Multi-Item Scale:
Item Text:
c) I would turn down another, better-paid job to stay in my calling. [Ich würde eine andere, besser bezahlte Stelle ablehnen, um in meinem Beruf zu bleiben.]
Different Answer Format Tested:
Nein
Findings:
The majority of the test persons (n = 8) disagree (strongly) with this statement. However, as with question 5, it became clear from the questions of the test directors that one test person (TP 13) had ticked a "wrong" answer due to the negatively formulated item and the associated difficulty in expressing with the answer scale that he/she would like to continue in his/her current job and actually wanted to answer "agree" instead of "disagree": "I would not agree with this question (that I would change) because I actually like my job very much and would possibly perform it in another company. But I didn't want to do something else arbitrarily." (TP 13, disagree).
Test person 01 also states that due to the negative wording he had difficulties in answering the statement: "I found it difficult to answer. I had to think about which answer I had to mark with a cross to say what I meant." (TP 01).
The test persons 02 ("Don’t know") and 15 ("Neither nor") justify their answers, as (partly) already in question 5, by the fact that it depends on the respective circumstances whether one would refuse such a position or not. Several factors (and not only payment) would play a role here:
Test person 01 also states that due to the negative wording he had difficulties in answering the statement: "I found it difficult to answer. I had to think about which answer I had to mark with a cross to say what I meant." (TP 01).
The test persons 02 ("Don’t know") and 15 ("Neither nor") justify their answers, as (partly) already in question 5, by the fact that it depends on the respective circumstances whether one would refuse such a position or not. Several factors (and not only payment) would play a role here:
- “That depends on what I'm offered. There's more than just money involved.“ (TP 02)
- “Money is not the decisive point for a change of job. There are several factors. Money is only one of them.“ (TP 15)
- “Does "profession" here mean the position, i.e. the job? Because you can have another job in the same profession? Here I asked myself whether one takes the better paid job but leaves the profession or whether one takes a better paid job but stays in the profession? That is unclear. I have now referred more to the second interpretation. I would like to do this job, if it were a completely different job now, I wouldn't do it, it's something else." (TP 06)
- “I found the answer to statement c) rather difficult. What is meant by "another, better paid job" as opposed to "to stay in my job"? By "not staying in my job" I would now imagine, for example, a complete change of job. I wouldn't agree with this question, because I really like my job very much and would like to work in another company if necessary. But I didn't want to do something arbitrary.“ (TP 13)
- “After all, this is about my job, not the position I'm holding right now?“ (TP 14)
Recommendations:
We recommend avoiding the negative wording "reject" in this statement, as this causes difficulties in using the response scale. A possible reformulation would be:
"I would retain my current occupation even if I were offered another, better-paid position." [„Ich würde meine derzeitige berufliche Tätigkeit beibehalten, auch wenn man mir eine andere, besser bezahlte Stelle anbieten würde.“]
"I would retain my current occupation even if I were offered another, better-paid position." [„Ich würde meine derzeitige berufliche Tätigkeit beibehalten, auch wenn man mir eine andere, besser bezahlte Stelle anbieten würde.“]