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This study explores the role that business schools have in developing favorable attitudes toward business involvement in corporate social responsibility (CSR). Two cohorts of incoming students from two internationally accredited MBA programs in Chile and two cohorts of graduating students from the same institutions were compared in terms of their attitudes toward the role of business in alleviating social ills and the role they assigned to business schools in preparing managers to effectively address social issues. The attitudes expressed by graduates of the two programs changed after program completion. Faculty attitudes toward business involvement in CSR may play a role in the observed differences between the graduates of both institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Giving Voice to Values (GVV) pedagogy and curriculum is described as an example of a powerful leverage point in the integration of business ethics and values-driven leadership across the business curriculum. GVV is post-decision-making in that it identifies an ethical course of action and asks practitioners to identify (i) who are the parties involved and what's at stake for them; (ii) what are the main arguments (reasons and rationalizations) to be countered; and (iii) what levers that can be used to influence those who are in disagreement. The internalization of GVV's constructs allows faculty to comfortably raise and endorse ethics as part of the natural order of business decision-making because the stakes of doing so have been normalized. Methods for introducing and using GVV in undergraduate through MBA courses are given. An illustration is given for economics courses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to describe a way of teaching business ethics using the creative arts, especially literature and theater. By drawing on these disciplines for both method and texts, we can more easily make the connection to business as a fully human activity, concerned with how meaning is created. Students are encouraged to understand story-telling and narrative and how these tools lend insight into the daily life of businesspeople. The paper describes two main courses, Business Ethics Through Literature and Leadership, Ethics and Theater, and the rationale for each. We begin by suggesting three main leverage points that the courses engender. We then rely on the words of students who have taken the courses for insights into what they learned. We then critically assess some of the principles that have informed course design over time. We conclude by suggesting that paying attention to the creative arts gives rise to a rather different approach to business ethics, one grounded in the pragmatist tradition in philosophy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we examine the relationship between appeal to self-perceptions of moral identity, included in the teaching of ethics, and the strengthening of moral judgment among postgraduate business students. As appeal to moral identity emphasizes personal engagement in the appraisal of an ethically charged situation, it addresses critiques of abstract rule application and principle transfer leveled at traditional business ethics teaching. Eighty-one participants (divided into experimental and control groups) completed a series of reflective writing exercises throughout a twelve-week business ethics unit. Based on an instrument completed at the beginning and end of the education process, our results indicate a positive shift in moral judgement intensity. We, therefore, recommend appeal to moral identity as a leverage strategy to be employed in business ethics education in order to strengthen students' moral judgment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the attitudes of two key groups of stakeholders (n=22) from academia and industry toward the nature of business ethics and their integration and inculcation in MBA programs in Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach – This is a qualitative study based on n=22 interviews with stakeholders from academia and industry. Findings – The main findings of the study indicate that respondents in this context tended define business ethics with reference to factors such as the interests of organizational stakeholders, environmental issues, property rights, and religion. It was also found that the respondents tended to consider ethical business practice to be primarily a social and religious obligation rather than representing a specific requirement of the workplace which could and should be developed during an MBA program. Research limitations/implications – The implications of the study are discussed in relation to some of the barriers that may exist to integrating business ethics into MBA programs in Malaysia. Originality/value – The study highlights the widely held view among the respondents that employees’ business ethics are primarily attributable to family upbringing, including religious instruction thus limiting the perceived need for and effect of later training and education in business ethics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More and more scholars are expressing their apprehensions regarding the current state of management education. The increased number of corporate scandals has fueled their concerns that training students to have sound business ethics upon graduation has failed. Consequently, research is emerging that focuses on the lack of impact that business ethics teaching has had on students in recent years. Remarkably, the voice of managers has barely been heard in this area, even though they are the ones who are among those best suited to evaluate graduates' capabilities to solve ethical dilemmas. This research presents the managers' view on the role of business schools in training students in business ethics, and the managers' evaluation of business schools' success in that area. The findings reveal that managers are quite disappointed with the lack of improvement in the ethics of graduating students. Managers nonetheless provide a range of ideas for business schools to work on, and particularly, call for closer collaboration between industry and business schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reoccurring instances of unethical employee behavior raises the question of the effectiveness of organization's