scholarly journals Is There a Decline in Teaching Ethics in US Business Schools?

2008 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 13-21
Author(s):  
James Beaghan
Keyword(s):  
Business School ◽  
Ethical Decision ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Business Schools ◽  
Business Leaders ◽  
State University ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Financial Scandals ◽  
Business Curricula ◽  
School Curricula

With recent financial scandals at Global Crossing, Enron and WorldCom involving manipulation of company earnings and the collapse of shareholder values, there has been increased debate concerning ethical decision making among business leaders in America and abroad. This debate has been accompanied by an increased expectation that US business schools give more emphasis to ethics in their business curricula at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. With AACSB mandating the coverage of ethics in business school curricula for member schools, administrators and faculty have shown considerable latitude in the coverage of this topic. This paper looks at differences in the coverage of ethics in the business school curricula of two universities: one a public state university, one a private religious university, as well as trends in the coverage of ethics at several public and private universities cited in recent research articles.

scholarly journals Towards sustainable capitalism in the development of higher education business school curricula and management

2014 ◽  
Vol 28 (5) ◽  
pp. 523-545 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Beusch
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Business School ◽  
Business Schools ◽  
Broad Class ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Content Type ◽  
External Forces ◽  
Education Business ◽  
School Curricula

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to account for, and conceptualize, the internal and external forces that influence higher education business schools as they strive to integrate sustainability issues into their curricula in the effort to achieve a more sustainable (yet capitalist) world. Design/methodology/approach – A case study approach is used for the research, which is grounded in the relevant literature, to investigate sustainable development issues in the context of a Swedish business school (university level). The empirical data consists of a review of internal documents plus e-mail surveys and interviews and discussion seminars with university teachers/researchers and key administrators. Findings – Two tentative models are presented that map the various internal and external forces behind business schools’ curriculum change. One important finding describes how supply and demand influences business schools and recruiters of business students. Research limitations/implications – Because this research is based on a single case study, the analysis and the mapping in the paper are somewhat limited in their general applicability. However, the research context of the business school permits drawing conclusions that may apply to a broad class of colleges or departments in higher education. In addition, because the research is supported by significant ideas from the literature, general inferences may be drawn about business school curricula. Originality/value – The two tentative models provide a holistic framework that adds to the understanding of the composition and interrelationship of influential forces on business schools when major changes in curricula and their management are contemplated.

Developing ethical managers for future business roles: a qualitative study of the efficacy of “Stand-Alone” and “Embedded” University “Ethics” courses

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 145-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Alastair Coldwell ◽  
Robert Venter ◽  
Emmanuel Nkomo
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Business Ethics ◽  
Moral Reasoning ◽  
Ethical Decision ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Business Leaders ◽  
Higher Learning ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
Ethics Courses

Purpose While the problem of unethical leadership is undoubtedly a global one, the urgency of generating ethical leadership to advance the development of Africa has never been more evident than it is today. The challenge for higher education in developing ethical leaders is of core importance, as it is responsible for providing the main recruiting ground of business leaders. The current paper reports findings of a qualitative study of postgraduate students’ ethical development at the end of courses in business ethics aimed to enhance moral reasoning and ethical decision-making. The paper aims to ascertain whether stand-alone ethics courses are more effective than integrated ones in achieving academic ethical competency. Design/methodology/approach The study adopts an idiographic approach which aims at eliciting individual student subjective perceptions of the effects of the direct and indirect courses of ethical instruction on their moral reasoning and ethical practice. The research design broadly follows Mill’s (2017) method of difference. Findings Findings indicate perceived differences in the relative effectiveness of stand-alone and embedded ethics courses among students but also show that most students hold positive overall evaluations of the effectiveness of the both types of ethics instruction. Research limitations/implications Limitations to the study include that it is cross-sectional, involves a small sample of postgraduate students and is restricted to two management courses at one institution of higher learning. Furthermore, while Mill (2017) provides a useful research design in this context, it is not able to indicate causality, as there are other possible unidentified “third variables” that may be the actual cause of student differences between embedded and stand-alone ethics courses. The study is not able to show the durability and transfer of ethical competencies into students’ later working lives. Practical implications The study provides a useful practical educational contribution to the extant knowledge in the field in that it suggests that ethical courses aimed at giving students a moral reasoning “toolkit” for ethical decision-making are more effective when delivered in the stand-alone format, whereas practical decision-making skills are best honed by embedded business ethics courses. Social implications The problem of corruption in business and politics in South Africa is widely documented and has been regarded as responsible for creating a serious developmental drag on the alleviation of poverty and quality of lives of the majority of people in the country. The moral/ethical competency and behavior of future business leaders is partly the responsibility of institutions of higher learning. The study aims to find the most effective means of imparting moral awareness in postgraduate students who are likely to take up business leadership positions in their future careers. Originality/value The study provides useful contribution to the extant knowledge in the field in the African context in that it suggests that ethical courses aimed at giving students a moral reasoning “toolkit” for ethical decision-making are more effective when delivered in the stand-alone format, whereas practical decision-making skills are best honed by embedded business ethics courses.

