M. JOSEPH SIRGY and TERRI CORNWELL
FURTHER VALIDATION OF THE SIRGY ET AL.’S MEASURE
OF COMMUNITY QUALITY OF LIFE
(Accepted 11 May 2001)
ABSTRACT. Sirgy et al. (2000) have developed a measure of community quality
of life (QOL). This measure captures residents’ satisfaction with community-
based services in the way that these services contribute to global satisfaction
with the community and overall life satisfaction. The measure was validated
nomologically by testing hypotheses directly deduced from a theoretical model
that relates residents’ satisfaction with community-based services with global
community satisfaction and global life satisfaction. The study reported in this
paper replicates and extends Sirgy et al.’s (2000) study. Specifically, the con-
ceptual model that was used to test the nomological (predictive) validity of
the community QOL measure was further expanded and refined. The modified
measure is based on the theoretical notion that satisfaction with the community at
large (global community satisfaction) is mostly determined by satisfaction with
government services (police, fire/rescue, library, etc.), business services (bank-
ing/savings, insurance, department stores, etc.), nonprofit services (alcohol/drug
abuse services, crisis intervention, religious services, etc.), as well as satisfac-
tion with other aspects of the community such as quality of the environment,
rate of change to the natural landscape, race relations, cost of living, crime, ties
with people, neighborhood, and housing. In turn, global community satisfaction
together with satisfaction with other overall life domains (work, family, leisure,
etc.) affect global life satisfaction. Survey data from a variety of communities
located in southwest Virginia were collected to further test the nomological valid-
ity of the measure. The results provided additional nomological validation support
to the community QOL measure.
INTRODUCTION
Sirgy, Rahtz, Cicic, and Underwood (2000) have developed a
community-based QOL measure based on a theoretical model
shown in Figure 1. The model makes the distinction between
“community” and “other” life domains, both contributing to
perceived QOL (global life satisfaction). The community life
domain pertains to one’s perception of one’s overall community.
Social Indicators Research 56: 125–143, 2001.
© 2001 Kluwer Academic Publishers. Printed in the Netherlands.