Freemium business model: construct development and measurement validation

2016 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 604-625 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hao-Chen Huang

Purpose – In recent years, the freemium model is popular with online users in internet markets. Regarding operation, the characteristics of the freemium business model are the focus of all websites and software managers. However, research lacks the literature on the development of the dimensions of the freemium business model and validation of measurement. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to probe into the development of the dimensions of the freemium business model and validate the measurement. Design/methodology/approach – First, by related literature and practical observations, this study reorganizes the characteristics of the freemium business model and develops dimensions and items of the freemium business model to design the items of scale. The development of scale is based on the procedures of standardized testing, including draft, expert consultation, and pretest and test analysis, in order to test the reliability and validity of the scale. This study treated online users as the questionnaire subjects and analyzed 1,016 valid questionnaires. Findings – Regarding empirical analysis, confirmatory factor analysis is conducted to test the internal quality of the model, including composite reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity. According to the empirical result, the freemium business model can be divided into basic free tier, two-sided markets, revenue sharing, service convenience, and network effect, which are the key factors of users’ selection of freemium products or services. This study developed 25 items of scale for the freemium business model. Originality/value – Finally, this study plans to develop a scale of the freemium business model, which can serve as an appropriate measurement tool to measure the freemium business model, as well as help websites and software developers to plan or execute the introduction of freemium products and services. Hence, it can develop and design products and services meeting the needs of online consumers. Website and software managers can adjust their products and services to satisfy online users’ needs.

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 489-505
Author(s):  
Chi Nguyen Thi Khanh ◽  
Le Thai Phong

PurposeThis study examines the direct and indirect impact of environmental belief, nature-based destination image and time perspective on tourist attitude towards ecotourism.Design/methodology/approachData was collected through a structured questionnaire survey conducted in Vietnam. The dataset consists of 479 valid responses by Vietnamese tourists. Correlation analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM) were used to test the causal relationships among time perspective, environmental belief, nature-based destination and ecotourism attitude. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) is conducted to verify the reliability and validity of each latent construct, and to evaluate the discriminant validity, convergent validity, composition reliability and average variance extracted (AVE) for the latent constructs.FindingsThis study finds statistically significant and positive effects of time perspective, environmental belief and nature-based destination image on ecotourism attitude. The results also indicate that environmental belief is found to have statistically significant effects both direct and indirect on ecotourism attitude; its indirect effect is transmitted through nature-based destination image. Our findings demonstrate empirically that tourists are mainly attracted by natural environment sites and that tourists having environmental beliefs are likely to engage in ecotourism than other types of tourism by first influencing their attitude.Research limitations/implicationsOne limitation is associated with our measurement method, which relies on respondents’ self-ratings of their activities. Second, our study is based on internal consistency assessments for establishing construct reliability and validity, which might be the problem of measurement misspecification in tourism research and hinder us to adequately capture the dynamic nature of the variables and the underlying relationships. Third, the survey is conducted in one specific ecotourism nation like Vietnam, and thus, the findings must also be explained in this case.Practical implicationsPolicymakers need to pay careful attention to the planning and conservation of local resources, as well as infrastructure, for ecotourism development. Moreover, the management of eco-site needs to maintain ecology properly, provide an authentic ecotourism experience to improve ecotourism destination. Otherwise, ecotourism operators should focus on marketing strategies to increase traditional and natural values and promote eco-friendly social standards for fostering demand.Originality/valueThis study examines an integrated model analyzing the impact of time perspective, environmental belief and nature-based destination on tourist attitude towards ecotourism. This study reveals the understanding of how individuals’ view towards belief in environment and location image, influences their attitude to engage in ecotourism. The study provides several implications for practice.


2015 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 413-434 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruce Winston ◽  
Dail Fields

