Developing Scale to Measure Quality Orientation of Agricultural Scientists

The growing concern over enhancing the standard of research outputs of the public agricultural research system of this country has enunciated the urgent need for enhancing quality orientation among the scientists working under it. In this context, the present study had been undertaken to design a suitable measuring instrument to measure the extent of quality orientation among agricultural scientists. The sample of the study comprised of two hundred agricultural scientists belonging to different cadres from a low performing institute (LPI) and a high performing institute (HPI). Standard procedure was followed to develop a Likert type quality orientation scale that consisted of fifteen statements. The results of the study showed that majority of the scientists from the LPI had only a lower level of quality orientation whereas, half of the total number of scientists from the HPI had a medium level of quality orientation. As compared to only 6% of scientists from the LPI as high as 38% of the scientists from the HPI had high level of quality orientation. As far as the pooled sample is concerned, about one third (33%) of the scientists had a lower level of quality orientation. Forty five percent and 22% of the pooled sample had respectively medium level and high level of quality orientation. The result of a one way ANOVA showed that there was statistically significant difference in quality orientation among the several cadres of agricultural scientists under study.