Methods in Sales Research: A Critical Evaluation of a Measure of Job Involvement: The Use of the Lodahl and Kejner (1965) Scale with Salespeople

Abstract

With the current uncertainty in the job market, coupled with an emphasis on customer satisfaction and long-term business relationships, there is a renewed interest in salespeople who are highly involved in their jobs. Before any convincing research in this area can be undertaken, a psychometrically sound scale of salesperson job involvement must be available. Our paper provides an assessment in a sales setting of three versions of the most widely used job involvement scale—the Lodahl and Kejner (1965) scale. Results suggest that all three versions have serious flaws and should be used with extreme caution. While one study is never enough to make final recommendations, a classic scale development project with salespeople may be beneficial.