Reliability of research instruments in management sciences research: an explanatory perspective

Abstract

Purpose: The reliability of test scores is the extent to which they are consistent across different occasions of testing, different editions of the test, or different raters scoring the test taker’s responses. The purpose of this study is to assess the various approaches in determining the reliability of research instruments in management sciences research. Design/methodology/approach: The study used an exploratory research technique and relied on information from previous studies and publications, including journals, textbooks, periodicals, and the internet. Findings: Consequence upon several articles reviewed on the subject matter by different researchers on reliability of research instrument, it was observed that some scholars were able to test and measure data credibility through different modes such as internal consistency, inter rater, alternate form and reliability coefficient. Practical implications: The paper explored all of the pertinent concerns surrounding quantitative research instrument reliability and reviewed test reliability which include but not limited to: “alternate-forms reliability,” “inter-rater reliability,” “internal consistency,” “reliability coefficient,” “classification consistency,” with illustrations. Originality/value: Popular and commonly used reliability assessment approaches in Nigeria and in the field of management are the use of Cronbach alpha and Test-retest reliability tests for instrument reliability. Despite these, there are different types of reliabilities which are less reported in the field of management in the Nigeria academia. Based on this, the study reviewed various approaches and types of reliability test commonly utilised in Management sciences. Keywords: Research Instrument, Reliability, Alternate-forms Reliability, Inter-rater Reliability, Internal Consistency. JEL CODE: M30.