Development and Validation of Ethical Blindness Scale

Abstract

Recent models of ethical decision making have underlined the influence of unconscious processes of unethical behavior, and ethical blindness has been identified as a construct that deepens the understanding of unintentional unethical behavior. However, to date, no empirically tested measure of ethical blindness exists. Consequently, we have explored and developed a tool for measuring ethical blindness, which is presented in this paper. Based on qualitative data from interviews with individuals employed in different industries and a literature review, we developed a multidimensional measure of ethical blindness. The measure was tested and validated in several consecutive steps on three quantitative data sets. Exploratory factor analysis generated three factors (rationalization, routine, and ambiguity) comprising 12 items of ethical blindness. Confirmatory factor analysis verified that the three-factor structure had an acceptable fit. The dimensions displayed good internal reliability. Preliminary evidence of construct and discriminant validity was also provided. The paper discusses the practical implications and future research.