A Compendium of Multi‐Item Scales Utilized in Logistics Research (2001–10): Progress Achieved Since Publication of the 1973–2000 Compendium

DOIhttp://doi.org/10.1111/jbl.12011
Published date01 June 2013
Date01 June 2013
A Compendium of Multi-Item Scales Utilized in Logistics Research
(200110): Progress Achieved Since Publication of the 19732000
Compendium
Scott B. Keller, Kimberly Hochard, Thomas Rudolph, and Meaghan Boden
University of West Florida
Forty years have passed since the rst multi-item measurement scales were employed through survey research to better understand important
logistics concepts. Through the years, four leading logistics journals have published research containing a total of 1,670 scales within 283
articles. A 42% increase in utilization has occurred during the most recent decade. The research fully discloses the conceptualization, composi-
tion, and properties of the multi-item survey scales utilized in the study of logistics and supply chain management theory and practice. By docu-
menting each scale published from 2001 to 2010, the authors make comparisons with results from the 19732000 study. Primary ndings
indicate an increase in the percentage of research utilizing multi-item scales, and an increase in the application of conrmatory factor analysis
(CFA) has assisted in producing more highly acceptable psychometric properties of the scales. This implies that researchers are utilizing more
highly developed scales and following strict scale-development procedures for building more robust scales to measure concepts important for
advancing our knowledge of logistics and supply chain management. The top four conceptual categories for the scales have remained the same
since 1973 and account for greater than half of the scales published. Eight additions to the categories since 2001 pertain greatly to controlling
our supply chains for customer, brand, and overall security benets. The compendium of scales provides a central document to reference as
researchers seek to employ highly developed survey measures.
Keywords: survey; measurement; scales; logistics; metrics; reliability; supply chain management
Transportation Journal was one of the rst journals to publish
logistics research beginning in 1961, but it was not until 1973
when the rst article employing multi-item scales in leading
logistics journals appeared in the International Journal of Physi-
cal Distribution which is now the International Journal of Physi-
cal Distribution and Logistics Management (DeHayes 1973).
Ever since DeHayes (1973) utilized such measurement scales to
study railroad on-time performance, researchers of transportation,
logistics, and supply chain management have steadily increased
the development and reliance on multi-item scales for their
research.
Multi-item scales are utilized in survey research to measure
concepts that are not easily quantiable with a single item on a
questionnaire (Dunn et al. 1994; Mentzer and Kahn 1995; Ment-
zer and Flint 1997). Well-conceptualized latent variables (i.e.,
constructs) supported by highly developed and rened measure-
ment scales allow researchers the certainty needed for exploring
and conrming business concepts and relationships among vari-
ables for theory development. Construct measurement and
hypothesis testing are inuenced by the level of validity and reli-
ability of multi-item scale survey data. Scholarship and disci-
plines advance, in part, as the tools utilized by researchers help
assure that what is measured is what was intended to be mea-
sured.
Nearly four decades have passed since publication of the rst
multi-item scale utilized in a leading logistics-focused journal.
Keller et al. (2002) documented, categorized, and evaluated the
development and utilization of multi-item scales in logistics
research starting with DeHayes (1973) through the year 2000.
Results from the study indicate a signicant growth in the num-
ber of articles employing multi-item scales and the number of
scales developed and utilized to better comprehend logistics con-
cepts and relationships. The research also established that the
scales used to measure logistics concepts have, over time,
improved in the range of items per scale and in the average
strength in coefcient alpha reported.
As an extension of Keller et al. (2002), the current study sets
forth to document the 10-year progress made from 2001 to 2010.
More specically, the core objectives of the research include:
1. To identify and document in a compendium, the multi-item
scales published in leading logistics journals from 2001 to
2010. This will offer broad-scale categorizations for research-
ers to more easily reference existing scales and related articles
for future research.
2. To offer a descriptive comparison of scale categories with the
results from Keller et al. (2002).
3. To document and compare with the results from Keller et al.
(2002), the scale development techniques utilized to assess
measurement validity and reliability.
4. To offer a descriptive comparison of the research results
between the Journal of Business Logistics and the Journal of
Marketing.
5. To identify opportunities for the future development of scales
utilized in logistics survey research.
The research followed the method for identifying and catego-
rizing the scales that was employed by Keller et al. (2002) and
will be discussed in the next section. Results and observations
then will be discussed to disclose scale characteristics and the
Corresponding author:
Scott Keller, Professor, Logistics and Marketing, University of West
Florida, 11000 University Parkway, Pensacola, FL 32514-5750,
USA; E-mail: skeller@uwf.edu
Journal of Business Logistics, 2013, 34(2): 8593
© Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals

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