Psychometric properties of the Gabonese version of the horizontal and vertical individualism and collectivism scale among employees

ABSTRACT The horizontal and vertical individualism and collectivism (HV-IC) scale is one of the most used to assess individualism and collectivism (IC), but its factorial structure is more discussed. In the context of this debate, this paper presents two studies that establish the psychometric properties of a French version of the HV-IC scale among Gabonese employees. In study 1, a principal component factor analyses (N = 344) conducted with statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) software indicated that the four-factor replicated well with fewer items than the initial version (reduced from 32 to 21 items). In study 2, a confirmatory factor analyses (N = 293) using Amos software provided satisfactory goodness of fit after minor modifications in the covariances between errors: X² (181) = 305.30, p = .000; goodness of fit index (GFI) = .91; comparative fit index (CFI) = .90; and root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = .05 (confidence interval [.04, .06]). The findings indicated that the Gabonese version of the HV-IC scale is a valid, reliable measure with a solid theoretical base. This study offers African French researchers a valid measurement tool and, consequently, a new methodological approach with which to build a better understanding of the cultural orientation of employees at work. Our results contribute to the debate about the cross-cultural validation of the scale.