Validation of the Newly Developed Graphical Inventory of Ethical Leadership (GIEL) Scale: Implications for Administrator Preparation and Business Leaders

Abstract

This quantitative pilot-study empirically tested the factor structure and reliability of the newly developed Graphical Inventory of Ethical Leadership (GIEL) scale, a Likert-style scale for quantifying key concepts related to ethical leadership. Correlations and principal components analyses were performed using pre-existing data as self-reports from a sample including 103 graduate students, within a Scholarship for Teaching and Learning project design, in an administrator preparation program at a private university located in a large southwestern state of the U.S. Face and content validity were demonstrated and empirical analyses revealed a three-factor structure for a unidimensional construct of ethical leadership. Internal reliability was above the pre-determined indices of Cronbach’s alpha > .60 considered acceptable for scales in a pilot study. Potential uses of the GIEL include; as a baseline for setting and monitoring professional development goals, as evidence for recommending certification in administrator preparation programs, and as part of a 360-degree evaluation process.