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Perceived Dirty Work

HR & WorkReliability: alpha 0.883 sample items

About this scale

A multi-item measure of perceived 'dirtiness' of one's occupation — physical, social, or moral taint. Used in occupational-stigma research.

Sample item(s)

“My job involves things that other people consider unpleasant”
“My job has a stigma attached to it”
“People look down on people who do my kind of work”

Reliability

Reported internal consistency: alpha 0.88. As a rule of thumb, Cronbach’s α ≥ .70 is considered acceptable, ≥ .80 good, and ≥ .90 excellent for established measures.

Notes

Foundational dirty-work measure.

Source & citation

Ashforth, B. E., & Kreiner, G. E. (1999): 'How can you do it?': Dirty work and the challenge of constructing a positive identity. Academy of Management Review, Vol. 24, No. 3, pp. 413–434.

Ashforth, B. E., & Kreiner, G. E. (1999): 'How can you do it?': Dirty work and the challenge of constructing a positive identity. Academy of Management Review, Vol. 24, No. 3, pp. 413–434.

Source. Scale details are summarised from the publication cited above. Always consult the original source for the full item set, scoring, and permission to use.

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