Ethics, responsibility and sustainability orientation among economics and management masters’ students

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 181-199
Author(s):  
Catarina Delgado ◽  
Mani Venkatesh ◽  
Manuel Castelo Branco ◽  
Tânia Silva

Purpose This study aims to address the topic of ethics, responsibility and sustainability (ERS) orientation of students enrolled in schools of economics and management master’s degrees. It examines the effect of educational background and gender on Portuguese students’ orientation towards ERS, as well as the extent to which there is a relation between the scientific area of the master degree in which the student is enrolled and his/her ERS orientation. Design/methodology/approach The authors used a sample of 201 students from several master degrees offered by the School of Economics and Management of a large public Portuguese university and analysed their ERS orientation using a survey by questionnaire. Findings Findings suggest that there are differences in orientation across gender, with female students valuing ERS more than their male counterparts. Educational background has minimal effects on the responses. It was also found some sort of selection effect in terms of the scientific area of the master degree and ERS orientation. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature by analysing the issue of whether students with an educational background in economics and management present different ERS orientation than their counterparts, as well as by examining whether there is some sort of self-selection into the study of disciplines in which ERS orientation is likely to be a week. As far as the authors are aware, this is the first study analysing this type of issue regarding ERS.

2014 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 245-257 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oluwakemi Gbadamosi ◽  
Abbas Ghanbari Baghestan ◽  
Khalil Al-Mabrouk

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the conflict resolution styles used by university students in handling conflicts, and to determine the effects (if any) of age, nationality and gender on how students respond to conflicts. Design/methodology/approach – The Thomas-Kilmann conflict mode instrument was adopted to assess the conflict resolution styles (accommodating, avoiding, collaborative, competitive and compromising) of post graduate students in a University in Malaysia. Both ANOVA and t-test analyses were utilized to investigate the relationship between, nationality, gender, age and conflict resolution styles used by students. Findings – Results of this study indicates that female students used competitive style more than male students, while male students are more likely to avoid conflicts. The older students were discovered to use more avoiding, while younger students are more likely to be competitive in nature. The findings did not reveal any significant differences in nationality. Originality/value – This paper expands its focus from gender (which is the most commonly tested category) to other categories such as age and nationality, thereby giving room for these new categories to be tested extensively in future researches. The results reveal that students not only use different conflict resolution styles to address conflicts, but also there exists differences in the styles used by students of different age groups and gender.


2008 ◽  
Vol 28 (5/6) ◽  
pp. 179-192 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul S. Lambert ◽  
Koon Leai Larry Tan ◽  
Kenneth Prandy ◽  
Vernon Gayle ◽  
Manfred Max Bergman

PurposeThis paper aims to present reasons why social classifications which use occupations should seek to adopt “specific” approaches which are tailored to the country, time period and gender of the subjects under study.Design/methodology/approachThe relative motivations for adopting a specific approach to social classifications are discussed and theoretical perspectives on specificity and empirical evidence on the contribution of specific approaches are reviewed. Also the practical costs of implementing specific social classifications are evaluated, and the authors' development of the “GEODE” data service (grid‐enabled occupational data environment), which seeks to assist this process, is discussed.FindingsSpecific approaches make a non‐trivial difference to the conclusions drawn from analyses of occupation‐based social classifications. It is argued that the GEODE service has reduced the practical challenges of implementing specific measures.Research limitations/implicationsThere remain conceptual and pragmatic challenges in working with specific occupation‐based social classifications. Non‐specific (“universal”) measures are adequate for many purposes.Practical implicationsThe paper argues that there are few excuses for ignoring specific occupation‐based social classifications.Originality/valueThe paper demonstrates that recent technological developments have shifted the balance in the long‐standing debate between universal and specific approaches to occupation‐based social classifications.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ziming Liu

PurposeDigital distraction is a common phenomenon in e-reading contexts, and it is worth exploring in depth from the perspectives of information (digital content), users (readers) and technology (digital reading medium). Since screen reading has close links with multitasking and potential distraction, any investigation of reading in the digital environment must factor in this reality. This paper aims to investigate the extent and effects of digital distraction while reading on screens. Special emphases go to exploring multitasking while reading.Design/methodology/approachSurvey and analysis methods are employed.FindingsThe extent of digital distraction among college students it found is alarming. All the top four sources of distraction are communication-based activities. Female students tend to concentrate more than males when they read on screens. An overwhelming majority of participants choose to read in print to reduce distractions and to concentrate effectively. Screen reading is inherently distracting, primarily due to multitasking. It appears that repeated multitasking during academic endeavors carries substantial costs.Originality/valueImplications of digital distraction are discussed, and directions of future research are suggested.


