Browse by:



Displaying: 101-120 of 406 documents


teaching articles

101. Journal of Business Ethics Education: Volume > 15
Peggy L. Hedges

abstract | view |  rights & permissions | cited by
Debate can be a useful way to engage students with topics and stimulate discussion on what might appear to be a seemingly straightforward concept. This article describes a modified debate activity in which groups of six students debate preassigned topics in front of their classmates. The activity is designed to help students better understand how personal ethics and decision making can be influenced and challenged by various policies, procedures, and stakeholders. This article provides lesson planning suggestions, student handouts, and marking rubrics. This activity can be incorporated into any undergraduate or graduate level course that has content dealing with ethical decision making.
102. Journal of Business Ethics Education: Volume > 15
Laura Corazza, Maurizio Cisi, Simone Domenico Scagnelli

abstract | view |  rights & permissions | cited by
How does Creating Shared Value (CSV) differ from Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)? How can universities teach CSV to students? The aim of this study is to present the case of the Shared Value Living Lab (SVLL) recently carried out at the University of Torino (UniTo), a large Italian public university. Specifically, the paper analyzes CSV related arguments such as building ecosystems and collective impact, and by questioning the role of experiential learning in adult education. The transformative learning theory of Mezirow (2000) assists the discussion and interpretation of the results derived from this research from an intrinsic perspective, as the researchers “interacted” with the participants. The risks and opportunities of teaching CSV concepts are presented side by side with the strengths and weaknesses of innovative learning tools that have already been adopted by universities and business schools. The study contributes to the current literature by showing how students can reframe the problem of CSV, escaping from ordinary meaning schemes. The interaction between the researchers, the students, and the local actors is atypical of a generalist public university. It is also a good example of a triple helix collaboration that can be implemented in other areas of education research.
103. Journal of Business Ethics Education: Volume > 15
Carlo Carrascoso

abstract | view |  rights & permissions | cited by
Today’s managers face a competitive and globalized marketplace, with a multitude of stakeholders demanding their time and attention. The fast pace of this environment can overwhelm them and may interfere with their desire for meaningful work and an integration of their personal and professional values. This paper addresses this challenge by combining stakeholder theory and Catholic Social Tradition to form Catholic Stakeholder Thinking. Possessing values that are shared by managers of diverse faiths and beliefs, it explains how key Catholic social tenets and the resulting normative obligations inform managerial responsibilities to stakeholders. Catholic Stakeholder Thinking is taught and reinforced through the open-ended case method, an approach which encourages managers to critically examine the complexities of an issue. This determines whether their decisions promote integral human development and the common good in solidarity with the poor. The open-ended case method approach anchored in Catholic Stakeholder thinking sharpens managers’ skills and may contribute to personal development. Because of its shared focus on integral human development and the common good in solidarity with the poor, it can be used by managers of good will who hold different (or no) religious affiliations.
104. Journal of Business Ethics Education: Volume > 15
Jason Brennan

abstract | view |  rights & permissions | cited by
This paper describes the “Ethics Project”, a semester-long entrepreneurial activity in which students must make real-life decisions and then reflect upon their decisions. The Ethics Project asks students to think of something good to do, something that adds value to the world, and then do it. Along the way, they must navigate problems of opportunity cost or feasibility versus desirability, must anticipate and overcome strategic and ethical obstacles, and must ensure they add value, taking into account their costs. Rather than role-playing through case studies, students live through real-life case studies which result from their own choices. When properly administered, the Ethics Project trains student to be principled leaders who integrate ethical principles into strategic decision-making, and who can discover and overcome their own moral limitations.

case studies (with accompanying teaching notes)

105. Journal of Business Ethics Education: Volume > 15
Jeffrey A. Mello

abstract | view |  rights & permissions | cited by
The paper presents an experiential exercise in which students, both individually and in teams, evaluate a cost-saving proposal to close two domestic assembly facilities and open a maquiladora facility in Mexico. Students are presented with strong statements in support of and against the proposal from a number of varied stakeholders and asked to make a decision on the proposal. Subsequent to this decision, students are asked to reconsider their decision in light of some potential personal consequences this decision might have for them and their family. The exercise facilitates a discussion of stakeholder analysis from the perspective of normative stakeholder theory as well as how ethical decisions might be affected by personal considerations.
106. Journal of Business Ethics Education: Volume > 15
Susan Stos

