Psychometric Properties of the Multicultural Counselling Competency Scale Among Malaysian Professional Counsellors: An Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis Approach

This study aimed to assess the construct validity of the Community Attitudes towards the Mentally Ill scale in the investigation of European nurses' attitudes towards mental illness and mental health patients. The harbouring of negative attitudes by nurses towards any patient can have implications for recovery. To gather robust evidence upon which to base information and education aimed at fostering acceptance, support and general positivity towards people with mental health illness, a valid and reliable system of data collection is required. A confirmatory factor analysis of both the original Community Attitudes towards the Mentally Ill scale and two modified versions of the scale were carried out during May - June 2007 using a data set representing the responses of 858 European nurses to the scale. Data were subjected to three different confirmatory factor analyses using Maximum Likelihood estimation in the software package, Analysis of Moment Structures 7. A number of absolute, relative and incremental fit statistics were used to assess the fit of the original Community Attitudes towards the Mentally Ill scale and two modified versions to the European nursing data. A modification of the scale was found to be most suitable for use in the investigation of European nurses' attitudes towards mental illness and people with mental illness. Further research is recommended to develop a valid and reliable research tool to specifically measure the attitudes of 'nurses' working across different mental healthcare facilities towards this vulnerable patient group.

Introduction: Although the Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure (DREEM) has been accepted for educational environment assessment in various health education backgrounds, limited studies have confirmed evidence for its use in Iran. This study examined a shortened version of the DREEM-50 among Iranian students. Method: A sample of 316 medical and paramedical students from Iran's selected southwest Universities of Medical Sciences in 2020–2021 were invited to complete DREEM-33, a shortened version of the DREEM questionnaire. Psychometric criteria for assessing reliability included Cronbach's alpha, intracluster correlation coefficient (ICC), and composite coefficients. In the construct validity section, discriminant validity was measured using the Fornell and Larcker criteria based on the confirmatory factor analysis approach, and principal component analysis with varimax rotation using the exploratory factor analysis approach. Data were analyzed using SPSS 25, Smartpls 3.2.8, and Lisrel 8.8 software. Results: The shortened version had 33 items spread across all five components of DREEM-50. The exploratory factor analysis showed that the five components with eigenvalues > 1 accounted for 61% of the variance. Also, standard factor loadings ranged from 0.52 to 0.86. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the original five components of the DREEM (χ2= 2106.35; DF=490; P<0.001; CFI=0.94; GFI=0.86; AGFI=0.91; NFI=0.93; SRMR=0.038; RMSEA=0.08). The ICC and Cronbach's alpha for the whole DREEM was 0.92. All subscales had values ranging from 0.72 to 0.93. Conclusion: With satisfactory psychometric properties, the abbreviated DREEM-33 demonstrated its validity and reliability for future use in Iran in various educational environments.

An integrated estimation approach to incorporate latent variables through SEM into discrete mode choice models to analyze mode choice attitude of a rider

The application of entrepreneurial marketing (EM) strategies to the sustainability of profit and non-profit making ventures has drawn critics from practitioners and academic domains. Many have argued that EM dimensions are designed for profit marking ventures and not for profit venture. This informed the need to examine the effect of EM on the survival of social enterprises (SEs) in Nigeria. The study selected SEs staff in Anambra State, Nigeria using a quantitative research approach. Data were collected from 387 SE staff using a structured questionnaire. Hypotheses were tested using International Business Machine Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (IBM-SPSS) and International Business Machine -Statistical Package for the Social Sciences - Analysis of Moment Structures (IBM-SPSS-AMOS) version 27 that runs exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling (SEM). The findings revealed that all the EM dimensions, except market sensing, have significant and positive effect on the survival of SEs in Nigeria. Therefore, the study concluded that EM has significant effect on the survival of SEs in Anambra State, Nigeria. The study recommended that practitioners should adopt and implement EM dimensions as the basic enablers that would sustain the existence of SEs in both Nigeria and beyond.

