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INTERNATIONAL DIMENSIONS OF OPERATIONAL DEFINITION AND SCALING 193

the concept “knowledge” is equated with “jnana” in some Eastern cultures and
construed as “realization of the Almighty.” Thus, it is wise for researchers who
hail from a country speaking a different language to recruit the help of local
scholars to operationally define certain concepts while engaging in cross-cul-
tural research.

Scaling
Apart from sensitivity to operational definition of concepts in other cultures, the
issue of scaling also needs to be addressed in cross-cultural research. Different
cultures react differently to issues of scaling. For instance, a 5-point or a 7-point
scale may make no difference in the United States, but could in the responses of
subjects in other countries (see Sekaran & Martin, 1982; Sekaran & Trafton, 1978).
Barry (1969) for instance, found that in some countries, a 7-point scale is more
sensitive than a 4-point scale in eliciting unbiased responses.
Thus, in developing instruments for cross-cultural research, one should be
careful about both the operational definition and scaling methods used.

SUMMARY

In this chapter, we saw that any concept can be broken down to dimensions and ele-
ments for measurement through a set of items. We also examined the four types of
scales—nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio. We could see that knowledge of opera-
tionalization of a concept and the type of scales to use for purposes of categorizing,
rank ordering, and tapping variables to varying degrees of sophistication, helps man-
agers to undertake small surveys on their own, without much difficulty. We also dis-
cussed briefly the nuances in operational definition and scaling in cross-cultural
research and were alerted to the dangers of operationalizing certain concepts in other
cultures that might have different connotations.
As we shall see in the next chapter, which discusses the development of measures to
tap concepts, most instruments have already been developed for organizational research,
which would be useful to managers in the work environment.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS AND POINTS TO PONDER

1. What is meant by operational definition and why is it necessary?
2. Operationally define the following:
a. Sexual harassment
b. Diversity-positive environment
c. Career success
3. Describe the four types of scales.
4. How is the interval scale more sophisticated than the nominal and ordinal scales?
5. Why is the ratio scale considered to be the most powerful of the four scales?