Perspectives on the measurement of job attitudes: the long view

Insights from 50 years of industrial research and consulting projects were synthesized into a set of themes pertaining to the measurement of job attitudes. The themes include the importance of developing instruments using vocabulary and style familiar to respondents; of programmatic research in developing and validating measures; of paying attention to anomalies and discontinuities in data; and of integrating research results into science and practice. The authors develop recommendations concerning obtaining useful field experience and fostering a scientific environment that respects and encourages efforts to improve psychological measurement.