This study examined the validity as well as reliability of a tool designed to examine training within the context of succession planning at public universities in Malaysia, using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) as well as Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) methods. Therefore, this study obtained fourteen training items from prior studies and different industries, and these were modified according to the higher education industry. The survey was distributed to 430 respondents, comprising administrators from 20 public universities. Note that EFA was conducted on the pilot study data (n = 102) to determine potential factor structures. Correspondingly, CFA utilised data from the field study (n = 328) to validate the construct measurement model. Here, the validation processes for both the EFA as well as CFA presented that only 13 modified items across 4 components remained for a better-fitting model: Training Effectiveness (TE), Training Needs (TN), Training Transfer (TT), as well as Trainee Characteristic (TC). All Composite Reliability (CR) measures concerning these four components surpassed the necessary threshold of 0.7. As these indices values lie in their corresponding cutoff ranges, the model satisfies the Goodness-of-Fit (GOF) criterion: Chisq/df of 1.969, RMSEA of 0.054, GFI of 0.953, CFI of 0.976, TLI of 0.968, and NFI of 0.952. The research indicates that the tool is both valid as well as reliable for evaluating the elements of the training model.

This article aims to verify the key factors behind the changes in small towns due to the spillover of the Klang-Langat Valley using Exploration Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) approaches. This study is based on the responses of 355 stakeholders from Hulu Selangor, Selangor, selected via random sampling. Likert scale questionnaires ranging from 1 to 5 were used to obtain feedback. Overall, the questionnaire was reliable with an Alpha Cronbach value for each construct greater than 0.7. The obtained data were processed through EFA in order to group the constructs and items for the change factor of small towns. The CFA was undertaken in order to verify the accumulated constructs based on their respective groups. The findings reveal the creation of six constructs: access (5 items), environment (5 items), security (2 items), activity (4 items), neighbourhood (2 items) and infrastructure (2 items). It is thus hoped that the findings of this research can help in identifying factors behind the transformation of small town due to the spillover of the Klang-Langat Valley. Indeed, the transformation is driving both positive and negative impacts on both urban and rural areas through socioeconomic development and ultimately contributing to improved quality of life in line with contemporary globalisation.

The aim of this study was to develop a continuous professional development training module based on multicultural counselling competency for professional counsellors in Malaysia. The research methodology comprised three phases: (i) training need assessment using survey method, (ii) module design and development and (iii) module evaluation using an experimental design. First, the Multicultural Counselling Competency Survey-Malaysian Counsellor Edition questionnaire was used to collect data from 116 professional counsellors from various work settings. The results clearly indicated the need for continuous professional development training to enhance counsellors’ multicultural counselling competency. The development of the training module adopted Sidek’s model, a Malaysian-based framework for module development. The developed training module was then evaluated for its effectiveness through analysing its content validity and reliability. Results revealed that the training module scored high content validity value of 77.2% (0.77) and satisfactory reliability level (alpha Cronbach’s coefficient value of 0.75). The overall findings of the present research imply that the continuous professional development training module is necessary for enhancing multicultural counselling competency of Malaysian professional counsellors.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to deploy structural equation modeling (SEM) technique to empirically validate the interrelationships amongst significant variables of 5S implementation and business excellence performance parameters (BEPP) in SEM_5S model.Design/methodology/approachThe confirmatory factor analysis approach is utilized to generate the effective SEM_5S model by using AMOS 20.0 (analysis of moment structures) software. The data have been collected from different manufacturing organizations that have successfully deployed the 5S program by using well-designed questionnaire for the evaluation of SEM_5S model.FindingsSEM of 5S various parameters has established that attributes like top management involvement initiatives, employee involvement initiatives, basic 5S initiatives (BFSI) and fifth S initiatives (Shitsuke) should be holistically emphasized during the implementation of 5S program, leading to attainment of high level of melioration in the BEPP. SEM has been deployed to evaluate the original and modification indices of the model, which further establishes the improvement in SEM’s effectiveness. The model establishes the significant impact of 5S implementation on business excellence of manufacturing organizations.Originality/valueThe outcomes of the study will help the organizational managers, HR executives and practitioners from manufacturing organizations to know about the significant factors which should be followed holistically to achieve overall organizational business excellence through strategic 5S initiatives.

