Developing and Validating a Context-Sensitive Scale of Excellence-Driven Behavior in Public Universities: A Mixed-Methods Psychometric Study

Quantitative behavioral research depends on clear construct specification and psychometrically sound measurement tools, especially when emerging constructs are examined in context-sensitive organizational settings. This study developed and validated a scale of excellence-driven behavior among faculty and staff in Chinese public universities. A mixed-methods measurement-development design was used. First, the construct domain was derived from Excellence-Driven theory and contextualized within public universities. Second, qualitative evidence from semi-structured interviews and open-ended questionnaires using the Critical Incident Technique was used to generate and refine behavioral indicators. Third, the resulting instrument was examined through item analysis, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and reliability and validity assessment. The findings supported a two-dimensional structure consisting of Excellence-Driven Cognition and Learning and Excellence-Driven Display. The scale showed acceptable evidence of internal structure, internal consistency, convergent validity, discriminant validity between the two dimensions, and preliminary criterion-related validity. These results provide initial psychometric support for the use of the scale in future research on excellence-driven behavior among faculty and staff in Chinese public universities, while further evidence regarding temporal stability, measurement invariance, and broader empirical distinction from adjacent constructs is still needed.