A five-item, seven-point semantic differential scale measuring an individual's general attitude toward the practice of companies offshoring their business activities to other countries. Items assess whether offshore outsourcing is perceived as harmful or beneficial, unnecessary or necessary, bad or good, unfavorable or favorable, and negative or positive. Adapted from a prior seven-item measure for use in an Italian consumer sample; survey materials were back-translated (English-Italian) and verified. In the parent study, the scale was used in Study 2 alongside a perceived risk of offshoring scale, with the two scales assessed for discriminant validity — a distinct purpose from the study's primary constructs (moral emotions, consumer attitudes toward the company, and word-of-mouth).
7-point semantic differential (anchors stated per item; number of scale points not explicitly confirmed in source but inferred as 7)
Full scale items shown. Always cite the original source when using this scale in research.
This scale measures overall evaluative attitude toward offshoring as a business practice and is conceptually distinct from related scales in the database: Animosity Toward Outsourced Countries Scale (ID 2159, same paper) measures animosity directed at countries benefiting from labour cost arbitrage; Consumer Sentiment toward Offshored Services Scale (ID 1895) captures concern about domestic job protection; Attitude Toward Offshore Services subscales (IDs 1967-1970) assess specific concerns about service quality and security in offshored services. The ATOFF captures the broadest evaluative stance — whether offshoring is simply seen as good or bad. Items were adapted from a seven-item measure by Durvasula & Lysonski (2009, Journal of International Consumer Marketing); the five items retained are those used by Grappi et al. (2013). The scale was administered as part of Study 2 (N=407) and used primarily for discriminant validity assessment rather than as a primary predictor or outcome in the structural model.
Grappi, S., Romani, S., & Bagozzi, R.P. (2013). The effects of company offshoring strategies on consumer responses. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 41(6), 683-704.
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