation (EFA, Cronbach's alpha) and second-generation (PLS-SEM) statistical techniques.
- Conceptual operationalization of process properties and resistance factors in the public sector.
- Empirical testing within the specific public sector contexts of civil marriage and residency change.
Excerpt from the Book
2.1 Introduction to scale development
As stated in section 1.1, many phenomena of science are of theoretical nature. Thus, most theoretical pieces examined by scientists are represented by abstract entities which are not directly measurable (e.g. Edwards and Bagozzi, 2000; Petter et al., 2007), e.g. personal beliefs or consumer behavior (Homburg and Giering, 1996). But this even holds true for less abstract things like temperature, which also cannot be observed directly. Instead, thermometers use physical effects like the expansion of liquids when the temperature increases. Those abstract entities, called constructs, represent the "true, non-observable state or nature of a phenomenon" (Bagozzi and Phillips, 1982, p. 24). Therefore, "[a] construct is an abstract theoretical (hypothetical) variable" (Schriesheim et al., 1993, p. 358), which is invented by scientists (Kerlinger, 1986). According to Homburg and Giering (1996), complex theoretical constructs are still not correctly captured by many publications, although they definitively need to be adequately conceptualized before any thoughts concerning measurement can be made.
This incorporates a thorough identification of distinct factors or dimensions of the theoretical construct. Furthermore, the implied constructs have to be defined unambiguously and in detail (Hughes and Kwon, 1990; Worthington and Whittaker, 2006). Although this might not be extensively necessary for simple constructs, it definitely is for complex or very abstract ones, as they are especially difficult to capture (Nunnally, 1978). Subsequently, the step of operationalization deals with the development of measures referring to theoretical constructs, thus making them empirically manifest (Bacharach, 1989; Homburg and Giering, 1996), enabling them to "provide an empirical estimate of each theoretical construct of interest" (Gerbing and Anderson, 1988, p. 186). This is an important activity in (empirical) research (e.g. Gerbing and Anderson, 1988), because the unobservable often needs to be inferred from the observable (Chin, 1998b).
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: Provides an overview of scale development, defines the research question based on an existing conceptual model, and outlines the thesis structure.
2 Theoretical foundation: methodology of scale development: Reviews literature on scale development procedures, discusses reliability and validity, and explains the differences between first- and second-generation analysis techniques.
3 Practical implementation: applied scale development procedure: Details the empirical application, including construct definition, pre-test rounds, and the final quantitative data analysis using SEM.
4 Discussion: Evaluates the finalized measurement models, addresses research limitations, and proposes directions for future studies.
5 Conclusion: Summarizes the study’s contributions to the development of sound measurement models in the public sector context.
Keywords
Scale Development, Public Sector, Process Virtualization, Structural Equation Modeling, PLS, Reliability, Validity, Construct, Indicator, E-Government, Survey Methodology, Measurement Model, Empirical Research, Quantitative Analysis, Qualitative Pre-Test.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this diploma thesis?
The thesis focuses on the development and validation of empirical measurement models for a specific conceptual model in the public sector, which aims to understand citizen resistance towards virtual public processes.
What are the primary themes covered in the study?
Key themes include the methodology of scale development, the differentiation between reflective and formative measurement, and the use of structural equation modeling (SEM) to evaluate conceptual frameworks.
What is the main research question of the work?
The central research question is: "How does a set of sound measurement models for the supplied conceptual model and its corresponding constructs look like?"
Which scientific methods are utilized for the analysis?
The study employs a multi-step approach involving qualitative pre-tests for instrument refinement and quantitative techniques, specifically first-generation analysis (EFA, Cronbach's alpha) and second-generation structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).
What topics are addressed in the main body of the work?
The main body covers the theoretical foundations of scale construction, the derivation of a generalized procedure, the practical implementation through item pool generation and qualitative pre-testing, and the quantitative evaluation of the final scales.
Which keywords best characterize this research?
The work is best characterized by terms such as Scale Development, Public Sector, Structural Equation Modeling, PLS, Reliability, Validity, and E-Government.
How were the public sector processes selected for this study?
The study selected civil marriage (CV) and residency change (RC) because they represent highly complementary processes: the former is a high-relevance, unique event, while the latter is a low-relevance, recurring administrative task, providing a broad variance in resistance data.
Why is the distinction between reflective and formative indicators emphasized?
This distinction is critical because they rely on different statistical assumptions and evaluation methods; misclassifying them can lead to flawed interpretations of construct validity and erroneous results in SEM path models.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Christian Lubasch (Autor:in), 2011, Process Virtualization Theory in the Public Sector: A Scale Development Study, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/201072