2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 274-286 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Paul Louis Veissière

Purpose This paper aims to take the “toxic masculinity” (TM) trope as a starting point to examine recent cultural shifts in common assumptions about gender, morality and relations between the sexes. TM is a transculturally widespread archetype or moral trope about the kind of man one should not be. Design/methodology/approach The author revisits his earlier fieldwork on transnational sexualities against a broader analysis of the historical, ethnographic and evolutionary record. The author describes the broad cross-cultural recurrence of similar ideal types of men and women (good and bad) and the rituals through which they are culturally encouraged and avoided. Findings The author argues that the TM trope is normatively useful if and only if it is presented alongside a nuanced spectrum of other gender archetypes (positive and negative) and discussed in the context of human universality and evolved complementariness between the sexes. Social implications The author concludes by discussing stoic virtue models for the initiation of boys and argues that they are compatible with the normative commitments of inclusive societies that recognize gender fluidity along the biological sex spectrum. Originality/value The author makes a case for the importance of strong gender roles and the rites and rituals through which they are cultivated as an antidote to current moral panics about oppression and victimhood.


2015 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Farinaz Fassa

Purpose – Discussing the Swiss case, the purpose of this paper is to examine how gender equality policies deal with the present requirements for scholars to be considered “excellent”. It aims to pinpoint the lines of tension or coherence between excellence, meritocracy and gender politics. Design/methodology/approach – In order to specify the norms of academic careers and their different renditions, the author draws on two studies (at local and national levels) to illustrate where the changes and resistances are taking place. Findings – The translations of a number of demands of feminist movements into the policies set up to favour equality between the sexes may combine to challenge the norms of academia as a gendered realm. Nevertheless, without strong pressure from feminists at local level and the conduct of research pursuing the enterprise of deconstructing norms, top-down policies may prove less “corrective” than affirmative action. This pressure is not only useful to build gender equality in science but also to broaden the spectrum of knowledge that can become a common good. Research limitations/implications – As neither the names nor the positions of the experts who select the candidates at national level are made public, we had to opt for other, less satisfactory means. Originality/value – The originality of the paper lies in the link made between the enhancements brought by Equalities policies and the changes they bring. It attempts to bring to light the extent to which gender equality policies conform to the neo-managerial order or challenge its norms to build a world that is more just.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Berihun Bizuneh ◽  
Shalemu Sharew Hailemariam ◽  
Selam Tsegaye

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore pre-purchase apparel evaluation cues and examine the effect of demographic variables empirically in the context of a developing country. The initiation for the study was driven by the absence of such prior research and supplemented by the big market opportunity for clothing products in the country under investigation.Design/methodology/approachA self-administered online survey was used for data collection. Demographic questions, 23 apparel measurement items composed of 17 product-based and 6 sustainability-based items, and an open-ended question were included in the questionnaire. Factor analysis was used for dimension reduction and one-way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) for hypotheses testing.FindingsGarment fit, design features, colour, fabric type and seasonality are the five important characteristics most Ethiopian consumers consider while buying apparel products. Factor analysis resulted in five important factors used for pre-purchase apparel evaluation amongst which the design and extrinsic cue is found to be the most important. Environmental factors in the apparel industry got higher emphasis than social factors. While age and educational background made differences in apparel evaluation, gender did not show a significant difference.Originality/valueThe paper provides a founding insight in exploring apparel evaluation cues by considering product- and sustainability-based cues in a developing country context. It also examines the effect of three demographic variables which are rarely studied in such combination.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Murat Ocak