abstract | view |  rights & permissions | cited by
The concepts behind three of the principal normative ethical theories (utilitarianism, deontology, virtue ethics) are evident in a real-life scenario. This case study involves videotapes recorded from inside Grootvlei Prison, Bloemfontein, South Africa in 2002. Prisoners captured sensational footage of warders selling alcohol, drugs, loaded firearms and juveniles for sex to inmates. It was footage every journalist would want to broadcast and it was for sale to the highest bidder. The country’s three flagship current affairs programs, broadcast on three different channels, were each approached to buy the footage. Each of the television channels operates under different business models: one is the public broadcaster; another a free-to-air private channel; the third is a pay channel and part of a multinational listed company. Upon analysis it is clear that each executive producer/company espoused different ethical philosophies, yet each decision was ultimately ethical. The reasoning and philosophies of three ethical theories are highlighted in business decision-making, commercial judgments as well as journalistic choices.
107. Journal of Business Ethics Education: Volume > 15
Jasper Bosma, Johan Bouwer, Rob van Ginneken

abstract | view |  rights & permissions | cited by
This case describes an ethical dilemma faced by the Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan in September 2015. The resort had hosted a ceremony which appeared to be, on pictures posted on social media, the wedding of a homosexual couple. A local uproar ensued, and several stakeholders, including the local government, considered the event an outrage – same-sex marriage being illegal in the country – and the sales executive faced criminal charges of blasphemy, as the use of Hindu symbols was considered offensive. The case should make students reflect on the nature of several moral dilemmas that emerged in this specific hospitality context, and ask themselves questions like “who is responsible for the dismay?, has the dilemma been solved adequately? and, more generally, how should international companies deal with such matters?”
108. Journal of Business Ethics Education: Volume > 15
Rahat Munir, Craig Terry

abstract | view |  rights & permissions | cited by
Pressures are mounting upon Australian retailers including their ability to grow profit. Price deflation for many items, a lack of wage growth, and, the rise of huge online platforms is just some of the factors now creating difficulties for retailers. In the absence of sales growth, profit can only be improved with a focus on the cost side of the business. And, it is this focus that has brought about the potential for unethical decision making. This case study examines the role of accountants in influencing this decision making. Accountants are often seen as the experts when it comes to cost control. Consequently, they have a unique opportunity to use their position to help ensure that when governance processes surrounding cost (and profit) management are established, or when key decisions are made, these are undertaken on an ethical basis. This teaching case explores this issue within three scenarios relevant to the current Australian retail industry. Firstly, the ethical concerns of the use of power by the big retailers to reduce costs within international and domestic supply chains are examined. Secondly, recent instances of questionable practices to inflate profits through rebate, and other, accounting methods are analysed. Finally, the design of remuneration systems is discussed within the context of whether these are creating unethical biases within organisational decision making.
109. Journal of Business Ethics Education: Volume > 15
Thomas Corbin, Akram Al Matarneh, Udo Braendle

abstract | view |  rights & permissions | cited by
This case study attempts to frame the ethical considerations between hiring a known smoker over a non-smoker in today’s cultural climate. Referenced data from a parallel project gauging the likelihood of Human Resources representatives to hire smokers and accommodate them in the workforce could help manage the response and critical thinking components of the case scenario. Questions also arise as to whether it is advisable for employers to take particular attitudes toward smoking in the workplace. This is not only in the interest of the health of employees, customers and clients, but is also on the basis of a concern that employers may otherwise expose themselves to lawsuits where employees may, on the basis of illness contracted due to a smoking environment supported by an employer, sue for the costs of care and income.

110. Journal of Business Ethics Education: Volume > 14
John Hooker

view |  rights & permissions | cited by

education research articles

111. Journal of Business Ethics Education: Volume > 14
Nhung T. Hendy, M. Tom Basuray, William P. Smith

abstract | view |  rights & permissions | cited by
In this study, we explored student team debates as a tool in teaching a business ethics course using a sample of upper level undergraduate business students enrolled in two sections of a business ethics course in the U.S. Eight teams each consisting of 4-5 students debated four topics throughout the spring semester of 2016. Their oral arguments were evaluated in the classroom by their non-debating peers. Results showed that after watching the debates, non-debating students changed their position on three out of four debate issues. Further, we found that non-debating students discounted their political orientation in judging which team won the debate. We offer a discussion and implications on teaching business ethics using team debates.
112. Journal of Business Ethics Education: Volume > 14
James S. Welch Jr.

