Operationalization of Variables

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Operational Definition of Variables

Operational Definition of a variable is a statement of specific dimensions and elements through which a concept will become measurable

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Operationalizing the concept of Achievement Motivation1. Driven by Work2. No relaxation or deviation from work3. Prefer to work alone4. Prefer challenging jobs but not too much

challenging jobs5. Prefer feedback from superiors and

colleagues

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Should be quantifiable Now

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Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Sekaran/RESEARCH 4E 5

Elements of Dimension 1 Driven By WorkSuch a person will:

Be at work all the timeBe reluctant to take time off from workCarry on even in the face of some setbacks

Ask questions about:No. of working hoursNo. of setbacks

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Elements of Dimension 2 Unable to RelaxSuch a person will:

Be unwilling to relaxAsk questions:

What are your hobbies?How often do you think about work when you

are away from work?How do you spend your time when you are

away from work-place?

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Elements of Dimension 3 Impatient with ineffectivenessSuch a person will:

Be reluctant to work with othersAsk questions about:

Working with teams

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Elements of Dimension 4 Seeks moderate challengesSuch a person will:

Be willing to do a challenging jobAsk questions:

What kind of jobs do you prefer? (Note: A number of different types of jobs and their descriptions can be presented)

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Elements of Dimension 5 Seeks FeedbackSuch a person will:

Be desiring feedbackAsk questions:

How often have you obtained feedback over the period of last three months?

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What an operational definition is NotAn operational definition does not describe

the correlates of the conceptse-g, Success and performance cannot be a

dimension of achievement motivation, even though a motivated person is likely to meet with it in large measure. Thus achievement motivation & performance and/or success maybe highly correlated, but we cannot measure an individual’s level of motivation through success & performance

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RACE DISCRIMINATION?

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Dimensions of Race DiscriminationPerformance EvaluationsNature of job the individual is assignedExtent of Authority given to the individualHow the supervisor treats the individualThe amount of job related information providedAllocation of resourcesSalaryPromotional opportunities

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Race Discrimination?

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I believe my race has (or has not) had an influence on:The types of jobs assigned to me (e.g. harder, dirtier, etc…)The amount of authority I am given (i.e. not enough)My performance evaluation (e.g. being rated more critically

than others)Salary inequalitiesThe amount of training that has been provided to me (not as

much as to some of the other specific races in the system)The extent of grooming I have had for advancing in the jobAmount of resources allocated to me (compared to those of

other races)The way I am treated by my supervisorThe amount of job related information provided to me

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LEARNING?

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Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Sekaran/RESEARCH 4E 18