Construct Measurement in Information Systems Research: An Illustration in Strategic Systems

Abstract

This study seeks to highlight construct measurement issues in information systems (IS) research. It describes the normative process of construct measurement and identifies the difficult problems involved in measurement and some ways in which these difficulties may be overcome. An illustrative construct‐operationalization study in the area of strategic systems outlines how the normative guidelines may be applied to IS. Some specific recommendations for IS include developing a preliminary model of the construct even if there is little previous measurement research, devoting greater attention to predictive validity because a lack of theories in IS precludes the examination of nomological validity, verifying the assumptions underlying the computation of an overall index, and examining the measurement properties of the index.