employee ethics training programs. This research seeks to examine employee ethics training programs among US-based global organizations by asking members of the Ethics and Compliance Officer Association to describe various elements of their organizations' ethics training programs. This investigation and assessment reveal that there are some effective aspects of ethics training but five serious concerns are identified and discussed as potential contributions to the lack of ethics among business organizations' employees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study explores the use of Graphic Novels as an innovative form of training that may improve an individual's ethical efficacy. A quantitative comparison of the graphic novel method and the traditional written case study is analyzed. The literature on ethics, graphic novels, and training are brought together from theories of narrative and literature perspective to formulate a study. The study uses a 2 × 2 repeated-measure MANOVA to analyze the participant's reaction to bribery situations based on varying levels of 'grayness.' The overall study finds that ethical efficacy increases with the use of the graphic novel method. The greatest improvements are in the individual's level of self-efficacy and understanding of principle-based ethical issues. In addition, the participant's level of industry experience may play a factor in applying the graphic novel technique. Finally, guidelines on how to effectively utilize the graphic novel method are stated. Improving ethical efficacy through business ethics training may help improve an individual's self-efficacy, involvement and principle-based understanding. The study explores the use of Graphic Novels as an innovative form of training that may improve an individual's ethical efficacy. A quantitative comparison of the graphic novel method and the traditional written case study are analyzed. Literature on ethics, graphic novels, and training are brought together with theories of narrative and literature perspective to formulate a study. The study uses a 2 × 2 repeated-measure MANOVA to analyze the participant's reaction to bribery ethical situations based on varying levels of 'grayness.' The overall study finds that ethical efficacy increases with the use of the graphic novel method. The greatest improvements are in the individual's level of self-efficacy and understanding of principle-based ethical issues. In addition, the participant's level of industry experience may play a factor in applying the graphic novel technique. Finally, guidelines on how to effectively utilize the graphic novel method is set forth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explore academic literature on business ethics education and critically compare the themes emerging from different contexts. Outlining guidelines for analysis based on Southern Theory, we conduct a content analysis on a selection of English, peer-reviewed articles and then critically compare emergent themes from across the ‘Northern'–Southern’ divide. The results suggest commonality but also substantive nuances. One key difference concerns a concerted effort from the South to decipher daily business experiences in relation to prevalent business ethics frameworks focused on the North. Furthermore, using notion of phronetic science, we critically discuss our findings to highlight inherent dynamics of control and resistance. The paper concludes by suggesting future directions for business ethics curriculum development that is more sensitive to these dynamics and by suggesting an adoption of notions related to practical wisdom. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

International business ethics courses imply four basic epistemological and pedagogical challenges: (a) understanding various perceptions of ethics and values/virtues; (b) identifying ethical maxims among religious/spiritual traditions; (c) designing international business ethics courses as dialogical experiences; and (d) deepening our personal contribution to others’ learning process. This article argues that those epistemological and pedagogical challenges could determine the design and the contents of international business ethics courses: facing up to compatible/incompatible ethical theories (philosophical questioning), identifying ethical maxims among religious/spiritual traditions (religious and spiritual questioning), and reading our actions/decisions as quasi-texts (literature-bound questioning). Business ethics teachers could take those challenges upon themselves and design their business ethics courses accordingly. For each of the four challenges, a specific ethical issue is described; advice for teachers as well as ethical questions for debate and personal development are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Although ethics instruction has become an accepted part of the business school curriculum at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, some scholars have questioned its effectiveness, and research results have been mixed. However, studies yield interesting results regarding certain factors that influence the ethicality of business students and may impact the effectiveness of business ethics instruction. One of these factors is gender. Using personal and business ethics scenarios, we examine the main and interactive effects of gender and business ethics education on moral judgment. We then analyze the relationships between gender and business ethics education on personal ethical perspectives. Our results indicate that women are generally more inclined to act ethically than men, but paradoxically women who have had business ethics instruction are less likely to respond ethically to business situations. In addition, men may be more responsive to business ethics education than women. Finally, women's personal ethical orientations may become more relativistic after taking a business ethics class. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Business ethics are the moral principles that apply to all aspects of the business environment at an individual and organizational level. This study addresses the basic perceptions regarding the teaching of business ethics and examines university lecturers' intentions to teach an ethics course. For the present research, the authors conducted a cross study to evaluate whether three variations of the theory of planned behavior, namely, TPB, decomposed TPB (DTPB), and the revised theory of planned behavior (RTPB), could adequately predict teaching of ethics course (TEC) behaviors. The participants were from southern, middle, and northern Taiwan. A structural equation model applied to a final sample of 200 usable questionnaires demonstrated that individual attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and teacher self-efficacy (TSE) influence intentions, but do not influence report behavior of those involved in teaching an ethics course. Among the three variations of TPB-based models, RTPB provided better explanation of variance in intentions to TEC. The present research highlights the importance of TSE, especially because TSE plays a key role in RTPB. The theoretical implications of this study relate to the application of TPB to TEC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a theoretical and practical approach to teaching business ethics, stakeholder management and CSR within the framework of the thematic seminar on business ethics and corporate social responsibility at Roskilde University. Within our programs in English of business studies and Economics and Business Administration the author of this article is responsible for this seminar that integrates issues of CSR and the ethics of innovation into the teaching of corporate social responsibility, stakeholder management and business ethics. This research oriented seminar provides a unique possibility for teaching CSR with an integration of methodological, theoretical and practical dimensions of business ethics (Rendtorff 2009). The idea is that the thematic seminar represents a tutor supported frame for extended studies of business ethics, stakeholder management and the social aspects of business and entrepreneurship. Each student shall present a paper on the basis of a collection of articles on the topic of ethics and social dimension of business. Moreover, it is required that the student is discussant of two other papers during the course. In addition, students shall prepare interactive participation in discussion of each paper. The sessions begin with a short introduction to the topic by the professor, then student presentations, after this discussant remarks, and finally general discussion followed by an evaluative assessment by the professor. During the seminar the student shall present both theory and case discussion so that we find a close interaction between theory and practice in the presentation. In the following, the paper elaborates on this development, in particular in the relation between theory presentation and case studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides ways of responding to critical students when teaching business ethics and corporate social responsibility (CSR). A common premise of teaching pedagogy is to approach students from their "zone of proximal development" (Vygotsky 1978). To get an understanding of students' critical prior conceptions, the ideal type of the "liberal communist" (Žižek 2008) is invoked as suggestive of how students might think about business ethics and CSR. Two pedagogical approaches are suggested to address students' a priori scepticism of business ethics and CSR. First, a framework of political views on CSR is presented. Second, approaching CSR by means of "problem based learning" is discussed. Finally, the paper reflects on the role of the business ethics teacher in light of tendencies towards commodification of education in the global economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper outlines exercises designed to introduce first year students to the complex ethics and corporate social responsibility (CSR) topics. In part, difficulties arise because academic ethics and CSR discussions can be very abstract and their practical discussions can cover a vast range of confusing perspectives. Students have to work their way through those perspectives, deal with information overload, cope with their sense of intimidation, engage in more in-depth thinking, and link real-life articles on the topic to often limited personal experiences. All of these make establishing relevance more difficult. The assignments help students to build topic relevance by restricting topic complexity, encouraging student exploration of connections with those topics, and offsetting students' inexperience by working within the familiar pink ribbon campaign context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanisms by which subjects' ethical attitudes are changed through their experiences with a typical business ethics education are examined. It is hypothesized that the positive change in attitudes will be greatest for those students who actually retain factual knowledge and whose attitudes are such that they attend to ethical issues in their environment. Therefore scores on a test of factual knowledge and awareness of ethical issues reported in the news media were expected to be related to students' attitudes toward ethical dilemmas in business. Those students with more knowledge were expected to be more likely to perceive ethical violations as being "very unethical" and to also be more aware of such ethical violations in their environment, as reported by news media. This is viewed as the first step toward them being more likely to exhibit ethical behavior themselves. Partial support was found for the hypotheses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article identifies an integrated teaching strategy that was originally developed for engineers, the so-called 'micro-insertion' approach, as a practical and effective means to teach ethics at business schools. It is argued that instructors can incorporate not only generic or thematic learning objectives for students into this method (i.e., the intended content of what is being taught: in our case, an underlying ethical base for doing business), but also do so via a strategically integrated approach regarding the appropriate mix and timing of these micro-insertions. With this in mind, we propose a qualitative and example-based approach that endeavors to provide a versatile way for business teachers to incorporate ethics into their general business classes. We also present a conceptual and theoretical framework that underpins this method, and we further provide a set of specific examples and a practical table that show how business