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The paper investigates the suitability of the Rasch model for establishing data equivalence. The results based on a real data set are contrasted with findings from standard procedures based on CFA methods.

Sinkovics et al.'s data on technophobia was used and re‐evaluated using both classical test theory (CTT) (multiple‐group structural equations modelling) and Rasch measurement theory.

Data equivalence in particular and measurement in general cannot be addressed without reference to theory. While both procedures can be considered best practice approaches within their respective theoretical foundation of measurement, the Rasch model provides some theoretical virtues. Measurement derived from data that fit the Rasch model seems to be approximated by classical procedures reasonably well. However, the reverse is not necessarily true.

The more widespread application of Rasch models would lead to a stronger justification of measurement, in particular, in cross‐cultural studies but also whenever measures of individual respondents are of interest.

Measurement models outside the framework of CTT are still scarce exceptions in marketing research.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate firm financial success across a broad range of performance measures and identify areas of the performance spectrum for which positive results were most difficult to achieve. Simultaneously, the authors identify the firms that most frequently ranked among the top five in terms of composite financial performance.

The dichotomous Rasch model was applied to 13 financial ratios for two industries for the years 2002‐2011. Of these ratios, the authors identify those that are consistent with the requirements of the Rasch model and suitable for ranking composite firm financial performance in each industry during the sample years. Ratio difficulty rankings are obtained, along with firm rankings reflecting managers' ability to achieve broad‐based financial success.

For the Foods and Aerospace/Defense industries during 2002‐2011, above average performance was most difficult to achieve in the areas of liquidity, financial leverage, and market valuation. Above average profitability and returns on investment seem to have been easier performance targets during this sample period. The authors also list the ticker symbols of firms with managers who consistently achieved top overall financial performance.

The performance data for each industry and time period have to fit the requirements of the Rasch model. In addition, it must be possible to translate continuous metric readings into binary measures without losing relevant information. Future research might explore the use of more sophisticated Rasch models, measures of non‐financial firm performance dimensions, additional industries and time periods.

This research offers managers, investors and regulators a fresh perspective on the evaluation of firm financial performance and managerial ability.

Rasch models are widely used in the human sciences. Application of this methodology to firms offers a more comprehensive view of firm performance and may reveal factors relevant to firm valuation that have previously been ignored, thus possibly impacting the allocation of capital across firms and industries.

To the authors' knowledge, this research represents a first attempt to apply the Rasch approach to an evaluation of managerial ability as reflected in a firm's overall financial performance.

The purpose of this research is to address the need for a robust system to accurately determine a cutoff score by using the Angoff method and leveraging the Rasch infit and outfit statistics of item response theory by detecting and removing misfitting items in a test.

Researchers in educational evaluation support the use of grades as a complete measure to evaluate students’ overall academic performance. In higher education, determining cutoff scores is crucial for assessing academic progress and achievement. Higher education institutions worldwide set predefined minimal standards of success, sometimes referred to as cutoff thresholds. These thresholds serve as benchmarks for assessing performance quality and determining eligibility for academic credit or advancement.

The proposed approach combines the Angoff method with Rasch item fit statistics to precisely determine the cutoff score by excluding items that do not fit well (misfitting items) in a test. This methodology holds the potential to enhance the fairness and accuracy of grading practices, ensuring that assessments align with educational objectives and provide meaningful feedback to students.

The value of this research extends to various fields where cutoff scores are used for decision-making purposes. By using Rasch item fit statistics and the Angoff method, practitioners and researchers can enhance the quality and validity of their assessments.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the category function of the sport fandom questionnaire (SFQ), determine the optimal categorization of the SFQ and calibrate the measurement qualities of the newly modified rating scale option using Rasch analysis.

This paper relies on the Rasch analysis to validate the SFQ. A series of studies are performed based on analysis procedures for the responses from 244 (study 1) and 477 (study 2) participants.

