Measurement possibilities of motivations and attitudes influencing the formation of unethical business behavior – the effect of self-esteem on the black economy

Abstract

In recent years, more research has found that values, societal norms and attitudes differ from country to country and that these differences have a measurable impact on economic behavior. The unethical business behavior and the causes of the hidden economy are examined extensively through multiple research methods. Generally, the shadow economy can be measured in two ways: micro-level surveys, questionnaires, interviews, or indirect approaches such as demand for currency and hidden variables, using macroeconomic indicators. Several studies deal with the relationship between money and self-esteem, stating that low self-esteem and the development of criminal behavior are typical among limited economic prospects. The purpose of the research is to compile a questionnaire that examines unethical business behavior, including the reasons for the development of a black economy from a business psychologist’s view, based on the Rosenberg self-esteem used in international research to measure self-esteem. The results of the trial queries are presented in this study.