1. Operational definition
? Operational definitions in management
specify the exact procedures or criteria used
to measure or assess concepts or variables.
? They are crucial for ensuring clarity and
consistency in managing processes and
evaluating performance
2. Examples
Employee Productivity:
? Operational Definition: Employee productivity
is measured as the number of units produced
or tasks completed per hour of work. For
example, if an employee completes 50 reports
in an 8-hour workday, their productivity is 6.25
reports per hour.
3. Example 1
Customer Satisfaction:
? Operational Definition: Customer satisfaction
is measured using a survey with a 1-5 rating
scale, where 1 represents "very dissatisfied"
and 5 represents "very satisfied." The average
score from these surveys over a quarter
determines the overall customer satisfaction
rating.
4. Example 2
Project Completion Time:
? Operational Definition: Project completion
time is the total number of calendar days from
the project start date to the final approval
date. For example, if a project starts on
January 1 and is approved on February 15, the
completion time is 45 days.
5. Example 3
Employee Turnover Rate:
? Operational Definition: Employee turnover rate
is calculated by dividing the number of
employees who leave the company (voluntarily
or involuntarily) during a year by the average
number of employees during that year, then
multiplying by 100 to get a percentage. For
example, if 10 employees leave out of an average
of 100 employees, the turnover rate is 10%.
6. Example 4
Employee Engagement:
? Operational Definition: Employee engagement is
measured through a survey with questions about
employees¡¯ emotional commitment to their work
and the organization, such as their willingness to put
in extra effort, their connection to company values,
and their intention to stay with the company. The
engagement score is the average of responses on a
scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree)
on statements related to engagement.
7. OD
? Operational definitions are crucial because
they ensure that everyone understands and
uses terms in the same way, which helps
maintain clarity and consistency in
management related processes and
applications.
8. ? Reliability ensures consistency and
repeatability of results.
? Validity ensures accuracy and relevance of the
measurement.
