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Promoting moral growth through intra-group participation

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Abstract

Currently, an emphasis is being placed on the integration of ethical issues into the business curriculum. This paper investigates the viability of using student group interaction to induce an upward movement in the stages of moral development as advanced by Kohlberg. The results of a classroom experiment using graduate business law students suggest that formulating groups that mix stages of moral development can provide a robust environment for upward movement. In addition, the results suggest strategies for formulating effective groups, based upon entry levels as measured by the Defining Issues Test.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Statistics and Operations Research, College of Business Administration, University of Denver, University Park, 80208, Denver, Colo, USA

    D. R. Nelson & T. E. Obremski

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  1. D. R. Nelson
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  2. T. E. Obremski
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The ultimate goal of moral education is to produce people who can reason in philosophically adequate ways; who can formulate plans of action even under stress, or when experiencing conflicting values and situational pressures; and who will actually follow through behaviorally on such plans.

Donald R. Nelson, J. D., is Associate Dean, The College of Business Administration at The University of Denver, where he also serves as course coordinator and teaches Business Ethics and Social Responsibility in the MBA program. He has authored articles on ethics and moral education and currently serves as Chair of the Business Ethics Section of the American Business Law Association.

Dr. Tom Obremski is currently Associate Professor of Statistics and Operations Research at The University of Denver. He is the author of several articles and books in the area of applied statistical methodology. Dr. Obremski has been very active in integrating ethics throughout the MBA curriculum at Denver University.

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Nelson, D.R., Obremski, T.E. Promoting moral growth through intra-group participation. J Bus Ethics 9, 731–739 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00386356

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00386356

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