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to clarify the nature of how servant leadership is established and transmitted among members of an organization. The second goal was to identify and evaluate the unique actions by a leader essential to establishing servant leadership. The authors’ efforts resulted in identification and validation of ten leader behaviors that seem to be essential to servant leadership. Design/methodology/approach – The authors’ methodology consisted of two stages. In the first stage, The authors developed an item pool of 116 items drawn from previously developed operationalizations of servant leadership. The authors then engaged a panel of 23 researchers attending a conference focused exclusively on the study of servant leadership to evaluate the. Each participant was asked to independently rate each item using a four-point scale where 1=not useful in describing servant leaders and 4=contributes greatly to describing servant leaders. The authors retained only the most highly rated items. This resulted in retention of 22 leader behaviors for further analysis. In the second stage, the authors developed a questionnaire including these items as well as items measuring transformational leadership behaviors, transactional leader behaviors, servant leadership as measured by the instrument developed by Liden et al. (2008), and a measure of leadership effectiveness developed and used by Ehrhart and Klein (2001). The questionnaire was placed in internet-based survey software and the link provided to students and faculty at a private mid-Atlantic university and to university alumni and colleagues in a variety of organizations. Each respondent was asked to describe a leader he/she had worked for in the past five years and included specification of the job role for both the respondent and the leader. Findings – The ten-item scale accounts for 75 percent of the variance with a scale reliability α=0.96. Convergent validity was determined through comparison to Liden et al. (2008) measure of servant leadership. Discriminant validity was established through confirmatory analysis of leader effectiveness, transformational leadership’s four dimensions, a measure of transactional leadership, and an alternative multi-dimensional measure of servant leadership. Originality/value – This paper clarifies and provides a measure of the essential behaviors of servant leaders. This provides a useful measurement tool for leadership development.


2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Blaine G Robbins

Across the social sciences, generalized trust has been one of the most frequently examined constructs since researchers first introduced measures of it in the 1950s. Despite its significance, there is growing consensus that conventional measures of generalized trust are prone to measurement invalidity and non-equivalence, which places sociological knowledge about generalized trust in serious doubt. In this article, I advance trust research in sociology by (1) refining two new self-report measures of generalized trust—the Stranger Face Trust scale (SFT) and the Imaginary Stranger Trust scale (IST)—and (2) assessing their empirical performance on a nationally representative probability sample (N = 1,264). I compare the reliability and validity of SFT, IST, and traditional measures of generalized trust across a number of measurement validation tests (convergent validity, discriminant validity, known-groups validity, and predictive validity). Results suggest that SFT provides the most accurate and consistent measure of generalized trust. I conclude by discussing the implications of my findings for sociological knowledge.


2017 ◽  
Vol 69 (1) ◽  
pp. 64-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruchi Jain Garg ◽  
Vinod Kumar ◽  
Vandana

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop and validate a scale involving the factors affecting usage of e-resources. Design/methodology/approach The present study identifies five factors affecting the usage of e-resources: training modes, awareness, influencers, utilitarian benefits, and experiential and hedonic benefits. To generate measurement items, two focus group discussions were carried out which resulted in 20 items. To empirically ensure reliability and validity of scale, data were collected from 347 postgraduate students actively using e-resources. To test reliability of scale, internal consistency reliability and construct reliability were examined. The construct validity of scale (which includes convergent validity and discriminant validity) was verified through confirmatory factor analysis using structure equation modeling. Findings Findings of the study present a statistically reliable and valid scale consisting of five factors and 18 items. Originality/value The present study is one of the distinctive studies on introducing a scale employing factors affecting usage of e-resources.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lee Chin Tay ◽  
Fee Yean Tan ◽  
Khulida Kirana Yahya ◽  
Amran Rasli

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to validate the corporate environmental citizenship measurement originally developed by Banerjee (2002) in the Malaysian setting. Design/methodology/approach A systematic sampling technique was used, with a total of 251 responses. The measurement was tested using content validity, convergent validity and discriminant validity. Findings The study finds that all four dimensions are highly suited for measuring corporate environmental citizenship in the construction companies in Malaysia. Research limitations/implications The study uses a single respondent to report on the organization’s corporate environmental citizenship. The perceptions among the respondents may differ. Practical implications Organizations can use the measurement for benchmarking current levels of organizations’ environmental degradation as well as identify which business areas are in need to improve environmental preservation. Social implications This study theoretically conceptualized corporate environmental citizenship as a multidimensional construct containing four dimensions. Originality/value This study contributes to the body of knowledge by validating corporate environmental citizenship measurement in the Malaysian context as measurement validation studies are scarcely found.


