- Michael J. Handel
- September 2008
- DP1357-08
- Link to dp135708 (PDF)
The conceptualization and measurement of key job characteristics has not changed greatly for most social scientists since the Dictionary of Occupational Titles and Quality of Employment surveys were created, despite their recognized limitations. However, debates over the roles of job skill requirements, technology, and new management practices in the growth of inequality have led to renewed interest in better data that directly addresses current research questions. This paper reviews the paradigms that frame current debates, introduces new measures of job content designed specifically to address the issues they raise from the survey of Skills, Technology, and Management Practices (STAMP), and presents evidence on validity and reliability of the new measures.