This study aimed to develop and validate instruments for measuring financial behavioral constructs. This study contributes to looking at the habits of university students in managing pocket money earned from parents in daily life. The sample of this study is economic education students at state universities in Indonesia. Data collection was carried out through online questionnaires. Data analysis was carried out in 2 stages, namely, EFA (Exploratory Factor Analysis) in a pilot study of 112 respondents and CFA (Confirmatory Factor Analysis) of 440 respondents in the field study. The results showed that the financial behavior constructs with three dimensions, namely, saving behavior, spending behavior, and financial planning, have met the validity and reliability requirements to be used in future research. Researchers can then review other factors that affect financial behavior so that they can find other factors that can influence it. In addition, this study can also be carried out in various countries, but sufficient data support is needed if the dimensions in this construct will be used in future research.

To effectively conduct counselling sessions, professional counsellors in Malaysia need to possess multicultural competence, especially considering the discrepancies between the ideal and the actual understanding of polygamous marriages. This study examines the relationship between multicultural academic experience, multicultural counselling competency, and the competency of counsellors in addressing polygamous family structures among 370 registered counsellors in Malaysia. The collected data was analysed using Pearson Correlations, One-Way ANOVA and Multiple Regressions. The findings indicate that the respondents demonstrated high multicultural academic experience and multicultural counselling competency. There was a significant positive correlation between multicultural academic experience and multicultural counselling competency, as well as the competency of counsellors in handling polygamous families. Moreover, there were noteworthy variations in competency levels based on ethnicity. This study highlights the crucial role of multicultural academic experience and multicultural counselling competency in predicting the competency of counsellors when dealing with polygamous families. Further validation of the Counselors’ Multicultural Competency on the Polygamous Family Structure Scale is recommended in future studies encompassing larger and more diverse populations.

Multicultural Counseling Competency in College Counseling Centers: Recommendations for Implementation By necessity, counseling professionals are challenged with meeting the service needs of individuals from diverse groups. To answer the challenge, counselor education programs along with their accrediting bodies are increasingly more aware of the importance of cultural differences in counseling practices. The standards of practice outlined by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) include updated information on social and cultural diversity that parallel current research (CACREP, 2009). The International Association of Counseling Services (IACS, 2010) also recognized the importance of multicultural counseling competence in the role of counselors/counselors-in-training working within college and university settings. Thus, solidified counselor-in-training multicultural counseling awareness and knowledge of self and others, and skills when working cross-culturally are of the utmost importance. The purpose of this article is to recommend ways to implement evidence-based multicultural counseling competency standards for counselors-intraining working as interns or practicum students in university counseling centers. To do so, the article describes a current college counseling center Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) program's procedures and methods for training and measuring counselor-in-training multicultural counseling competency. Beforehand, a brief review of the multicultural counseling competency research is provided that includes a review of common instruments of self-reported multicultural counselor competence (MCC). Self-reported MCC instruments can be utilized by counseling center programs to measure counselor-in-training multicultural counseling learning outcomes. Recommendations are outlined for the implementation of MCC standards into college counseling centers that can be utilized with on-site counselors-in-training. The article concludes with a discussion on meeting college counseling center standards of practice, future research, and new directions in multicultural counseling. Multicultural Counseling and Counselors-in-Training Sue et al.'s (1982) work provided the basis for MCC through the use of a three factor model (i.e. self-assessed attitudes/beliefs, knowledge of populations diverse from self, and the skills necessary to work with people diverse from our selves). First, counselor awareness of attitudes/beliefs toward their own race, ethnicity, and/or cultural heritage and their beliefs/attitudes toward the race, ethnicity, and cultural heritage of others is one factor in MCC. Second, counselor multicultural knowledge is generally defined as an understanding of the world-views of communities and the individuals within diverse communities. Third, multicultural counselor competence in terms of skills involves counselors' ability to use culturally sensitive interventions and strategies when working with clients from diverse backgrounds. The three factor model was embraced in whole or in part by counseling fields and has become a guide to the counseling education standardization bodies (e.g. CACREP, 2009). Thus, the definitions that guide counselor competence also guide how counselors-in-training are educated. Multicultural Counseling Competency The three factor model helped to define multicultural counseling competency (MCC). Pope-Davis, Liu, Toporek, and Brittan-Powell (2001) stated that MCC is guided by the three-factor model (awareness of attitudes/beliefs, knowledge, and skills) introduced by Sue et al. (1982). As suggested by Middleton et al. (2000) counselor-in-training MCC should include: (a) examination of their cultural values to see how they impact their cultural biases, (b) recognition of the impact of the counselor's own cultural values on diverse populations, and (c) acknowledgment of the differences that occur between diverse populations. …

