Power and Dishonesty in the Workplace: An Encounter between Schwartz's Universal Values and Weber's Protestant Work Ethic

This study explores the relationship between the universal values proposed by Schwartz and the Protestant work ethic (PWE) initially conceptualized by Weber and operationalized in a secular way by Miller et al. (2002). Using structural equation modeling, we examine whether values such as egalitarianism, security, and power are connected to dimensions of the PWE such as hard work, self-discipline, and leisure. Two questionnaires were used: PVQ-12 (adaptation of Schwartz's PVQ, 2006) and MWEP-28 (adaptation of the MWEP by Miller et al., 2002), in a sample of 514 participants from five organizations. The results modeled with structural equations (SEM with WLSMV) suggest that the values of egalitarianism and security are positively associated with a strong PWE, while power shows strong correlations with dishonest behaviors and leisure attitudes. This work provides new insights into how cultural values influence work attitudes and behaviors, highlighting the need for more complex models (with second-order latent variables) that capture these dynamics. The findings indicate the importance of integrating social and psychological approaches in understanding PWE, proposing a revision of existing models to better reflect the interaction between values and social behaviors.