Examining the Auckland individualism-collectivism scale in an Australian sample of community pharmacists

Exploring individualism and collectivism in pharmacists helps to understand how cultural values shape their professional behavior, patient care, teamwork, and decision-making.

This study explored the reliability and validity of the Auckland Individualism and Collectivism Scale (AICS), as well as the clustering of its dimensions, among community pharmacists.

The AICS was administered to practicing pharmacists (n = 193) in Brisbane, Australia, between January and March 2019. Internal consistency (Cronbach's α) and reliability (McDonald's ω_h) were assessed, and confirmatory factor analysis models were developed. Demographic variables-age, years of work experience, gender, and region of birth-were used to guide the formation of participant clusters.

The AICS showed high internal consistency for the Advice, Compete, and Unique dimensions (α ≥ 0.77), but low internal consistency for the Responsibility and Harmony dimensions (α ≤ 0.59). Reliability showed adequate factor saturation for the Compete domain (ω_h ≥ 0.70) only. The first-order [χ² = 590.17, df = 289; comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.83; Tucker-Lewis index (TLI) = 0.81; root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.074, 90% CI: (0.065, 0.082); standardized root mean square residual (SRMR) = 0.089; Bayesian information criterion (BIC) = 14,616.06] and higher-order [χ² = 603.31; df = 294; CFI = 0.83; TLI = 0.81; RMSEA = 0.074, 90% CI: (0.065, 0.082); SRMR = 0.095; BIC = 14,602.88] confirmatory factor analysis models showed moderate fits to the data. Pharmacists generally perceived themselves as Unique and Responsible, with responses ranging from "often" to "always" for these traits. For Harmony, responses varied between "occasionally" and "very often." However, responses for the Compete and Advice domains were mixed, depending on the specific questions asked. The absence of clear natural clustering among participants made it challenging to group them solely based on their individualism and collectivism scores and demographic characteristics. This result potentially reflects both the diverse workplace structures and the complex, fluid nature of cultural identity in Australia.

These findings represent a preliminary assessment of the AICS in pharmacy professionals, with broader national sampling required to confirm its utility.