Purpose This study aims to contribute to the literature by offering a different sector and emphasising the importance of females in audit firm (AF) governance on audit firm performance (AFP). Design/methodology/approach Ordinary least squares (OLS) and instrument variables regression (IVREG) with two-stage least squares are used to test the paper’s hypotheses. Findings Both OLS and IVREG estimation results show that both the proportion of females and gender diversity at board and owner levels and the total number of shares of female owners seem to enhance the performance of AFs. Practical implications These results may be important for policymakers and regulators to set a quota for women’s representation on AF governance or decide arrangements for women in AFs as in the regulations for the high hierarchical levels of other corporate firms. Originality/value This paper extends the current literature in the context of AFs in Turkey, positing that females in AF governance might enhance performance to a great extent.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuwen Li ◽  
Ruiqian Jia ◽  
Juergen H. Seufert ◽  
Huijie Tang ◽  
Jinlian Luo

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore how and when ethical leadership enhances bootlegging. To achieve this purpose, the authors proposed a moderated dual-path model in this study. Design/methodology/approach The model was tested on two related studies. Study 1 was based on three-wave, collected data from a sample of 511 employees of Chinese companies. Data used in Study 2 was collected by survey from employees and their direct leaders of multiple departments of companies in China. Findings In Study 1, the authors found that moral efficacy and moral identity mediate between ethical leadership and bootlegging. Findings from Study 2 provide convergent support of moral efficacy’s and moral identity’s impact on the mediation relationship between ethical leadership and bootlegging. Moreover, the results of Study 2 further reveal that the relationship between ethical leadership and moral efficacy (or moral identity) was more significant among leader–follower with different genders. Originality/value This study not only enriches the literature on ethical leadership and gender (dis)similarity, but also helps managers to better understand the function of bootlegging.


2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (7) ◽  
pp. 541-553 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Lundsgaard Ottsen

Purpose As organizations aim to become increasingly diverse, it is important to understand how perspectives of potential future leaders vary across culture and gender. This study aims to advance the understanding of the persistent gender gap in management. Design/methodology/approach Samples from the gender-segregated Qatar and the co-ed Denmark present a unique opportunity to investigate the potential effects of gender. Here, 115 Middle Easterners and 121 Scandinavians rated perceived importance of job-related skills, networking upward and serendipity in leadership acquisition. Findings Effects of gender showed that compared to men, women across cultures expected that serendipity has less to do with leadership acquisition. Middle Eastern women also showed low expectations regarding networking with people in powerful positions. Nevertheless, both genders showed conviction of meritocracy by rating job-related skills as the most important factor in leadership acquisition. Cross-culturally, Scandinavians presumed job-related skills to be more important than Middle Easterners. Research limitations/implications Despite meritocracy beliefs, it appears that gender differences in perceived possibility of leadership acquisition contribute to the gender gap in management. Scandinavian women relied more on networking than Middle Eastern women, but still lacked faith in serendipitous opportunities compared to male peers. Perceived luck enhances achievement motivation. If men rely more on luck than women, then they are more confident in succeeding and more ambitious about pursuit of leadership. Women’s lack of faith in serendipity might affect their career ambitions negatively even in societies emphasizing equality. Originality/value This is the first study that directly focuses on gender differences in perception of opportunities for leadership acquisition through serendipity.


2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 430-443 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fadila Grine ◽  
Munazza Saeed

Purpose The purpose of this research is to analyze the motivation behind the hijab behavior in a multicultural environment of Malaysia; it is a religious obligation or fashion behavior. In an analytic thinking of motivation in influencing women in wearing a hijab, learning from the social environment on religious obligation and fashion in hijab has been discussed. Design/methodology/approach Quantitative analysis has been conducted for 100 hijab-wearing female students in the University of Malaya. Findings The findings were tabulated and the outcomes proved that most of the women took the hijab as a religious obligation instead of fashion motivation. Muslim women are still taking on the religious obligation in styling up the hijab. Modification in the hijab can be accepted in Malaysia, but the substantial design to wear the hijab is an obligation. Originality/value This study exclusively discusses the hijab as fashion and religious obligation within the context of Malaysia.


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