Summary

Objective: to investigate how scales for the concept of moral virtues are constructed and measured in studies associated with business ethics and the virtue ethics tradition.

Methods: A systematic literature review was carried out to select empirical articles on moral virtues that develop or apply scales. Based on search, selection and analysis criteria, five databases were consulted and 37 papers were selected, analyzing the procedure for developing and measuring scales (items, sample, factor analysis) and emerging factors.

Results: the study brings together scales of multiple moral virtues (19) and specific virtues (18), showing limitations in the generation of items and in the item-sample ratio in some scales, as well as theoretical contributions in leadership and strengthening relationships, making a theoretical-methodological discussion, in the light of the presuppositions of virtue ethics in the Aristotelian-Thomist tradition.

Conclusions: The article aims to contribute to a better understanding of moral virtues in management by discussing scales based on the unity of virtues and the phronesis-moral virtues connection, with implications for human behavior and business ethics. Procedures are recommended for future qualitative and quantitative studies in new research contexts.

Keywords: moral virtues; scale analysis; virtue ethics; business ethics.

Link to the magazine and full article: /https://rac.anpad.org.br/index.php/rac/article/view/1504/1717