Syafiq Case

1. Measurement is the assignment of numbers to characteristics (or attributes) of objects according to a pre-specifiedset of rules. Describe the object and characteristics of Syafiq’s study.

The object of Syafiq’s study was the website for the Standard Asian Merchant Bank. The characteristics of the study are: customer satisfaction, content and layout, usable features, time spent on the site, and required knowledge to access products.

2. The measurement of more abstract and subjective characteristics (or attributes – such for instance the attributes in Syafiq’s study) is more difficult than the measurement of other, more tangible attributes such as weight, length, gender, age, and marital status. Why is that?

Measuring more abstract and subjective characteristics is often difficult because there are few tools readily available to measure with. When measuring weight, length, gender, etc, we have tools which when coupled with observation will provide us with a measurement. However, with a more abstract characteristic, such as hunger, we need to study behaviors, such as quantity of food consumed, to determine the level of hunger someone experienced.

3. One way of tapping more abstract and subjective attributes is operationalizing these attributes. a. What is operationalization?

Operationalization is the act of observing a behavior or property of a concept and translating those observations into a measurable element.

b. Describe the process of operationalizing variables.

To operationalize a variable, one must first convert the notion to an observable behavior. This will provide the ability to observe and measure a variable.

4. Based on a review of the literature Syafiq has developed a table (Table 1) that should help him to operationalize the variables of his conceptual model. Use this table to discuss the attribute ‘Information Quality’ in terms of dimensions and elements. In other words, which dimensions of ‘Information Quality’ has Syafiq found in the literature and how have these dimensions further been broken into elements by researchers who have investigated this issue in the past?

Syafiq braeaks down each of the variables in a manner that will ask any survey participants the right questions to provide him with a measurable piece of information. If he were to simply ask a participant to rate the information content on the site, he may get very different results based on user satisfaction. When broken down into multiple categories he will be able to determine which parts of the information need to most work, and relay that to the bank.

5.Syafiq could decide to use the survey questions he has found in the literature as a basis for his questionnaire. Is it, in general, a good or a bad idea to use existing scales? Why?

Using preexisting scales can be very advantageous to a researcher. The main reason is the amount of time and energy saved by utilizing an existing resource. Furthermore, it will be much easier to compare and verify any information gained when it uses the same measures someone used in the past.