The results revealed that the original SFQ consisting of the eight-category rating scale is flagged due to irregular observation distribution and disordering of thresholds, whereas both six-category and seven-category rating scales meet the guidelines for the optimal categorization. However, only the seven-category rating scale showed desirable model-data fit indices. Furthermore, the results of the Rasch calibration model showed that all items of the SFQ have large variability, and a person's ability level varied moderately along the continuum.

Unlike previous studies, examining the psychometric properties of the SFQ, the current study provides information about the optimal categorization and presents a novel reconstruction category in measuring individuals' sport fandom level. In measuring the level of sport fandom, the authors suggest the use of a seven-category rating scale that the current study found to exhibit reliability and construct validity.

Measures are comparable if and only if measurement equivalence has been demonstrated. Although comparability and equivalence of measures are sometimes used interchangeably, we advocate a subtle but important difference in meaning. Comparability implies that measures from one group can be compared with measures from another group. It is a property of the measures, which is given or not. In particular, comparability presumes valid measures within each group compared. Measurement equivalence, by contrast, refers to the way measures are derived and estimated. It is intrinsically tied to the underlying theory of measurement. Thus, measurement equivalence cannot be dealt with in isolation. Its assessment has to be incorporated into the theoretical framework of measurement. Measurement equivalence is closely connected to construct validity for it refers to the way manifest indicators are related to the latent variable, within a particular culture and across different cultures. From this it follows that equivalence cannot, or should not, be treated as a separate issue but as a constitutive element of validity. A discussion of measurement equivalence without addressing validity would be incomplete.

The purpose of this paper is to develop a mobile social networking service (SNS) addiction scale to measure respondents’ addiction levels.

Drawing on the existing literature on the components model of addiction by Griffiths (2005) and mobile SNS addiction, an initial scale in a five-point Likert-format was developed. It was refined through the pilot study with 100 participants and the main study with 423 participants utilizing factor analysis and Rasch analysis.

Mobile SNS addiction as a behavioral addiction, demonstrated six addiction symptoms: modification, salience, tolerance, withdrawal, conflict and relapse, which were interrelated with each other. The mobile SNS addiction scale developed in this study was found to be psychometrically robust and unidimensional.

The mobile SNS addiction scale consists of nine items, thus making it easier and more convenient to be applied to academic research and clinical practice.

The combined use of factor analysis and the Rasch model could largely reduce potential negative effects associated with limitations of classical test theory and improve the chance of developing a psychometrically robust instrument. The mobile SNS addiction scale covers a range of types of SNSs, thus being more generic. The items in the scale are unidimensionally loaded on the latent construct of mobile SNS addiction and demonstrate measurement invariance across respondents of different demographics.

This paper aims to propose a method for the longitudinal analysis of the environment considering both firms' and environmental variables.

The study is based on a sample of firms in Canary Islands (Spain) for 2000 and 2003. Managerial perceptions are considered, based on the cognitive perspective. The measurements used are the result of applying the Rasch model and the rack and stack analyses. This approach provides information about how dynamic the firms perceive the environment and also about how the items are perceived.

The results show that most firms perceive that dynamism increased between 2000 and 2003. From the perspective of the environmental variables, the most dynamic are perceived to be competition, demand, consumer motivation and technological resources.

This paper proposes a longitudinal method for environmental scanning that include both firms' and environmental variables. It considers managerial perceptions, that is the information entering the decision making process. It is one of the first papers to study environmental scanning with Rasch model and one of the few about longitudinal environmental analyses. It opens a field of research and applications of the Rasch model in the management literature.

The purpose of this paper is to attempt to verify the quality of the survey instrument of office investors in rationalising green office building investment in the city of Kuala Lumpur using the Rasch measurement method. It investigates whether the quality of the data obtained from the survey is statistically acceptable and aims to ensure that the scales used are based on the same measurement model and fit with the Rasch model.

