Script Warp Systems

WarpPLS^™

Nonlinear structural equation modeling made easy

[ Description ] [ Free trial version ] [ Testimonials ] [ Buy license ] [ User Manual ] [ WarpPLS blog ] [ YouTube videos ] [ Training ] [ Publications ] [ Resources ] [ FAQ ]

*** Version 3.0 of WarpPLS is coming soon, with several new features ***

Description

Original version: 1.0 (released 2009).

Current version: 2.0 (released 2011).

Main features:

- Powerful new PLS-based structural equation modeling (SEM) software.

- Easy to use, with a step-by-step user interface guide.

- Identifies nonlinear relationships, and estimates path coefficients accordingly.

- Also models linear relationships, using a standard PLS regression algorithm.

- Models reflective and formative variables, as well as moderating effects.

- Calculates P values, model fit indices, and multicolinearity estimates.

WarpPLS 2.0 is available as a self-installing .exe file (177 MB). This trial version, valid for 3 months, is a full implementation of the software, not a demo version. It is being used on various platforms, the most stable of which seem to be Windows (2000, XP and 7). The self-installing .exe file is available from the following mirror sites: Southeastern USA, Northeastern USA, and Download.com.

Once you download and run the file above, two main components are installed. The first is the MATLAB Compiler Runtime 7.14, which contains code that enables WarpPLS 2.0 to run on multiple platforms. The second component is WarpPLS 2.0, which contains the main software code plus its documentation, including the User Manual and help files.

Testimonials

I had always liked WarpPLS for its graphic interface, its unique goodness of fit statistics, and its ability to handle nonlinear relationships. This new version is much enhanced with the ability to save the models and graphs in Jpeg files. The ability to read in Excel files directly is also a great enhancement. I also like the new drag-and-drop graphic interface. (Vivek Pandey; Associate Professor of Finance; University of Texas at Tyler)

I like the step-by-step design of the main interface; months pass between statistical analysis sessions, and I find it helps me to remember how to get things going. (E. Vance Wilson; Associate Professor of Information Systems; Worcester Polytechnic Institute)

I notice many improvements in both usability and functionality. On the usability side, all of the fonts are larger which makes the on-screen output easier to read. Also, the drag and drop functionality helps usability as well. There are a number of added features, that broaden the use of the software vis-à-vis other packages that are available. (Geoffrey S. Hubona; Affiliate Professor of Advanced Statistical Methods; Virginia Commonwealth University)

It handles the missing values quite easily. The analysis results are very well organized and presented. (Xihui "Paul" Zhang; Assistant Professor of Computer Information Systems; University of North Alabama)

Compared to Amos, it is simple to use, no restrictions of having normal dataset, more comprehensive result tables, and it provides P values. I have been reading about and trying to use Amos for about a month now and am still not comfortable with it. With WarpPLS it took me only a couple of hours to play with it and watch a few of the YouTube videos, and I was doing analyses with my data. Very friendly and easy to use! (Ronaldo Parente; Associate Professor of Management; Rutgers University)

Overall, really outstanding! (Ryan T. Wright; Assistant Professor of Technology, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship; University of San Francisco)

Very clear guidance to use (the steps approach). Great that we can read .xls (not possible in SmartPLS). I LOVE the idea of having both beta weights and P values in the same model (something that SmartPLS does not enable). Great to have VIFs; to have square roots of average variances extracted (AVE's) shown on diagonal; and to export factor scores and inter-items correlations. (Camille Grange; Ph.D. Student of Management Information Systems; University of British Columbia)

The interface is quite intuitive and easy to follow. I had no problems using the software the first time, even without reading the User Manual. Extensive information produced from data analysis. Neat presentation of the results. (Jun He; Assistant Professor of Management Information Systems; University of Michigan-Dearborn)

The software is very simple to use, and very comfortable. A most relevant aspect I would like to highlight is the ease of the moderator effects analysis. The graphics are very useful. The presentation of the results is very clear and structured. The option to export the results is very simple and useful. (Cayetano Medina; Professor of Marketing; University of Seville)

Easy to use, powerful, the interactions are done for you, and it can perform nonlinear analyses. Overall the software has the best interface of any SEM software. (Lionel P. Robert, Jr.; Assistant Professor of Management Information Systems; University of Arkansas)

I really like the fact that you do not need to go elsewhere for the betas, the P values, and the R-squared’s. Additionally, the option of viewing different aspects of the analysis without being overwhelmed with ALL the information is also a positive. The step guidance through building the model reduces the uncertainty of what is next. It definitely has the advantage of showing all the information in one graph. Saving the output in a text file is an advantage I did not find in SmartPLS. (Agustina Cavazos-Garza; Assistant Professor of Management; Texas A&M University - Kingsville)

User Manual

Click here to download the User Manual for WarpPLS 2.0 as a PDF file. Right-click on the link and choose the option "Save link as ..." to save the User Manual to a folder on you computer. For referencing purposes, you may want to use the following:

Kock, N. (2011). WarpPLS 2.0 User Manual. Laredo, Texas: ScriptWarp Systems.