A cross-validation of safety climate scale using confirmatory factor analytic approach

Bestowing to Christensen [1] (https://www.revolvy.com/main/index.php?s=Clayton+M.+Christensen&item_type), Disruptive Technology (DT) as an evolving technology which relocates the existing technology. Mobile computing, smart phones, cloud computing, social networking are some of the disruptive technologies that displaces conventional technologies. In near future the technology might transform the life style and there are 12 Disruptive Technologies (DT’s) that are identified [2] (https://www.mckinsey.com/mgi/overview). Disruptive behaviour among juvenile in India, particularly in Bangalore (Karnataka) has become a great encounter for both parents and teachers. This study, first and foremost in this field of DT and intends to explore critically the influence of disruptive technology and disruptive behaviour among the school children. With the help of independent variables, such as demographic. Sociocultural, economic, political, environmental, infrastructural, and in addition the disruptive technological factors that are influencing the disruptive behaviour among school children are tested. The big five dimensions of personality, often referred to as “Big 5” personality traits J.M. Digman [3] (extraversion, agreeableness, openness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism) adopted to test the personality of the child. Primary data are to be used through a rigorous drop-off survey. The confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) approach is exploited to generate the results with the help of software IBM SPSS AMOS (Analysis of Moment Structures). Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) has been deployed to evaluate the original and modification indices of the model, which further establishes the improvement in SEM’s effectiveness. The model establishes the significant impact of Disruptive Technology on class room behaviour. The targeted sample is 2000, includes high school children from 8th to 10th standard (both private and public), family members and teachers, and the response was 1679. Recommendation and policy implications are henceforth provided.

Transactional Analysis assumes that subjective beliefs drive people to act ‘counter scripts’ acquired in childhood in interactions with significant others and that are associated with negative emotions. Those counterscript drivers motivate compensatory behaviors that offset adverse emotions. Given the lack of a theory-based, empirically validated instrument to assess counterscript drivers, we constructed in two studies a 14-item counterscript driver questionnaire. In Study 1 (N = 302) we developed from an initial pool of 144 driver statements in collaboration with 15 subject-matter experts a four factor driver solution via exploratory factor analysis approach. In Study 2 (N = 195), we validated the four factor structure of the drivers via confirmatory factor analysis approach. We then examined predictive validity by regressing the final Driver subscales on the Contingencies of Self-Worth scale (CSW Crocker et al. 2003) and the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale (DAS-A-17; De Graaf et al. 2009). Altogether, the questionnaire has acceptable to good psychometric properties and the four subscales representing the drives to “Try Hard”, “Be Perfect”, “Distrust Other People”, and to “Stay Positive” explaining 18–39% of the variance of the external constructs. The Counterscript Driver questionnaire (CSD-14) may be used in various fields of psychology.

In crowded large space buildings, safety is one of the most important concerns for facilities managers. Within the built environment, safety has been classified into two main parts: objective safety (normative and substantive) and subjective safety (perceived). A lot of emphasis has been given to objective safety, but research has shown that subjective safety could be equally important and cannot be overlooked. A flow of risk factors within crowded large space buildings such as sports stadiums, concert halls, and religious buildings have resulted in crowd disasters in various venues across the world. Every user in such facilities during mass gathering can be exposed to safety risks, which can be mitigated by using effective risk management as a component of facilities management. This paper focused on subjective safety and aimed to validate the measurement model of latent constructs measuring 12 risk constructs of perceived safety in crowded large space buildings. Two theoretical frameworks (FIST and Six dimensions and loci of crowd disaster) and other relevant literature were used to generate items for the respective constructs. The research chose to use the Holy Mosque in Makkah as a case study (crowded large space building), which is 356,800 square metres with a maximum capacity of two million users (pilgrims). Data was collected using iPad devices via a group-administered questionnaire distributed to 1,940 pilgrims across 62 different nationalities. The data was analysed using the Statistical Packages for the Social Sciences (SPSS) and Analysis of Moment Structure (AMOS) for descriptive analysis and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) respectively. CFA has validated the measurement model of the 12 constructs for unidimensionality, validity, and reliability.