instructors might integrate ethics-oriented micro-insertions into their teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines whether appealing to learners' moral identity makes a significant contribution to improving their ethical decision making beyond traditional, rule-based teaching. In response to criticisms leveled at rule-based ethics teaching by alternative approaches, we identify moral identity theory and experiments in moral psychology as useful sources to draw on for the creation of a new, identity-based ethics teaching approach. We develop and apply a set of regular self-reflection focused writing tasks added to the traditional teaching program over a one-semester period, and assess the outcomes of an overall sample of 149 postgraduate business school students, who were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: exposure to both identity-based tasks and rule-based teaching, exposure to rule-based teaching only, and the control condition (i.e., no exposure to ethics teaching). Our findings show that, while the three groups reported the same level of ethical decision making at the beginning of the semester, at the end of the semester the students who were exposed to both identity-based and rule-based teaching reported higher level of ethical decision making compared to those who were only exposed to rule-based education. In addition, the students who received rule-based teaching reported higher ethical decision making compared to those in the control condition. These results suggest that a teaching approach which appeals to the learner's moral identity can act as an effective leverage point when complementing rule-based teaching. This simple approach should be widely adopted as common practice in graduate business schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we demonstrate that the works of Franz Kafka provide an exemplary resource for the investigation of 'moral distance' in organizational ethics. We accomplish this in two ways, first by drawing on Kafka's work to navigate the complexities of the debate over the ethics of bureaucracy, using his work to expand and enrich the concept of 'moral distance.' Second, Kafka's work is used to investigate the existence of 'ethical violence' within organizations which entails acts of condemnation and cruelty purportedly in the name of ethics. Kafka's work provides insight into the processes of moral distancing across a range of organizational contexts including highly formal as well as more informal settings. The paper enriches the concept 'moral distance' by identifying the existence of facilitators of moral distance beyond the mechanisms of formal rationality that have been the focus of existing studies. We argue that Kafka's intense portrayal of 'ethical violence' points to an aporia at the very heart of organizational ethics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study used both Ajzen's theory of planned behavior (TPB) and Bandura's social cognitive theory (SCT) to examine the intentions of business undergraduate students toward taking elective ethics courses and investigated the role of self-identity in this process. The study was prospective in design; data on predictors and intentions were obtained during the first collection of data, whereas the actual behavior was assessed 10 days later. Our results indicated that the TPB was a better predictor of behavioral intentions than was SCT. As expected, self-identity served as a moderator in the relationship between perceived behavioral control and behavioral intentions posited by the TPB and in the relationship between outcome expectancy and behavioral intentions posited by SCT. Self-identity was a crucial factor in predicting actual behavior within both theoretical frameworks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research described here contributes to the extant empirical research on business ethics education by examining outcomes drawn from the literature on positive organizational scholarship (POS). The general research question explored is whether a course on ethical decision-making in business could positively influence students' confidence in their abilities to handle ethical problems at work (i.e., moral efficacy), boost the relative importance of ethics in their work lives (i.e., moral meaningfulness), and encourage them to be more courageous in raising ethical problems at work even if it is unpopular (i.e., moral courage). Specifically, the study used a rigorous quasi-experimental pretest-posttest research design with a treatment ( N = 30) and control group ( N = 30) to investigate whether a graduate-level course in business ethics could influence students' levels of moral efficacy, meaningfulness, and courage. Findings revealed that participants in the business ethics treatment course experienced significant positive increases in each of the three outcome variables as compared to the control group. The largest increase was in moral efficacy, followed by moral courage, and finally, moral meaningfulness. These findings are discussed in the context of the current research on business ethics education and POS. Implications for future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the United Nations Principles of Responsible Management Education (PRME) are a very positive development in the horizon of management education over the last decade, there are still many significant challenges for engaging the mind of the manager in ways that will foster the values of PRME and the UN Global Compact. Responsible management education must address three foundational challenges in business education if it is to actualize the aspirations of PRME: (1) it must confront the cognitional myth that knowing is like looking, (2) it must move beyond mere analysis to systems thinking, and (3) it must transition from a values-neutral stance to a values-driven stance. Using Developing Sustainable Strategies, an MBA practicum in the Sustainable Management Concentration at DePaul University's Kellstadt Graduate School of Business as a case study, this article identifies the ways in which Pragmatic Inquiry can address these challenges. The method of Pragmatic Inquiry prepares students to become responsible managers, to develop sustainable strategies, and to be creators of shared value. Built from the philosophical foundations of American pragmatism and Bernard Lonergan's critical