TrustUS: Cultural Influences on Ethical Decision Making

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
pp. 217-230
Author(s):  
Bachman Fulmer ◽  
Sarah Fulmer ◽  
Zeynep Can Ozer ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Ethical Decision ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Business Students ◽  
Cultural Influences ◽  
The United States ◽  
Business Leaders ◽  
Cultural Norms ◽  
Managerial Accounting ◽  
Multicultural Environment

This case study focuses on how divergent cultural norms can impact ethical decisionmaking between a superior and subordinate in a high-pressure workplace. In order to ensure that today’s business students (and tomorrow’s business leaders) adhere to the highest standards of ethical conduct in an international and multicultural environment, it is imperative they recognize and respond appropriately to different cultural views of ethics. In the accompanying case, Jane, a Chinese national living and working in the United States, encounters multiple ethical dilemmas during her employment at TrustUS. Readers are introduced to important cultural factors that differ between Eastern and Western societies (such as Power Distance and Collectivism) and are asked to apply these concepts to gain insight into how cultural background might influence the ethical decision making of a professional in a managerial accounting context.

scholarly journals Sustainability in the professional accounting and finance curriculum: an exploration

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 291-311 ◽  
Author(s):  
Langton Mburayi ◽  
Tony Wall
Keyword(s):  
Business School ◽  
Business Schools ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
Institutional Commitment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Original Analysis ◽  
Analysis And Synthesis ◽  
Effective Integration ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
School Curricula

PurposeWhereas the integration of sustainability into business schools has received increasing attention in recent years, the debate continues to be generic rather than recognising the peculiarities of the more quantitative sub disciplines such as accounting and finance which may of course be intimately linked to professional standards. The purpose of this paper, therefore, is to examine the extent to which sustainability is integrated into accounting and finance curricula in business schools, how, and to understand some of the challenges of doing so.Design/methodology/approachThis paper presents the findings from a systematic form of literature review which draws on the previous literature about how sustainability is embedded into business school curricula and the challenges in doing so. A particular focus is placed on how the ways in which sustainability is integrated into accounting and finance curricula in business schools.FindingsThe paper demonstrates that accounting and finance lags behind other management disciplines in embedding sustainability and that institutional commitment is oftentimes a strong imperative for effective integration of sustainability.Practical implicationsThis paper is a call to practitioners and researchers alike to explore new ways of integrating sustainability in the accounting and finance curricula, including working across boundaries to provide learning opportunities for future accountants, financial managers and generalist managers.Originality/valueThe paper offers an original analysis and synthesis of the literature in the context of the accounting and finance curricula in business schools, and proposed a conceptual framework to further develop sustainability education in the context of business schools.

scholarly journals Gender Differences In Responses To Hypothetical Business Ethical Dilemmas By Business Undergraduates

2010 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Margie L. McInerney ◽  
Deanna D. Mader ◽  
Fred H. Mader
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Ethical Behavior ◽  
Ethical Decision ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Ethical Dilemmas ◽  
Business Students ◽  
Business Leaders ◽  
Business Decisions ◽  
Business Undergraduates ◽  
Undergraduate Business Students

Business leaders are often failing to display ethical behavior in business decisions. This paper examines the gender differences found in undergraduate business students when faced with ethical decision making dilemmas.

