Adaptation and evidence of validity of the corporate ethical virtues scale in Brazil: A measure of ethical culture in organisations

Abstract

Introduction: Ethical culture stands out as an important variable in comprehending ethical norms and ethical behaviour at work. The Corporate Ethical Virtues (CEV) Scale is a widely used measure of ethical culture in organisations. This study aimed to adapt and validate the CEV Scale to a Brazilian context. Method. In Study 1 (n = 1.219), the CEV Scale was trans-lated and adapted, the reliability and the internal structure were tested and the discriminant validity of ethical climate measures was demonstrated. In Study 2 (n = 635), measurement invariance in two groups was demonstrated, and there was evidence of validity based on the relationships with related constructs. Results. The results indicated that the Brazilian ver-sion of the CEV Scale showed reasonable psychometric properties and provided evidence of convergent and discriminant validity. Conclusion. This measure can be used by managers and consultants to diagnose ethical organisational culture.