realism, Pragmatic Inquiry is an effective method and pedagogy for responsible management education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses how business professors can assist in reducing today's lack of ethics in business by orienting future corporate leaders on how to behave and decide properly when confronted with the myriad ethical dilemmas of the corporate world. Thus it is essential that they understand today's lack of business ethics, the misconceptions that promote managers and the syndrome of selfishness, the foundation of ethical principles, and the requisite to critical ethical reasoning. To achieve this understanding and assist future corporate leaders in mastering the necessary ethical reasoning skills, business school professors must engage them in philosophical discussion on what is ethical in business in our present society. The misconception discussed in the paper that promote manager and the syndrome of selfishness, build on five half-truths: economic man; maximization of shareholder value; heroic leadership; the belief that effective organizations are lean and mean, and the idea that rising prosperity benefits everyone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many research conducted on the behavior of business persons and their perception on business ethics. However, rarely similar study deals with the perception of students on business ethics. Indeed, students are our future generation who are going to have substantial role in Indonesian business and economy. Therefore this study focuses on students as a proxy for future business players in this country (Trawick and Draden, 1980). We compare among groups of students based on their maturity, formal business ethic education, gender and specific professional backgrounds. The results of analysis show that in general students have good perception on business ethics. Further, there is a significant different perception on business ethics among students with different academic maturity, professional background. Student with business background are less ethical compare to those are with non-business background. This may consistent with previous evidence found that ethical principles need to be introduced more to business students. In contrast, there is no different perception on business ethics among student with different gender groups and formal business ethics course. This could be business ethics formal education takes time to be internalized by participants or student with no formal business ethics course also learn business ethics from other sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article briefly reviews the external pressures for teaching business ethics. It then summarizes why teaching business ethics across the curriculum is essentially a necessity in the current environment. This leads to a discussion of six commonly adopted elements used when seeking to improve a business ethics curriculum. The case study uses these six elements to provide insights into contemporary challenges facing many business schools. The particular contribution of this article is in the area of methods to assess the status of the curriculum. The case study provides details about a faculty survey used as a compelling tool to kick-start a business ethics curriculum upgrade, not only based on the information that it yields, but the potent opportunity for conversation and collaboration. The conclusion summarizes the contemporary challenges and opportunities that business schools face. The instrument itself is in the appendix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this article is to show how the critically acclaimed and award winning film Margin Call may be used in business ethics teaching. Set in a fictional investment bank at the dawn of the financial crisis, the film zooms in on the motivations and decision-making of people who had much to lose from the crash of the hitherto very profitable mortgage-backed securities market. The film offers rich material for analysis of behaviours that contributed to the crisis. The article will set out topics for classroom discussion, including the impact of incentives and power structures, contextual factors that distance people from the consequences of their actions, and considerations of how the banking industry may be transformed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores managers' views on various ways in which business schools can contribute to providing solid ethics education to their students, who will ultimately become the next generation of business leaders. One thousand top level managers of Icelandic firms were approached and asked a number of questions aimed at establishing their view on the relationship between ethics education and the role of business schools in forming and developing business ethics education. Icelandic businesses were badly hurt by the 2008 crisis, and therefore Iceland provides an interesting foundation for an empirical study of this sort as the aftermath of the crisis has encouraged managers to consciously reflect on the way their business was and should be conducted. Based on the results of the survey, a few main themes have developed. First, it appears that according to practicing managers, business schools should not be held responsible for employees' unethical behavior. Nevertheless, managers believe that business schools should assist future employees in understanding ethics by including business ethics in teaching curricula. Second, managers believe that the workplace is not where ethics are learned, while also insisting that former students should already have strong ethical standards when entering the workplace. Third, managers call for business schools not only to contribute more to influencing students' ethical standards, but also to reshape the knowledge and capabilities of practicing managers through re-training and continuous education. Based on the results of the study, the article also offers some recommendations on how to begin reformulating the approach to business ethics education in Iceland, and perhaps elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on our experience in teaching ethics, we have developed, tested, and presented in this article a program of instruction that rests on four pillars: popular feature films, a six-stage ethical decision-making process, the principles necessary to address ethical