A Longitudinal Examination of American Business Ethics

In recent years the issue of ethics and ethical standards has become a significant topic in the United States (Akaah, 1990; Lysonski and Gaidis, 1991; Robertson and Anderson, 1989). It appears that many Americans feel that their country's moral values and ethical standards are deteriorating in correlation with the decay of their cultural and social institutions. It is claimed that self-interest, increased concentra tion on short-term earnings, and lawsuits much too frequently become the prevalent approach in business and social interactions.