Second-order PLS structural equation modeling in scientific research

Abstract

This study looked at how structural equation modeling using partial least squares of higher order has been used in various fields of science. We used the integrative type of systematic review method for this. We used the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel database. We searched this database for articles with eight different descriptors published between 2010 and 2020. In total, we used 173 articles as the basis for our analysis in our study. We used coding and graph analysis through social network analysis to analyze the data. The main findings show that social science is the most commonly used area for this method, and that most studies do not detail how they conducted the higher-order structural equation through partial least squares modeling. The study also shows which metrics are commonly used and which could be used more effectively for greater reliability.