2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 263-284 ◽  
Author(s):  
Budi Hartono ◽  
Deo F.N. Wijaya ◽  
Hilya M. Arini

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop and to empirically verify a model of project risk management maturity (PRMM). Design/methodology/approach – Theoretical work to develop the initial model of risk maturity. Empirical study by a cross-sectional survey to the Indonesian construction industry. Findings – A new model of PRMM is developed and empirically tested. The model is valid (face validity, content validity, discriminant validity, convergent validity, and criterion validity) and reliable. Research limitations/implications – A more comprehensive, follow-up study is required to gain more insights on the actual maturity level of Indonesian construction industry. Practical implications – The model is applicable to assess the organizational maturity level which in turn could be used for improving organization performance. Originality/value – The work demonstrates a novel approach in developing models by emphasizing on the empirical verification.


2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. ii145-ii145
Author(s):  
Giuliana Zarrella ◽  
Alice Perez ◽  
Jorg Dietrich ◽  
Michael Parsons

Abstract INTRODUCTION Subjective cognitive dysfunction is an important outcome measure in neuro-oncology and may provide additional information beyond performance-based neuropsychological testing. The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Brain (FACT-Br) is a frequently used quality of life (QoL) measure that includes indices of physical, emotional, social, and neurologic aspects of disease, but does not measure cognitive concerns. This study seeks to develop and validate an index of self-reported cognition derived from existing items on the FACT-Br. METHODS 145 patients (Mage=51.08, Medu=15.63) with heterogeneous brain tumor diagnoses completed neuropsychological evaluation including cognitive testing and self-report measures. Nine FACT-Br items regarding cognition were combined to form the Cognitive Index (CI). Reliability of the CI was measured with Cronbach’s alpha. Concurrent validity was assessed by correlating the CI with the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Cognitive Abilities-8 or PROMIS Cognitive Concerns-8. Discriminant validity was assessed by correlation of the CI with other FACT-Br indices and the Beck Depression and Anxiety Inventories (BDI, BAI). RESULTS Internal consistency within the CI was high (Cronbach’s a 0.864). The CI correlated strongly with the PROMIS-Abilities (r =.680; p< 0.001) and PROMIS-Concerns (r=.780; p< 0.001) indicating high convergent validity. Moderate correlations were observed between the CI and the physical and functional subscales of the FACT (r=.453 and .555), whereas correlations with the social and emotional functioning subscales were weaker (r=.381 and .325). The FACT-Br-CI correlated strongly with BDI (r=-.622) and more weakly with the BAI (r=-.344). Consistent with prior literature, the CI showed modest correlations with neuropsychological measures, including verbal memory encoding (r=.300), verbal fluency (r=.252) and a composite measure of cognition (r=.249; all p’s< .01). CONCLUSIONS The FACT-Br-CI is a reliable and valid measure of self-reported cognition. Studies that include the FACT-Br could be retrospectively analyzed to assess self-reported cognitive outcomes, enriching the information gained from prior research.


2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 426-439 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ghazala Khan ◽  
Faiza Khan

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to develop and validate a measurement scale for determining the “Halalness” of restaurants and related behaviour among Muslim consumers in the absence of the halal logo. The study responded to scholarly calls for further research in exploring the consumption practices of Muslims.Design/methodology/approachThe scale was developed and validated using a rigorous methodology recommended in the scale development literature. The study used a total sample of 438 (66 respondents for pilot study, 208 for exploratory survey and 164 for the confirmatory survey) to collect the data. Reliability and validity of the measurement scale was established through average variance extracted, Cronbach’s alpha, composite reliability, critical ratios and discriminant validity.FindingsThe results from the exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory analysis propose a three-dimensional measurement scale with 14 items for establishing the “Halalness” of restaurants and including social servicescape; neighbourhood and behaviour.Research limitations/implicationsThe study was unable to validate a number of cues and behaviour such as the presence of images in the restaurant or consumer responses to the presence of alcohol. The researchers are therefore encouraged to test these cues.Originality/valueThe study addresses a gap in Islamic literature, and it is among the first to provide conceptualisation and empirically validate a scale for measuring the “Halalness” of restaurants. The scale was tested and validated based on samples drawn from two different countries, thereby allowing for generalizability.


