Scale purification: state-of-the-art review and guidelines
International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management
ISSN: 0959-6119
Article publication date: 5 November 2018
Issue publication date: 20 November 2018
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to identify scale purification criteria for both uni- and multidimensional reflective scales and apply these criteria to an evaluation of the methodological status quo of the hospitality literature.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on a literature review, the authors develop a taxonomy of statistical and judgmental criteria across scale levels, from which best practices are derived. Recent publications in leading hospitality journals are then evaluated based on these scale purification steps.
Findings
The authors uncover a lack of transparency when reporting scale purification practices. Moreover, methodological steps are often entirely omitted or insufficiently followed, especially when it comes to judgmental scale purification practices.
Research limitations/implications
The authors focus on reflective scales in the hospitality discipline. Methodological traditions in other fields might lead to different results if the chosen approach was to be repeated there.
Practical implications
The authors provide a set of suggestions that will help researchers in hospitality and adjacent disciplines to greater consensus and consistency of application regarding the methodological steps when carrying out scale purification in reflective scales.
Originality/value
Application of scale purification in hospitality research has been scarce. The authors extend existing research and provide the most comprehensive study so far of present and best scale purification practices, using both statistical and judgmental criteria.
Keywords
Citation
Wieland, A., Kock, F. and Josiassen, A. (2018), "Scale purification: state-of-the-art review and guidelines", International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Vol. 30 No. 11, pp. 3346-3362. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-11-2017-0740
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited