1 Taking Stock of Survey-based Measures of Bureaucratic Red Tape: Mere Perceptions or More than Meets the Eye?

Despite an upsurge of research on bureaucratic red tape, a central issue about conceptualization and measurement of bureaucratic red tape remains unresolved. The most widely used measure of red tape is based on key informant reports about bureaucratic red tape in the organization. The starkest objection to such measures is that key informant reports are mere perceptions, subject to a variety of influences, and therefore cannot be accepted as reliable indicators of organizational reality. We assess the validity of key informant perception-based measures of bureaucratic red tape by employing the “anchoring vignettes ” technique developed by King, et. al (2004). Anchoring vignettes are unique because they permit comparison of general perceptions with concrete reality-based scenarios. This method allows us to determine the level of “differential item functioning ” (DIF) – or the degree to which respondents perceive the survey question differently- on survey questions that measure red tape. Although we find evidence for differential item functioning in how respondents perceive and report on red tape, it does not have a material effect