Psichologija ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 47 ◽  
pp. 44-60
Author(s):  
M. Tvarijonavičius ◽  
D. Bagdžiūnienė

Straipsnyje analizuojama darbuotojų psichologinio įgalinimo problema, pristatomas lietuviškas psichologinio įgalinimo vertinimo klausimynas ir jo psichometrinės charakteristikos. Metodas parengtas dviem etapais, naudojant empirinę skalių konstravimo strategiją. Pirmajame etape, taikant grupinio interviu ir ekspertinio vertinimo metodus, parengti psichologinio įgalinimo vertinimo teiginiai. Antrajame etape atliktas empirinis tyrimas (dalyvavo 189 tiriamieji, reprezentuojantys 8 Lietuvos organizacijas). Remiantis jo rezultatais parengtas lietuviškas psichologinio įgalinimo vertinimo klausimynas. Tiriamosios faktorių analizės metodu išskirti penki faktoriai: prasmė, entuziazmas, sprendimų priėmimas, autonomija ir pasitikėjimas kompetencija. Klausimynas pasižymi dideliu vidiniu patikimumu (bendras Cronbacho α = 0,909, atskirų subskalių nuo 0,755 iki 0,880), dideliu konvergentiniu ir diskriminantiniu konstrukto validumu tiek viso klausimyno, tiek atskirų penkių skalių lygmeniu.Pagrindiniai žodžiai: psichologinis įgalinimas, psichologinio įgalinimo klausimynas, patikimumas, validumas.EMPLOYEE PSYCHOLOGICAL EMPOWERMENT: PSYCHOMETRIC PROPERTIES OF THE LITHUANIAN QUESTIONNAIREMantas Tvarijonavičius, Dalia Bagdžiūnienė SummaryEmployee psychological empowerment is treated as a multidimensional construct manifesting in several dimensions. It has been researched for several decades using various scales depending on the definition of psychological empowerment chosen by a reasercher. However, there is a lack of widely applicable, compact instruments for a reliable and valid assessment of psychological empowerment. Furthermore, there has been a lack of empowerment research in Lithuania. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to construct a Lithuanian psychological empowerment questionnaire and to evaluate its psychometric properties (reliability and validity).The strategy of the empirical construction of a questionnaire was used. At first, statements to describe the concept of psychological empowerment were generated, using group interviews and expert evaluation. Fifteen final items were included into the Lithuanian Psychological Empowerment Questionnaire (LPEQ). Then, an empirical research was performed: 189 respondents from 8 organizations filled up the LPEQ, G.M. Spreizer (1995) Psychological Empowerment Questionnaire (PEQ), B. E. Ashforth (1990) Helplessness Scale, Intrinsic Motivation Scale (Warr et al., 1979), and socio-demografic questions.The results of the study have revealed that the LPEQ has a high internal reliability (Cronbach α = 0.909). Five factors were extracted using the exploratoryfactor analysis, three items each. Psychological empowerment was defined based on five dimensions: meaning, enthusiasm, decision making, authonomy, and trust in competence. The Cronbach α was between 0.755 and 0.880 for the dimension level. These five dimensions show support for the existing models of psychological empowerment (Spreitzer, 1995; Menon, 2001), but also they supplement these models with for instance, the dimension of enthusiasm.The convergent validity of the LPEQ was confirmed by strong correlations (p < 0.01) between the LPEQ and the PEQ subscales, and the Intrinsic Motivation Scale. It was supported by a negative correlation between the LPEQ subscales and the Helplessness Scale. Based on the analysis of correlations, the discriminant validity of the LPEQ dimensions’ levels was confirmed.In conclusion, the Lithuanian Psychological Empowerment Questionnaire (LPEQ) can be characterized as an instrument with appropriate psychometricproperties for the use in research and practice. Directions for the future research in the field have been offered.Key words: psychological empowerment, psychological empowerment questionnaire, reliability, validity.


2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 68-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qaisar Iqbal ◽  
Siti Hasnah Hassan ◽  
Noor Hazlina Ahmad

Infollution management is a substantial dilemma in this century. There is lacking empirical evidence about infollution management. Perceived infollution has been explored based on information quality. This study aims to identify the factors of perceived infollution (information pollution) and validate those factors using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Researchers have personally collected data from employees of the banking sector. Factor analysis was performed to explore the factors using Statistical Package for the Social Science, and CFA was conducted to check the reliability, validity, and the model fitness in SmartPLS. The scale developed in this study has exhibited high values of reliability and validity and ensured the presence of both discriminant validity and convergent validity. The newly developed scale of perceived infollution provides a basis for most of the academicians and researchers to empirically investigate the relationship of perceived infollution with individual’s performance and organizational effectiveness, which is considered an important area of interest among the academic researchers in recent years. Extent literature review suggests that it is the first study conducted to develop measurement scale of perceived infollution (information pollution).


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document