Operationalization

When designing a research study, Operationalization is the process by which  the researcher sets out to measure something that is not directly measurable. For example, "employee engagement" cannot be measured directly, but there are things that engaged employees do or don't do that indicate their level of engagement. This could include working overtime when needed, volunteering to take on extra tasks, or not taking unscheduled leaves. These things, which are measurable, can be used to operationalize the concept of "employee engagement."