The Upward Ethical Dissent Scale: development and validation

Abstract

ABSTRACT Ethical problems in organizations tend to be some of the most public and devastating for members, organizations, and society. Meanwhile, upward dissent is a key mechanism through which wrongdoing can be detected and corrected. However, a confluence of forces suppresses and displaces ethical dissent in organizations. Research identified many of these influential dynamics through limited method approaches. Indeed, additional methodological tools are needed to advance this important line of research. Thus, we modified an established measure of general upward dissent to focus on ethical dissent specifically then validated it. We labeled the modified measure the Upward Ethical Dissent (UED) Scale. As expected, results supported a four-factor structure for the UED Scale. Moreover, construct validity was supported through high positive correlations between UED and upward dissent subscales and moderate negative correlations with acquiescent silence. Additionally, low to moderate correlations are found between competent forms of UED and moral identity variables. Theoretical implications and future directions are discussed.