The development and validation of an updated job search behavior scale

Abstract

Blau's (1993) two-dimensional measure of job search behavior has been a useful tool for measuring preparatory and active job search behavior. In the nearly 30 years since its original publication, however, the nature of job search behavior has changed drastically due to technological advancements. As time has passed, concerns regarding the content and structural validity of the original 12-item measure have been raised, calling into question its utility for measuring job search behavior in the 21st century. In this paper, we developed and validated an updated job search behavior scale using contemporary psychometric techniques, including item response theory. In doing so, we empirically examined the factor structure of the original and updated measure and conclude that the updated job search behavior scale is unidimensional. We provide evidence of content, structural, nomological, and discriminant validity that suggests that our updated scale should be used to measure job search behavior moving forward.