A Comparison Of Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) and Covariance Based Structural Equation Modeling (CB-SEM) for Confirmatory Factor Analysis

In several years, structural equation modeling or popularly known as SEM is the first generation path modeling widely used by researchers and practitioners nowadays to analyze the interrelationship among variables in a model. Some of the researchers classify SEM as the covariance-based SEM (CB-SEM). However, this method have been argued since its application should achieved the criterion before conducting the measurement and structural model. Thus, partial least square SEM (PLS-SEM) has been established to solve this problems. This paper aims to examine which one of the structural equation modeling is appropriate to use for confirmatory factor analysis by using SMARTPLS and AMOS. In this instance, the data of volunteerism program is chosen as a research subject to prove this issue. The author revealed that PLS-SEM path modeling using SMARTPLS is appropriate to carry on the confirmatory factor analysis which is more reliable and valid.