This seminar deals with problems of measurement in business research, specifically problems of the measurement of so-called latent variables. Some issues are more fundamental, philosophical if you like, others are more hands-on. Both levels are of utmost importance. If you develop a scale, or use an existing one, you should know what you do and why you do it.
The seminar should not be an ordinary lecture but rather a sort of round table. The participants will critically discuss what measurement means in the social sciences, learn what the current standards are (mostly classical or traditional test theory), where the strenghts and shortcomings of these standards lie, and what the alternatives are (modern test theory, item response theory, etc). After taking part in this seminar, you will be in a better position to critically evaluate different approaches to measurement and to evaluate existing scales.
Research always requires compromises. This is especially true for doctoral research. Time and funding are limited. The objective of the seminar is to enable the participants to make informed choices of how to tackle the problem of measurement in the best possible way given constraints and limitations.

The specific goals of the seminar will be discussed in the introductory class in order to accommodate the needs of the participants.

• Foundation of quantitative empirical research with an emphasis on measurement
• Concepts of measurement in business research (marketing, management, etc.), comprising traditional as well as modern/innovate approaches.
• Scale analysis
• Development of measurement instruments