Development and psychometric validation of the work attitudinal and values ethics scale (WAVE)

Purpose This study aims to design and validate the Ethical and Attitudinal Values at Work Scale (WAVE), providing a psychometrically sound tool for assessing ethical principles and attitudinal dispositions in workplace contexts from a virtue ethics perspective. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted with 367 employees from various economic sectors in Mexico, selected through non-probabilistic convenience sampling. The scale development followed a multistage process including theoretical item construction, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses and evaluation of reliability and construct validity through Cronbach’s alpha, McDonald’s omega, Average Variance Extracted (AVE) and Composite Reliability. Findings The final instrument comprises 14 items distributed across four dimensions: ethics and integrity, professional competence and discipline, growth and resilience attitudes and empathy and interpersonal relationships. The WAVE demonstrated excellent internal consistency (α = 0.925; ω = 0.930) and structural validity (Comparative Fit Index = 0.963; Tucker–Lewis Index = 0.952; root mean square error of approximation = 0.0632). Discriminant validity was confirmed by the vAVE exceeding inter-factor correlations, and item-level correlations further supported the internal coherence of the scale. Originality/value Unlike traditional organisational ethics scales focused on compliance or leadership, the WAVE incorporates attitudinal dimensions such as empathy and resilience, aligning with contemporary views of ethical character. It centres the employee as an active ethical subject and enables comprehensive assessment beyond normative standards. Moreover, the WAVE offers a valuable instrument for talent management, ethical training and organisational diagnostics, promoting more ethical and human-centred work cultures.