Multi-item unidimensional measurement scale construct: Perceived hygiene development (pHd)

Abstract

The recent COVID-19 pandemic experience intensified the significance of hygiene in the service industry. It is crucial to measure how service practice adaptations and technology adoptions in servicescapes have been perceived by customers regarding hygiene in the post-COVID-19 era. However, the extant hygiene scales do not serve the purpose to measure hygiene contributions of technology-specific and service practice-specific changes. Thus, the purpose of this research was to develop a multi-item unidimensional perceived hygiene construct. Sequential mixed-methods research (Qual-Quan) was employed. Participants were sampled among restaurant patrons. A four-item perceived hygiene development (pHd) construct was successfully developed. Hospitality and service researchers and practitioners can utilize this scale to measure perceived hygiene improvements of particular technology adoptions and service practice adaptations in service settings.