abstract | view |  rights & permissions | cited by
As evidenced by the recent revitalization of guidelines for general learning objectives for business ethics education by the two primary undergraduate business accrediting agencies, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools in Business (AACSB) and the Accrediting Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), undergraduate business ethics education is of significant importance today. However, the specific ways in which business schools implement business ethics education remains quite diverse. This study was designed to survey and compare preferences for undergraduate business ethics education in national liberal arts colleges in the United States. The results indicate that, while preferences for business ethics instructional methods centered upon the case study methods in face to face, traditional classrooms, preferences regarding the selection of business ethics faculty members was slightly divided.
113. Journal of Business Ethics Education: Volume > 14
Haseena Niazi, Richard A. Bernardi, Susan M. Bosco

abstract | view |  rights & permissions | cited by
While most ethics studies use student samples, the participants in our research were 306 business professionals from Afghanistan (69), Germany (71), Philippines (77) and the United States (89). Our sample included 168 male business professionals and 138 female business professionals. Our research examined whether factors such as taking a college ethics course, gender, or being from a specific country significantly associate to being sensitive to ethical dilemmas. Our data indicate that individuals who had taken an ethics course in college were more sensitive to two of our four ethical dilemmas. Our analyses indicate that business professionals from Afghanistan and Germany were consistently less sensitive to unethical activities than were the business professionals the United States. Gender was significant in only two of the four scenarios we examined; male business professionals were more likely to agree with the unethical act for these scenarios. Individuals who were more prone to responding in a socially desirable manner reported a lower likelihood of supporting unethical actions. Our research raises questions about the difference between being required to take an ethics course versus taking an elective ethics course. Finally, our research indicates that female professionals are more sensitive to minor ethical deviations than male professionals; an alternate explanation is that male professionals were more willing to accept minor ethical deviations.
114. Journal of Business Ethics Education: Volume > 14
Sohyoun Shin, K. Damon Aiken, Vincent A. Aleccia

abstract | view |  rights & permissions | cited by
This research explores the relationships between business students’ academic misconduct and their attitudes toward professional ethics, specifically credential embellishment and business unethicality. Based on 135 survey responses from business students in a northwestern university, we tested hypothesized relationships using multiple regression analyses. We found that students’ attitudes toward academic misconduct, especially illicit collaboration and exam cheating, were positively correlated with their attitudes toward credential embellishment (i.e., rèsumè fraud and/or rèsumè padding and business unethicality), unethical business operations, and unethical employee practices. In addition, gender yielded meaningful differences related to perceptions of both dimensions of business unethicality. We emphasize the importance of ethics education, and suggest actionable remedies including placement of strict policies, promotions of shared norms and cultures, and curriculum redesign guidelines for business educators and administrators.
115. Journal of Business Ethics Education: Volume > 14
Chen Kong, Ying Han Fan, Yan Chen, Ruchuan Jiang, Grantley Taylor

abstract | view |  rights & permissions | cited by
This study examines the effect of teaching ethics and the form of code of ethics (i.e., principles- versus rules-based) on auditors’ ethical decision making. We draw upon Rest’s (1986) decision-making model and Hunt and Vitell’s (1986) theory of marketing ethics to assist us with this examination. We use accounting students as substitutes for auditors in this study to enhance its internal validity as students are “subjects who would not already have detailed knowledge and experience of the Code” (Herrona and Gilbertson 2004, p. 510). The research method includes a survey and an experiment in the study. A between-subjects survey design with a sample of 271 students and a within-subjects experimental design with a sample of 146 students are used. A confirmatory factor analysis is conducted before other statistical methods are performed. Our results show that teaching codes of ethics improves accounting students’ awareness of audit independence issues and their ethical judgments and intentions. However, the form of a code of ethics does not make any significant difference in terms of the participants’ awareness of audit independence and their ethical judgments and intentions. Our study contributes to the debate on the effectiveness of principles-based versus rules-based codes of ethics and the importance of teaching ethics in non-Western economies.
116. Journal of Business Ethics Education: Volume > 14
Ayman E. Haddad, Dhoha AlSaleh, Mark Speece, Osama M. Al-Hares

