A FRAMEWORK FOR CONDUCTING MULTI-LEVEL CONSTRUCT VALIDATION

Abstract

Organizational researchers have become increasingly interested in multi-level constructs – that is, constructs that are meaningful at multiple levels of analysis. However, despite the plethora of theoretical and empirical work on multi-level topics, explicit frameworks for validation of multi-level constructs have yet to be fully developed. Moreover, available principles for conducting construct validation assume that the construct resides at a single level of analysis. We propose a five-step framework for conceptualizing and testing multi-level constructs by integrating principles of construct validation with recent advancements in multi-level theory, research, and methodology. The utility of the framework is illustrated using theoretical and empirical examples.

Citation

Chen, G., Mathieu, J.E. and Bliese, P.D. (2005), "A FRAMEWORK FOR CONDUCTING MULTI-LEVEL CONSTRUCT VALIDATION", Yammarino, F.J. and Dansereau, F. (Ed.) Multi-level Issues in Organizational Behavior and Processes (Research in Multi-Level Issues, Vol. 3), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 273-303. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1475-9144(04)03013-9