<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p> This article discusses the potential effects of a shortened fielding period on an employee survey’s item and index scores and respondent demographics. Using data from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s 2011 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey, we investigate whether early responding employees differ from later responding employees. Specifically, we examine differences in item and index scores related to employee engagement and global satisfaction. Our findings show that early responders tend to be less positive, even after adjusting their weights for nonresponse. Agencies vary in their prevalence of late responders, and score differences become magnified as this proportion increases. We also examine the extent to which early versus late responders differ on demographic characteristics such as grade level, supervisory status, gender, tenure with agency, and intention to leave, noting that nonminorities and females are the two demographic characteristics most associated with responding early.</p></abstract>

This article discusses the potential effects of a shortened fielding period on an employee survey’s item and index scores and respondent demographics. Using data from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s 2011 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey, we investigate whether early responding employees differ from later responding employees. Specifically, we examine differences in item and index scores related to employee engagement and global satisfaction. Our findings show that early responders tend to be less positive, even after adjusting their weights for nonresponse. Agencies vary in their prevalence of late responders, and score differences become magnified as this proportion increases. We also examine the extent to which early versus late responders differ on demographic characteristics such as grade level, supervisory status, gender, tenure with agency, and intention to leave, noting that nonminorities and females are the two demographic characteristics most associated with responding early.

Does the Length of Fielding Period Matter? Examining Response Scores of Early Versus Late Responders

Westat, 1600 Research Blvd, Rockville, MD 20850 U.S.A.

U.S. Office of Personnel Management, 1900 E Street, NW, Washington, DC 20415, U.S.A.

Journal of Official Statistics

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

This article discusses the potential effects of a shortened fielding period on an employee survey’s item and index scores and respondent demographics. Using...

Does the Length of Fielding Period Matter? Examining Response Scores of Early Versus Late Responders

Published Online: Dec 11, 2014

Page range: 651 - 674

Received: Dec 01, 2012

Accepted: Sep 01, 2014

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jos-2014-0042

Keywords
FEVS, employee surveys, employee satisfaction, employee engagement, fielding period

© by Richard Sigman

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Does the Length of Fielding Period Matter? Examining Response Scores of Early Versus Late Responders

Published Online: Dec 11, 2014

Page range: 651 - 674

Received: Dec 01, 2012

Accepted: Sep 01, 2014

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jos-2014-0042

KeywordsFEVS, employee surveys, employee satisfaction, employee engagement, fielding period

© by Richard Sigman

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
FEVS, employee surveys, employee satisfaction, employee engagement, fielding period