CONSTRUCT VALIDATION OF THE CUSTOMER ORIENTATION (ORGANIZATIONAL CLIMATE) SCALE IN A PUBLIC SECTOR SERVICE ORGANIZATION

This study examined the factor structure of the 22-item Customer Orientation (Organizational Climate) scale developed by Kelley (1992). The scale was administered in a sample of Australian public sector service organization employees (n = 259). Exploratory factor analysis provided evidence that the scale is multidimensional, although a number of items in the 22-item scale cross-loaded on two factors. Removal of eight items resulted in a 14-item two-factor scale with all items loading cleanly on a single factor. The first factor related to aspects of competence which allow an employee to perform at a satisfactory level, while the second factor concerned elements of the environment in which the service is performed. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the two-factor structure. Reliability analyses of the two derived sub-scales indicated very good internal consistency. Convergent validity was high for both factors, but evidence of discriminant validity was not conclusive.