VALIDATING A WORK ATTRIBUTE QUESTIONNAIRE FOR PHARMACEUTICAL SALES REPRESENTATIVES AMIDST COVID-19 IN NIGERIA: A STUDY USING CONFIRMATORY FACTOR ANALYSIS
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has had significant adverse effects on the work-life characteristics of sales professionals in the pharmaceutical industry. Work attributes are crucial factors that can determine a person's effectiveness in a particular job role. Therefore, this study aimed to validate a 13-item questionnaire on the work attributes of pharmaceutical sales executives involved in pharmaceutical marketing in Nigeria during the COVID-19 lockdown period. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to develop a structural model from the initial 13-item factor structure obtained from a previous exploratory factor analysis (EFA) study. The results show that community education was the most important work attribute, while limited access to customers was the least important. The CFA confirmed the structural model produced by the EFA study. Additionally, it confirmed the model's validity and its construct reliability, although divergent validity can be improved with more constructs. The study's findings are crucial for the pharmaceutical industry to understand the work attributes required during a pandemic and adapt their roles and work structures accordingly
Keywords:
COVID-19, pharmaceutical sales, work attributes, confirmatory factor analysis, NigeriaDownloads
Published
Issue
Section
How to Cite
References
Bashir, A., Bashir, S., Rana, K., Lambert, P., & Vernallis, A. (2021). Post-COVID-19 Adaptations: the shifts towards Online Learning, hybrid course delivery and the implications for Biosciences Courses in the Higher Education setting. Frontiers in Education. 6:711619. Doi. 10.3389/feduc.2021.711619
Cheung, M. W. L. (2009). Statistical Methods- Analyzing Data on Attitudes, Knowledge and Behaviour. Structural Equation Modeling, 1,1-49.
Elbeddini, A., & Yeats, A. (2020). Pharmaceutical Intervention amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic: From direct patient care to telemedicine. Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice. 13: 1-4. Doi. 10.11.1186/340545-020-00229-z
Fan, Y., Chen, J., Shirkey, G., John, R., Wu, S. R., Park, H., & Shao, C (2016). Applications of Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) in ecological studies: an updated review. 5:19. Doi. 10.1186/s13717-016-0063-3
Gaskin, J., & Lim, J., 2016. Master Validity Tool, AMOS Plugin. Gaskination’s StatWiki
Goretzko, D., Pham, T. T., & Buhner, M., (2019). Exploratory factor analysis; Current use, methodological developments, and recommendations for good practice. Current
Psychology. 2(2019). https;//doi.org/10.1001.1007/s12144-019-00300-2
Henseler, J., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M., 2015. A New Criterion for Assessing Discriminant Validity in Variance-based Structural Equation Modeling. Journal of the Academy of Marketing. 43(1): 115-135
Henson, R. K., & Roberts, J. K. (2006). Use of exploratory factor analysis in the published literature: Common errors and some comment on improved practice. Educational and Psychological Measurement. 66: 393-416.
Hu, L.T., & Bentler, P. M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indices in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling. 6: 1-55
Kline, R. B. (2005). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling ( 2nd edition). New York; Guilford
Levine, T.R. (2005). Confirmatory Factor analysis and scale validation in communication research. Communication Research Reports. 22: 335-338
Matsunaga, M. (2010). How to Factor-Analyze your data right: Do's, Don'ts, and How-Tos. International Journal of Psychological Research. 3(1): 97-110
Oamen, T. E (2021a). COVID-19 Pandemic and impact on pharmaceutical sales representatives’ operations in West Africa: A socio-demographic case study of Nigeria. African Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Research. 4(1): 59-72
Oamen, T. E. (2021b). The effects of COVID-19 Pandemic on the Psyche and Productivity of Pharmaceutical Sales Workforce in an African Country: A descriptive case study. 8(5): 586-604. Doi. 10.14738/assrj.85.10161
Oamen, T. E. (2021c). An Exploratory Factor Analysis of Work-Attributes of Pharmaceutical Sales Workforce during COVID-19 Lockdown. Journal of Contemporary Research in Social Sciences. 3(1): 11-27. Doi: 10.33094/26410249.2021.31.11.27.
Schreiber, J. B. (2020). Issues and recommendations for exploratory factor analysis and principal component analysis. Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy, 15:S1551-7411(20), 30746-30744.Available at: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2020.07.027 Thompson, B. (2004). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Washington DC: American Psychological Association
Ugbam, O. C., & Okoro, E. A. (2017). A strategic study of the Nigerian Pharmaceutical sector: Organizational leadership, market share, and competitive performance. International Journal of Business, Humanities, and Technology. 7(1):1-10