YouTube videos

Training

- Public applied training workshops announced periodically; stay tuned!

- For online training sessions on WarpPLS, please contact our training partner: PLS-SEM.com.

- For customized onsite face-to-face training sessions, please contact us for more details.

Publications (with links to full-text PDF files)

The publications below are publicly available on the web, and are also made available here with the goal of timely and wide dissemination of scholarly work. Individuals who decide to use the publications below as a basis for their research, scholarly activities, and/or educational efforts are cautioned against using the publications in ways that abuse and/or violate current laws in connection with the "fair use" of copyrighted material. For example, it is generally prohibited for an individual or organization to obtain financial advantage from the distribution of copyrighted material, if the individual or organization is not the copyright holder.

Methodological discussions based on WarpPLS

Kock, N. (2011), Using WarpPLS in e-collaboration studies: Mediating effects, control and second order variables, and algorithm choices. International Journal of e-Collaboration, 7(3), 1-13.

Kock, N. (2011). Using WarpPLS in e-collaboration studies: Descriptive statistics, settings, and key analysis results. International Journal of e-Collaboration, 7(2), 1-18.

Kock, N. (2011). WarpPLS 2.0 User Manual. Laredo, Texas: ScriptWarp Systems.

Kock, N. (2010). Using WarpPLS in e-collaboration studies: An overview of five main analysis steps. International Journal of e-Collaboration, 6(4), 1-11.

Empirical studies employing WarpPLS

Biong, H., & Ulvnes, A.M. (2011). If the supplier's human capital walks away, where would the customer go? Journal of Business-to-Business Marketing, 18(3), 223-252.

Gebauer, J., Kline, D., & He, L. (2011). Password security risk versus effort: An exploratory study on user-perceived risk and the intention to use online applications. Journal of Information Systems Applied Research, 4(2), 52-62.

Kock, N., & Chatelain-Jardón, R. (2011). Four guiding principles for research on evolved information processing traits and technology-mediated task performance. Journal of the Association for Information Systems, 12(10), 684-713.

Kock, N., Verville, J., Danesh, A., & DeLuca, D. (2009). Communication flow orientation in business process modeling and its effect on redesign success: Results from a field study. Decision Support Systems, 46(2), 562-575.

Molina, C.M., Moreno, R.R., & Moreno, M.R. (2011). El papel moderador de la cultura en la generación de satisfacción y lealtad. Investigaciones Europeas de Dirección y Economía de la Empresa, 17(1), 57-73.

Zhang, X., Dhaliwal, J., & Gillenson, M.L. (2010). Organizing software testing for improved quality and satisfaction. Journal of Information Technology Management, 21(4), 1-12.

Doctoral dissertations employing WarpPLS

Garza, V. (2011). Online learning in accounting education: A study of compensatory adaptation. Laredo, TX: Texas A&M International University.

Khanlarian, C. (2010). A longitudinal study of web-based homework. Greensboro, NC: University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Resources (with links to various files)

Powerpoint files

Sample model with hypotheses (.ppt file). This is a sample .ppt file with a model and hypotheses. Users can modify this file and copy and paste the model into their papers.

Sample model with results (.ppt file). This is a sample .ppt file with model results. Specific symbols for path coefficients and R-squared values are used. Users can modify this file and copy and paste the model into their papers.

Excel files

Spreadsheet (.xls file) with formulas for assessment of mediating effects using Preacher & Hayes (2004), for linear WarpPLS analyses; and Hayes & Preacher (2010), for nonlinear WarpPLS analyses. (Note: the latter has been empirically tested, with good results, but is still pending a formal proof.)

Spreadsheet (.xls file) with formulas for conducting what is often referred to as a "multi-group analysis", whereby the same model is compared for two or more different samples. The basis for comparison are coefficients generated by WarpPLS, including path coefficients and their standard errors. This spreadsheet employs an approach discussed by Wynne Chin, and documented by Keil et al. (2000).