Cheating Among Business Students: a Challenge for Business Leaders and Educators

Ethical issues have long occupied the attention of both academicians and business practitioners. There is little question that interest in business ethics has increased substantially since the early 1980s. Many corporations have joined the rush to develop codes of ethical conduct and ethics training has become a multimillion dollar business. Important journals in the field devote considerable space to ethical issues and business schools are offering courses in ethics and corporate social responsibility to an increasing number of students. In spite of these efforts, it is not clear that much progress has been achieved. Indeed, there is evidence that the current economic slowdown has led to a significant increase in unethical behavior by individuals in American corporations. As suggested by Labich (1992), a fear of losing one’s job is often the motivating factor. The results of a survey on student cheating conducted at 31 of the nation’s most selective colleges raise concerns about the ethical behavior of the next generation of corporate managers as well. Students planning careers in business were more likely to engage in various forms of academic dishonesty Authors ’ Note: The authors gratefully acknowledge the assistance of the Rutgers University