scholarly journals Development of an instructional practices scale for business school curricula

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 416-424
Author(s):  
Daniel Glaser-Segura ◽  
Jennifer Wilson ◽  
Suzanne Mudge
Keyword(s):  
Instructional Practices ◽  
Business School ◽  
Business Students ◽  
Pedagogical Practices ◽  
Guided Learning ◽  
Learning Practices ◽  
Instructional Activities ◽  
Business Curricula ◽  
The Impact ◽  
School Curricula

Abstract As reflective educators, we seek to use instructional practices offering the greatest benefit to our students. Such benefits are easily seen and understood by the professor, but less often are clearly recognized by the students. To fully evaluate the impact of various activities on students, it is essential to explore the pedagogical practices they engage in, both within, and outside of the classroom. The purpose of this study was to develop an instrument to measure the variety of instructional activities used int eh business curricula. The instrument that will be described in this session contains thirteen scales drawn from a total of 58 developed items. The survey gathered responses from 189 business students from four US-based universities: two state-supported (public) and two private. Based on Varimax factor analysis rotation, the scales were left intact. All 58 items aligned on the thirteen scales as predicted. Using Cronbach's Alpha, the reliability of the thirteen scales was supported: all Alpha’s measured above .83. The focus of this study is to validate the instructional groupings. The instrument will also serve to measure the delivery of classroom and institutional-guided learning practices for sound instructional practice.

Softening the Hearts of Business Students: The Role of Emotions in Ethical Decision Making

2020 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 278-312
Author(s):  
Sophia S. Jeong ◽  
Cong (Timothy) Sun ◽  
Ping Ping Fu
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Business School ◽  
Ethical Decision ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Business Students ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Moral Emotions ◽  
School Education ◽  
Repeated Measure ◽  
School Students

Business schools face a dilemma of promoting prosocial values while maintaining the principles of self-interest and profit maximization. In response to recent research suggesting that emotions may be the key to ethical decision making, we ask two basic questions: Do emotions make business students more ethical? Is business school education inhibiting ethical decision making? Drawing on theories on moral emotions and ethical decision making, we hypothesize that moral emotions will enhance ethical decision making, whereas hedonic emotions will diminish ethical decision making. Furthermore, we predict that a higher level of business school education will strengthen the negative relationship between hedonic emotions and ethical decision making while weakening the positive relationship between moral emotions and ethical decision making. Using a scenario-based repeated-measure design, we tested our hypotheses with 217 students from secondary schools, undergraduate business majors, and MBA programs in Hong Kong. Multilevel modeling results supported our hypotheses, suggesting that business school students may benefit from education on the unique roles of moral and hedonic emotions in the ethical decision-making process. We conclude with a summary of the theoretical and practical implications of our findings.

scholarly journals Enhancing Business Schools’ Pedagogy on Sustainable Business Practices and Ethical Decision-Making

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 5527
Author(s):  
Kathleen Rodenburg ◽  
Kelly MacDonald
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Ethical Decision ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Business Schools ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Business Practices ◽  
Ethical Orientation ◽  
Sustainable Business ◽  
New Ecological Paradigm ◽  
Ecological Paradigm

Business school curriculums are designed to improve business skills and a student’s eventual workplace performance. In addition to these business skill sets the emerging business environment demands softer skills associated with ethical decision-making and sustainable business practices. The objective of the study is to identify the key influencers of ethical orientation and attitudes towards the environment as a first critical step for curriculum planning designed to develop both ethical decision-making and environmental sensibilities of students in business schools. Using a bivariate regression analysis (OLS) that compared the established New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) scale and the newly introduced Ethical Orientation Scale (EOS), this study assesses environmental eco-consciousness and ethical orientation over time and across varying socio-demographic variables. The study shows first, that in addition to socio-cultural variables, situational factors influence ethical decision-making. Secondly, it illuminates that ethical orientations as measured by the EOS predicts beliefs about the environment as measured by the NEP scale. It further provides evidence of the ethical underpinnings of the New Ecological Paradigm as well as provides initial validation for the new EOS. These outcomes provide additional levers to assist business educators in the creation of high impact teaching strategies to measure and encourage ethical decision-making and sustainable business practices that protect the environment.

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