Factorial invariance of the South African Culture Instrument

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to confirm the validity of the South African Culture Questionnaire (SACI) and to assess the questionnaire’s degree of factorial invariance across race groups. The questionnaire has been used for a number of years for organizational culture assessments, but no factorial invariance has been tested. It is essential for the cultural applicability of the measuring instrument (e.g. whether the measurements represent identical constructs on identical scales) and equivalence to be determined. A quantitative research study was conducted in a South African information communications and technology (ICT) company. A total of 455 employees completed the SACI. Structural equation modelling was used to determine if there was any invariance between the various race groups. The results confirmed the validity and reliability of the SACI and the fact that no factorial invariance existes between the measured groups. The original eight-factor structure of the SACI fits the data well – as evidenced by the overall goodness-of-fit statistics. The reliability associated with organizational culture for both the pathways and dimensions is acceptable across the various groups, as indicated by the overall and race goodness-of-fit statistics. No significant differences are found in the factorial patterns for the SACI for the four race groups. The conclusion drawn is that the questionnaire can thus be used with confidence for organizational assessments across race groups.