In achieving this objective, a questionnaire survey was developed consisting of six sections. Some 394 questionnaires were distributed, and in total, 106 responses were received from office investors who own and lease office buildings in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur. The data obtained from this survey were entered into Rasch software, and the analysis aims to consider three main parameters, specifically: point measure correlation 0.32 < x < 0.8; outfit mean squared 0.5 < y < 1.5; and outfit z-standard −2 < z < 2. It also provides a separable or independent measurement instrument for the parameters of the research object.

The analysis performed using the Rasch model confirmed that all items in the questionnaire construct were statistically reliable and valid. The Rasch analysis consists of, namely, the summary statistics; item unidimensionality to provide interval measures of item endorsements and fit statistics on persons involved; and items for further investigation. Unidimensionality, as a pre-requisite to the Rasch analysis, provides statistics on whether the items are on the same latent variable intended by the instrument. The results were also supported by Cronbach’s alpha at 0.91 which showed excellent reliability for person data. The results showed that the summary statistics, unidimensionality and item fit analysis were excellent.

This paper introduces the application of the Rasch analysis as a provision for a new dimension and technique in examining data reliability and validity of the instrument.

The purpose of this paper is to report undergraduate students’ learning gains in six areas of generic skills. The paper reports on students’ responses to the First Year Experience (FYE) Survey completed at the end of their first year and Graduating Student Survey (GSS) in the final semester of their final year.

In this study, a longitudinal design was applied in data collection, analysis and reporting of assessment if student learning gains. The undergraduate students who were the first cohort of four-year curriculum students in a Hong Kong university were selected as the sample. Repeated measures of reported learning gains of a longitudinal sample based on stacking of both FYE and GSS data were analysed using the Rasch model.

The results showed that the scale for measuring the six areas of generic skills had high reliability and good person separation. Comparison of repeated measures from the same group of students at the two time points were examined to explore whether there is growth in the generic skills during their university studies.

One limitation of the study was the relatively small sample size of 359 students in one higher education institution.

The findings of the study provide insight into conceptual understanding and measurement of university student learning gains.

Whilst several studies have investigated university student learning gains, there is limited research which explores the use Rasch modelling in assessment of student learning gains in multiple areas towards completion of their undergraduate studies.

The aim of this study was to measure the level of challenges faced by novice teachers in South Africa. Findings suggest a need for professional development courses to upskill teachers with effective pedagogies that can incorporate the social and emotional components into teaching and learning.

This study applied a descriptive research methodology by administering a questionnaire to 143 novice teachers. The data analysis technique was the Rasch model.

The findings indicated high item and person reliability, with a good item fit and polarity values that are compatible with the Rasch model. The three major challenges identified are uninvolved parents, discipline problems and a lack of guidance and counselling. These challenges can be related to social and emotional learning (SEL) components.

The study used quantitative methods and discovered the challenges that novice teachers face. If the research uses a combination of qualitative methods, it will be possible to better identify the specific causes of the above three challenges of novice teachers.

Due to the complex nature of South African society, many novice teachers are overwhelmed by the challenges they face when entering the profession. These challenges are often embedded in societal risk factors, which complicate the transition from student teacher to novice teacher. The major challenges identified in this study can be related to SEL components, as the challenges are closely linked to the psychological and social backgrounds of the students. Teachers in this study indicated that they found it difficult to deal with these challenges at the beginning of their careers.

By identifying the challenges facing new teachers in South Africa, they will be better prepared for their work in schools. Therefore, they will improve the above situation to continue developing professionally.

The findings indicated high item and person reliability, with a good item fit and polarity values that are compatible with the Rasch model. Teachers in this study indicated that they found it difficult to deal with these challenges in the beginning of their careers. Professional development courses are suggested to help teachers deal with issues such as discipline, uninvolved parents and guidance and counselling effectively. Higher education programmes should also include these topics in their curricula for student teachers. A greater emphasis on training teachers in their pastoral roles is suggested.