A Comparative Assessment of Graphic and 0–10 Rating Scales Used to Measure Entrepreneurial Competences

Abstract

This article presents an empirical comparative assessment of the measurement quality of two instruments commonly used to measure fuzzy characteristics in computer-assisted questionnaires: a graphic scale (a line production scale using a slider bar) and an endecanary scale (a 0−10 rating scale using radio buttons). Data are analyzed by means of multitrait−multimethod models estimated as structural equation models with a mean and covariance structure. For the first time in such research, the results include bias, valid variance, method variance, and random error variance. The data are taken from a program that assesses entrepreneurial competences in undergraduate Economics and Business students by means of questionnaires administered on desktop computers. Neither of the measurement instruments was found to be biased with respect to the other, meaning that their scores are comparable. While both instruments achieve valid and reliable measurements, the reliability and validity are higher for the endecanary scale. This study contributes to the still scarce literature on fuzzy measurement instruments and on the comparability and relative merits of graphic and discrete rating scales on computer-assisted questionnaires.

Keywords

• fuzzy measurement
• endecanary scale
• graphic scale
• slider-bar scale
• rating scale
• reliability
• validity
• multitrait–multimethod models
• entrepreneurial competences