Philippe Zarifian’s analytical perspective on the mobilization of competencies: users of online games

Purpose This article presents the development and validation of a competency mobilization scale for users of online entertainment games. Design/methodology/approach A cross-cultural sample was collected through a self-administered online questionnaire and analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis. Three alternative factorial structures were evaluated, in line with Zarifian’s notion of competence: a single factor model (Model 1), a three-factor model with uncorrelated factors (Model 2), and a three-factor model with correlated factors (Model 3). Findings This study develops and validates a competency mobilization scale based on Zarifian’s work. Our findings indicate that the model with three correlated factors provides the best fit. Practical implications The proposed scale offers an instrument that measures competencies from a non-prescriptive analytical perspective, which can generate new insights on the topic and enable investigations from a quantitative approach to explore how competencies are perceived and mobilized. Originality/value This scale advances the understanding of competence through a French lens, specifically Zarifian’s, and opens up possibilities for quantitative research from this analytical perspective. Although the sample comprised online entertainment game players, the findings may also be applicable for measuring the perception of competency mobilization in other types of games and in formal educational contexts.