Development and validation of a scale to measure dignity at workplace among finance employees

Dignity is described as a principle of the highest importance to a worker, even though business research has paid scant attention to the notion of dignity. This study explores the conceptualisation, operationalisation, and implications of dignity within the workplace among finance professionals. The study employs a mixed sequential equal-status design to develop the scale. Phase 1 of the study delineates how employees working in financial institutions conceptualise dignity, using qualitative methods. Phase 2 develops and validates a scale for measuring workplace dignity, drawing from the themes identified in the qualitative phase. Phase 3 evaluates the nomological validity of the scale by identifying the antecedents and consequences of dignity at the workplace, validating the model developed via structural equation modelling. Phase 1 provides a bi-dimensional model comprising Structural Workplace Dignity and Interpersonal Workplace Dignity, that helps us better understand the employee perception of dignity at the workplace. Phase 2 is used to develop a 9-item survey to measure dignity at the workplace, and Phase 3 provides a 7-item standardised scale to measure dignity at the workplace among finance professionals. The findings contribute significantly to humanistic management literature by offering a nuanced understanding of dignity's dual aspects—structural and interpersonal—and their impact on key organisational outcomes. A scale is developed and validated to assess dignity at the workplace among finance professionals.