abstract | view |  rights & permissions | cited by
This study aims at measuring the level of unacceptability of certain unethical behaviours for educators in accounting/finance (A/F) as well as marketing/management (M/M) in their various roles. The research was conducted utilising a quantitative approach based on the Integrated Social Contracts Theory (ISCT) in order to compare norms of ethically acceptable/unacceptable behaviours of A/F and M/M educators in the context of Kuwait. The population for this study consisted of educators from A/F and M/M from different Business Schools in Kuwait. The results of the study indicate there is general agreement on unacceptable behaviours in academia between the two groups; however, in general, A/F faculty tend to rate nearly all unethical behaviors as slightly more unacceptable than do M/M faculty. While this may possibly indicate that A/F faculty are slightly more ethical, more likely it reflects different ways of perceiving the world among quantitatively vs. qualitatively-oriented faculty. We also compare the results to a prior similar survey conducted by Siegel and Jackson (2011). It seems that the perceived ethics of behaviours differs somewhat among educators in different parts of the world. This study is expected to assist the development of an ethical code in Kuwaiti academe. This in turn will help students to learn about codes of ethics which will govern their future conduct as professionals.
117. Journal of Business Ethics Education: Volume > 14
Aljwhara A. Al-Thani, Maryam Y. Al-Madhoun, Shahriar M. Saadullah, Ousama A. Anam

abstract | view |  rights & permissions | cited by
The objective of this study is to review the performance of business students in ethics assessments and suggest enhancements to the ethics curriculum. Data triangulation method was used to gather the data. First, data was gathered from ethics assessments that tested the performance of students. Then a faculty focus group discussion was held to gather their thoughts on the future of the ethics education. Incorporating these thoughts, 389 students were surveyed to understand their perspectives on the future of ethics education. The results show that the faculty members believe the student performance needs improvement. In addition, the faculty and the students make detailed recommendations to enhance the ethics curriculum at the introductory and advanced levels. Their recommendations include that code of conduct should be a part of ethics education, and faculty members with work experience related to ethical dilemmas should deliver the ethics education. Both groups opined on the possibility of teaching ethics in a stand-alone course versus imbedding it in select courses. The details of the findings and implications are discussed.

teaching articles

118. Journal of Business Ethics Education: Volume > 14
Johannes Brinkmann

abstract | view |  rights & permissions | cited by
The paper starts with a brief introduction, about teaching business ethics, by using theatre plays and literature in general, and about the selection of this play by Lessing in particular (published in German 1779; first performed 1783). Next follows a summary presentation of the play, its most critical scenes, roles and ingredients. As an open ending to this presentation (which includes further references to available texts and videos in English, German, and other languages), a number of questions are formulated which can be used for triggering and structuring student discussion and student papers (e.g. about lowering inter-religious and inter-cultural prejudice, and/or about putting enlightenment, wisdom and tolerance on the business ethics teaching agenda). Then the paper offers short answers to each of these questions (e.g. as a preparation for potential instructors).
119. Journal of Business Ethics Education: Volume > 14
Teresa M. Pergola, L. Melissa Walters

abstract | view |  rights & permissions | cited by
Academic accrediting/standard-setting bodies and the accounting profession view the continued emergence of reputation-damaging ethical transgressions within the accounting profession as a failure of accounting education to effectively implement necessary reforms (AACSB 2004, IESBA 2014, PwC 2003). Although accounting educators have proposed various frameworks and instructional methods for improving ethics education, accounting still lags behind other professions in the moral development of aspiring professionals (Liu et al. 2012). The purpose of this paper is to provide a model for an enhanced ethics course developed for an accounting curriculum. The model course was designed to respond to identified deficiencies in accounting ethics education and improve the moral development of accounting students. The paper discusses course design, delivery methods, educational goals, topical coverage and assessment of learning. Assessment data indicated that accounting students’ levels of moral development improved to a level consistent with other professions upon successful completion of the course.
120. Journal of Business Ethics Education: Volume > 14
José L. Ruiz-Alba, Ignacio Ferrero, Massimiliano Matteo Pellegrini

abstract | view |  rights & permissions | cited by
Teaching business ethics effectively may prepare future leaders and managers to better deal with delicate situations that they might face in the workplace. However, such an aim is one of the biggest challenges that educators at universities are called on to solve. An increasing number of scholars are invoking the role of prudence in the virtue ethics context as a viable approach to teach students how to manage ethical dilemmas. In this regard, this paper discusses the “St. Albans Family Enterprises” case study that can serve as an instrument to help students and practitioners develop their ethical decision-making ability and to foster a disposition towards applying sound judgment or what can be called in classical terms, prudence. The teaching note that accompanies the case study offers guidance to educators about how the case can be used for teaching purposes, and explains the implications of exercising practical wisdom (prudence) within a virtue ethics framework.