An Assessment of Formative and Reflective Constructs in IS Research

Construct development and the use of structural equation modeling has become an important aspect of IS research. However, a review of recent MIS Quarterly (MISQ) articles indicates that little attention is given during theoretical development as to the formative or reflective nature of these constructs. This lack of attention has three implication issues that involve 1) construct misspecification, 2) construct identification and 3) construct validation. This research provides a review of these issues in terms of the current recommendations for formative and reflective constructs and reviews the most recent MISQ articles in terms of their adherence to these recommendations. Guidelines for IS researchers to address construct development and aid in the determination of whether their constructs should be tested as formative or reflective variables are presented to enhance the transportability of constructs.