ABSTRACT
Accurate measurement is a prerequisite for advancing our understanding of work commitment, because it helps us achieve objectivity in the interpretation of data about the nature of commitment: what it is, how it develops, and what it affects (Schwab, 1980). In this chapter, what we know about commitment measurement will rst be assessed from different theoretical perspectives, some of which are discussed by Klein, Molloy, and Cooper in chapter 1. Then, general technical issues related to commitment measurement methods will be addressed, and techniques useful for developing new commitment measures and improving the construct validity of existing measures will be described. I conclude with a discussion of the contention that there is a core essence of commitment that is common to all theoretical formulations, and how measurement can contribute to addressing this issue.
