Nonviolence at Workplace—Scale Development and Validation

The purpose of this study was to develop a theoretically grounded instrument to measure the construct nonviolence at workplace. The academic discourse on psychological mechanism underpinning nonviolence is meager. Relying on extant literature in psychology, sociology, and political science in the field of violence and nonviolence, we have identified four dimensions to capture the measurable features of nonviolence. Next, we developed items to measure these dimensions. Professionals from private organizations in India answered the 32-item scale. The scale was tested for its factor structure, reliability, and validity. The instrument can be used by behavioral scientists and industry practitioners to assess the level of nonviolence among professionals as pre-screening and for academicians to further test and develop theoretical insights of this construct. The unique contribution of this study is that it challenges the basic assumption that nonviolence is absence of violence. The results indicate that nonviolent personalities are active agents in breaking the cycle of violence.