situations, and the classroom instructor. Taken separately, there is nothing new or unique in these pillars. Taken together, however, and to our knowledge, these four pillars, including the requirement that each student is expected to prepare a written abstract of the film prior to the classroom discussion of that film in which the student is expected to demonstrate a practical application of ethical principles to actual and concrete moral situations, constitute a new, unique, and tested way to teach ethics to undergraduate students of management and economics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes six classes that instructors can teach on nonprofit economic significance, history and governance for more complete integration into the business ethics or governance curriculum. The key elements of a nonprofit governance framework are fiduciary duty, mission and financial accountability. Together, these elements fulfill the public trust and satisfy stakeholders. Readings, cases, films, discussion questions and student assignments suggested in this article provide nonprofit and forprofit comparisons. They also address current governance issues: the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, Director and Officer compensation and the blurring of nonprofit and for-profit distinctions. Teaching nonprofit ethics enriches the business ethics or governance curriculum and helps prepare students for ethical managerial decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work aims to bring some light to the current debate on the incorporation of the teaching of ethics to design the contents of the subjects related to the areas of business and economics. In this context, some universities have raised the challenge of teaching ethical knowledge from seminars focused on a subject teacher includes in the annual teaching planning with propositions so far from the present work. In this sense, we propose in this paper a proposal to give substance and meaning to the competence "ethical commitment" -transversal competences- in subjects programs in current teaching plans. Specifically, the article attempts to show a process for teaching ethics in the classroom through the information generated by the judgments issued by the judiciary in Spain. It proposes an action guide that goes beyond technical application of theories and business practices. The training tools available to the teacher and student try to discuss the ethical implications of their correct application of knowledge learning in each of the subjects taught. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Benjamin Franklin (circa 1791) once reportedly said, "...so convenient a thing it is to be a rational creature, since it enables one to find or make a reason for everything one has a mind to do." His statement incisively captures the essence of the difficulty when it comes to making ethical behavior an outcome of pedagogy. This difficulty is further exacerbated by the split between concerns for consequences (the utilitarian approach) and principles (deontological approach). A justification can be found for nearly any act depending on how the issue is framed. For instance, the scandal at the IRS demonstrates how reliance on principled decision-making can put a democracy in jeopardy even when people involved feel justified ethically in what they are doing. Was it ethical for the IRS to target conservative groups? Unfortunately, the answer arguably is "yes," and it does not depend on a person's choice of ethical theory necessarily. If a person is a utilitarian, s/he can feel justified on the basis of doing whatever benefits the most people. Given the pyramidal distribution of income and wealth in this country, a growing government bestowing more and more entitlements on lower income, lower wealth citizens by an imposition of an ever-increasing tax burden on the high-income earners clearly could be considered ethical (at least in the short run). But what if s/he is a deontologist? What would be the outcome if s/he felt compelled, as a deontologist; to only do what s/he felt should be done in all like instances in the future (i.e., to universalize the politicization of the IRS to the advantage of the party in power regardless of which party held power)? Well, have you ever heard the expression, "to the victor goes the spoils?" It certainly qualifies as a principle regardless of whether you agree with it or not. Thus, the authors argue that ethical instruction must be embedded in the larger context of business itself and not treated as a stand-alone consideration of theoretical constructs. In developing their thesis, the authors draw on the work of Mary C. Gentile, PhD, a Babson professor, and her acclaimed series "Giving Voice to Values," and the earlier work of Barbara Toffler, PhD, author of "Tough Choices: Managers Talk Ethics." In particular, the authors contend that ethical dilemmas can often and unnecessarily arise due to ill-conceived or poor management practices that erupt into ethical quandaries for the protagonists to resolve often at personal and professional risk. It is hoped that the authors work can enable law faculty to be able to enrich their classroom discussions through discourse beyond just the dilemmas themselves to the underlying contextual framework that led them to arise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the effect of a business ethics course on undergraduates’ attitudes toward the importance of corporate ethics and social responsibility, as measured by the PRESOR scale. It employs a survey approach, adopting a pretest/posttest methodology in the data collection. A total of 132 undergraduate students were surveyed over a period of four semesters during 2006 and 2007. To test the effects of individual personality characteristics and examine their potential interaction with ethical education, participants’ personal values and degree of Machiavellianism were also assessed. The business ethics course resulted in significantly less support for the traditional “stockholder view” of business, providing backing for the inclusion of a stand-alone business ethics course in the business studies curriculum. In addition, among nonbusiness majors, the course resulted in significantly greater support for the “stakeholder view,” suggesting that it would be especially beneficial to open such a course to nonbusiness students. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We conducted an international survey of 211 scholars with expertise in business ethics. Each respondent was asked to identify the three most important issues that business ethics academia will face in the coming decade. Using content analytic procedures, responses were categorized and analyzed for commonalities. The results suggest that the most important issues facing business ethics academia in the future will be the following: (1) issues relating to business ethics education such as curriculum, pedagogy, faculty, and accreditation (2) the credibility of the business ethics field, (3) environmental issues, (4) issues relating to business ethics research such as research tools and quality of business ethics research (5) the decline of ethical behavior in society and organizations, (6) corporate social responsibility (CSR), (7) globalization, and (8) the institutionalization of ethics into business. We maintain that these issues have important teaching and research implications for the future sustainability of the business ethics discipline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article recommends the film Inside Job as an effective teaching tool for illustrating the ethical issues that surrounded the global financial crisis of 2008 and the subsequent economic downturn. The study discusses issues such as the revolving door, conflicts of interest, fiduciary duty, executive compensation, and financial regulation. The presentation of each ethical issue comprises suggested questions, background information, and guides to specific sections of the film. An overview of the film is provided as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large body of pedagogical research exists on developing curricula and ethics training tools to prepare college graduates for entering the workforce. However, many college students are already in the workforce while they attend school. Many of these jobs are entry-level or frontline employee positions in retail or service industries, which can be ripe opportunities for ethical misconduct. However, most research on ethics and employees has focused on upper-level managers and CEOs. Although insightful, ethics scholars contend that there are more low-level employees who face ethical dilemmas on a daily basis. Given the increase of working students and the paucity of research on entry-level job ethics, this study investigates, categorizes, and analyzes ethical dilemmas faced by college students who work while attending school. This article considers ethical decision-making models and corporate ethical values as its conceptual base. A qualitative approach for this study was taken due to the scarcity of research on ethical issues faced by entry-level employees and the call by ethics researchers for qualitative research to explore the complex and psychosocially embedded nature of business ethics. The implications of the emergent ethical issues and values from this study are then discussed for marketing educators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors’ purpose was to determine the perceptions of present university students regarding job politics as practiced by those climbing the corporate career ladder, and to compare them with the perceptions of students from a previous generational cohort that participated in a similar study more than 25 years earlier. Data were collected from 1,512 students enrolled at a major urban university in the Southeastern United States. Results from the present study, as compared to the 1984 study, indicate that today's college students are more optimistic regarding what it takes to get ahead in the corporate world. Comparative results also uncover the declining influence of citizenship, race, and religion, and the increasing influence of education-related demographics. A discussion of the findings and implications for educators and the business community is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Moral behaviour, and more recently wisdom and prudence, are emerging as areas of interest in the study of business ethics and management. The purpose of this article is to illustrate that Cicero-lawyer, politician, orator and prolific writer, and one of the earliest experts in the field recognised the significance of moral behaviour in his society. Cicero wrote 'Moral Duties' ( De Officiis) about 44 BC. He addressed the four cardinal virtues wisdom, justice, courage and temperance, illustrating how practical wisdom, theoretical/conceptual wisdom and justice were viewed in Rome of the first century BC. 'Moral Duties' is a letter admonishing his son, Marcus. It refers to personal behaviour, business practice and analyses terms such as good faith and criminal fraud. In addition, it contains material which would be suitable for tutorials/seminars and discussions, particularly in the areas of critical thinking in business ethics and general management. A study of De Officiis in respect to present day management and business practice could give a wider perspective to business ethics and management students. If concepts such as moral virtue, moral propriety and moral goodness, many of which seem to be ignored in business situations today, are to be embedded in business leaders of the future, it is reasonable to expect that these qualities will be analysed and discussed by business students today. Further, a study of Cicero's six-step approach, when preparing an address/speech, could be useful and productive for practitioners and students in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Often overlooked once they are remanded to custody, incarcerated former business executives can provide valuable insight into the inner workings of organizations while also contributing to the dialogue on of business ethics within the undergraduate business curricula. This paper summarizes experiences of white collar offenders obtained through a questionnaire-based research method to elicit lessons on ethics from prisoners and to provide a unique learning experience for undergraduate business students. Data was collected from 12 questionnaire responses ( n = 12) which resulted in four major themes involving business ethics: core values, ethical responsibility, ethics training, and ethical culture. Narrative responses, integration of ethical decision-making research and student discoveries are included for each theme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The teaching of business ethics continues to be a topic of great concern as both businesses and business schools seek to develop effective approaches for fostering ethical behavior. Responses to this objective have been varied, and consistent empirical evidence for a particular approach has not emerged. One approach, deliberate psychological education, offers a means for extending and integrating elements of developmental theory and has proven effective in professional settings, with college students, and recently, with undergraduate business students. The authors propose that this model be considered as an effective approach for business education programs and offer suggestions for integrating this model within undergraduate business curricula. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Nowadays all around the globe managers are working in an ever increasingly competitive environment and their education and formation should take into account the new challenges posed by the traits of this kind environment. Though this article we try to underline the importance of business ethics education which with its various subjects, including corporate social responsibility, begins to play an important role in the education process of future managers all over the world, as a new way for approaching problems that arise in this international business environment characterises as being highly competitive for limited resources. We will analyse the roots and the premises that determined this need for change in the approach of future manager's education, the benefits and challenges associated to this change, and we will set the premises for an analysis of the level at which this need for business ethics education for managers is understood and taken into account by the Romanian business and economics curriculum in universities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research examines the relationships between education in business ethics, Reynolds's (J Appl Psychol 93:1027-1041, ) 'moral attentiveness' construct, or the extent to which individuals chronically perceive and reflect on morality and moral elements in their experiences, and Singhapakdi et al.'s (J Bus Ethics 15:1131-1140, ) measure of perceptions of the role of ethics and social responsibility (PRESOR). Education in business ethics was found to be positively associated with the two identified factors of moral attentiveness, 'reflective' and 'perceptual' moral attentiveness, and with the PRESOR 'stakeholder view' factor. Also, reflective moral attentiveness was found to act as a mediator in the relationship between education in business ethics and the PRESOR stakeholder view factor. Evidence of gender and social desirability bias effects was also found. The implications of these relationships and social cognitive theory for improved understanding of the mechanisms by which a variety of variables have their effects on PRESOR in business are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Services marketing and retailing courses place service quality at the heart of the curriculum, painting service providers as defenders of their customers’ welfare and thwarters of service failures by ushering in recovery solutions. Yet academic literature and the popular press provide evidence that in some cases, service providers act as discriminatory agents toward their own customers. Likewise, other customers in the servicescape can negatively influence a customer’s service quality experience. This article attempts to address shortcomings in services marketing textbooks and classroom discussions by providing educators with a multicultural service sensitivity exercise that they can employ in undergraduate, graduate, and executive MBA courses. The article offers educators an easy-to-implement, active learning exercise that shows students how many consumers fail to obtain quality service in the marketplace. The goal of the exercise is to help students develop an appreciation for diversity and understand how to manage a service setting so that all customers receive optimal service quality. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Although many scholars and practitioners acknowledge business ethics education to be an important priority for business schools, they criticize the current approach to teaching business ethics at many schools as ineffective. This article introduces a new integrative model for teaching business ethics that integrates key elements of Bloom's Taxonomy, Fink's Taxonomy of Significant Learning, and Transformational Learning. Research briefly describes the current status of business ethics education and identifies nine elements of the proposed model of Transformative Learning. The identified propositions allow business faculty to use them to assess the application of Transformative Learning on business ethics education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today's complex global environment, business educators need to play a more strategic role in moving the business sector from a compliance orientation to one in which future business leaders are equipped to serve as strong advocates for human rights and every dimension of sustainability (environmental, economic, and social). While much innovative work is underway to embed human rights in business, the author aims to provide business educators with resources to do likewise so that the emergence of a new generation of business leaders may be fostered—leaders who incorporate human rights into their decision making and serve as powerful influencers in establishing an inclusive and sustainable world. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

As a human endeavor and profession, management must be built on sound ethical underpinnings. Accordingly, introductory management courses customarily introduce business ethics and corporate social responsibility in order to develop the students’ ethical awareness and reasoning. Yet, some common misconceptions regarding the discipline are also present in these introductions to the topic, as evidenced by a review of a sample of popular management textbooks. Their discussion, with recommendations, aims to improve the teaching and learning of ethics in management and, hence, managerial problem solving and decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]