Designing measurement for calibration: an instrument-design framework for fsQCA applications in tourism research

Purpose This article introduces “Measurement Before Calibration,” a design-oriented framework for developing survey instruments capable of yielding interpretable, theory-driven fuzzy-set memberships in fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis. It addresses the upstream methodological gap of whether measurement scales are built to support substantive calibration. Design/methodology/approach The framework specifies a five-step sequence: set definition, membership meaning definition, trade-off item design, pre-calibration validation and theory-driven calibration. It is demonstrated through a pilot study of 129 respondents choosing between destinations varying in price, convenience and sustainability credentials. Findings Using trade-off ladders rather than symbolic Likert agreement items successfully prevented ceiling effects in socially desirable constructs. Pre-calibration screening effectively identified exact-crossover ambiguity. Configurational analysis revealed a single conjunctural path requiring all four conditions jointly for sustainable destination choice. Research limitations/implications The pilot relies on a convenience sample of 129 respondents and evaluates a single sufficient configuration. Future research should implement between-subjects experimental designs to test configurational patterns in larger, representative samples. Originality/value While prior guidelines focus on calibration mechanics and reliability, this article provides an upstream instrument-design methodology ensuring measurement precedes and supports valid set-theoretic calibration.