Question

2. A sample question from the draft of the Pohattan Power Company questionnaire reads: I have been with the company: 20 years or upward 10 to 15 years upward 5 to 10 years upward Less than a year Check one that most applies a. What kind of a scale is the question's author using? b. What errors have been made in the construction of the question? (Identify at least 3) c. Rewrite the question to achieve clearer results

Answer 1

(a) The author is using interval scale in the questionnaire where he /she intends to use an interval of 5 years between the successive scales.

(b) The errors

(i) The intervals are not uniform and consistent. In one option the interval is one year ( less than one year option) while in the other three, it is five years. There is no interval of 15-20 years

(ii) The intervals have been misleading. Like, 5 to 10 year upward includes next two options, which are 10-15 years and 20 years upward. In this case, the first one (5 to 10 year upward) is true for every employee who has worked fr 5 years or more.

(iii) The intervals are not formed appropriately. For example, someone who has worked for 10 years counts in both options, 2 and 3. [ 5-10 years and 10-15 years]

(c) Correction

I Have been with the company

(i) 0-5 years

(ii) 6 years to 10 years

(iii) 11 years to 15 years

(iv) 16 years to 20 years

(v) 20+ years.