The MIMIC–CUB Model for the Prediction of the Economic Public Opinions in Europe

Social Indicators Research - To study the Europeans’ perception on the economic conditions, a model that combine Multiple Indicators Multiple Causes (MIMIC) and Combination of Uniform and...     

A deflated indicators approach for estimating second-order reflective models through PLS-PM: an empirical illustration

The paper provides a procedure aimed at obtaining more interpretable second-order models estimated with the partial least squares-path modeling. Advantages in interpretation stem from the separation of the two sources of influence on the data. As a matter of fact, in hierarchical models effects on manifest variables (MVs) are assigned to both first-order (specific) factors and second-order (general) factors. In order to separate these overlapping contributions, MVs are deflated from the effect of the specific latent variables (LVs) and used as indicators of the second-order LV. A case study is presented in order to illustrate the application of the proposed method.     

Using the Hybrid Two-Step estimation approach for the identification of second-order latent variable models

The aim of this paper is to define a new approach, called Hybrid Two-Step, to estimate the parameters of a second-order latent variable (LV) model in the case of formative relationships between the first-order and the second-order LVs. In this respect, we introduce the two main approaches to the estimation of second-order constructs through the partial least squares-path modelling: the so-called Repeated Indicators approach and the Two-Step approach. Some criticisms of these methodologies are highlighted and a solution to the issue of the identification of formative second-order constructs is suggested through the adoption of a Hybrid Two-Step approach. A Monte Carlo simulation study aimed at comparing the approach proposed with the traditional ones was performed. Finally, a case study about the passenger satisfaction is presented to show the implementation of the method and to give some comparative empirical results.