Service locus of control: its conceptualization and measurement

Abstract

This article reports on the conceptualization of the construct of service locus of control, a dispositional variable with implications for consumer behavior in a range of service settings. The development of a self-administered scale to measure this construct is described. In its final form, the 14-item measure contains three subscales-Internal, Powerful Others, and Luck-which are shown through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses to be robust and relatively independent of each other. Three studies are reported that provide evidence of the scale's reliability and validity. Further tests of, and applications for, the instrument are discussed.