Recommendations for improving the construct clarity of higher-order multidimensional constructs

In recent decades, there has been a proliferation of higher-order multidimensional constructs in the management and psychology literatures. Unfortunately, few guidelines have been presented for assessing the appropriateness of these constructs. In the current paper, the authors present seven recommendations for evaluating the construct clarity of multidimensional constructs. As an example, these guidelines are applied to existing multidimensional constructs, such as core self-evaluation and work engagement. The guidelines presented in this paper provide a roadmap for researchers interested in developing multidimensional constructs and identifying aspects of existing multidimensional constructs that are in need of improvement. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.