Islamic conception of psychological nature of man; development and validation of scale with special reference to Al-Ghazali’s model

Abstract

PurposeThis paper aims to develop and validate a scale for Islamic conception of psychological nature of man. Al-Ghazali’s model of psychological nature of man considered as the theoretical background of the study.Design/methodology/approachContent validity test and factor analysis are used to refine measurement items and define and validate the scale. In total, 362 samples were collected from Islamic banking practitioners in UAE.FindingsItem statements are refined through content validation test. Three dimensions are extracted, i.e. “Intellect,” “Satanic element” “Divine Knowledge,” through exploratory factor analysis and evidence of validation of scale/construct is reported through confirmatory factor analysis.Research limitations/implicationsAs a caveat, it is critical to emphasize that Al-Ghazali’s model is based on religion (Islam). It should be noted that the scope of the theoretical aspects of the study is limited to the beliefs based on the Islamic tradition.Practical implicationsIt is believed that the scope of the developed and validated measurement scale is broad as the nature of the scale is universal and can be applied in any kind of organization in which the study requires capturing Islamic religious aspects with special reference to understanding the psychological nature of individuals associated with the organization and better understanding of their decision-making pattern.Social implicationsUnderstanding or examining the psychological nature of human beings is always been an interesting area to study as they are the pillars of the society. Required policies can be formulated or adjusted according to the empirical evidence indicated in the study in respective field of the society.Originality/valueTo the best of author’s knowledge, this is an initial attempt that developed and validated a scale based on the Islamic philosophy, with focus on psychological nature man. Further, the application of the methodology used in the study supports the statistical robustness to the findings, which is relatively rigorous and novel approach in the area of study.