Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Volunteers Versus Non-Volunteers—Which Group Cheats More, and Holds More lax Attitudes About Cheating?

  • Published:
Journal of Academic Ethics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Academic dishonesty has been a frequent topic of research and discussion. In this article, we examine the differences between student volunteers and student non-volunteers in terms of their attitudes towards academic dishonesty as well as their cheating behaviors. We found that student volunteers held more serious attitudes towards cheating and academic dishonesty than did student non-volunteers; however there were not many significant differences between student volunteers and student non-volunteers when it came to cheating behaviors. We finally provide some suggestions for future research in the topic of academic dishonesty.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Andrews, M. (2003). Deconstructing volunteerism: The difference between variables predicting student placements and volunteerism activities. M.A. dissertation, Laurentian University of Sudbury (Canada), Canada. Retrieved September 5, 2010, from Dissertations and Theses: The Humanities and Social Sciences Collection. (Publication No. AAT MQ85623)

  • Arlow, P., & Ulrich, T. (1985). Business ethics and business school graduates: a longitudinal study. Akron Business and Economic Review, 16, 13–17.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barnett, D. C., & Dalton, J. C. (1981). Why college students cheat. Journal of College Student Personnel, 22, 515–522.

    Google Scholar 

  • Becker, G. (1968). Crime and punishment: an economic approach. Journal of Political Economy, 76(2), 168–217.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boz, I., & Palaz, S. (2007). Factors influencing the motivation of Turkey’s community volunteers. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 36(4), 643–661. doi:10.1177/0899764006298364.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burrus, R. T., McGoldrick, K., & Schuhmann, P. W. (2007). Self-reports of student cheating: does a definition of cheating matter? The Journal of Economic Education, 38, 3–16.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chang, H. (1995). College student test cheating in Taiwan. Student Counseling, 41, 114–128.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chapman, K. J., Davis, R., Toy, D., & Wright, L. (2004). Academic integrity in the business school environment: I’ll get by with a little help from my friends. Journal of Marketing Education, 26(3), 236–249.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cizek, G. J. (1999). Cheating on tests: how to do it, detect it, and prevent it. Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cizek, G. J. (2003). Detecting and preventing classroom cheating: promoting integrity in schools. Thousand Oaks: Corwin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crown, D. F., & Spiller, M. S. (1998). Learning from the literature on collegiate cheating: a review of empirical research. Journal of Business Ethics, 17, 683–700.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cusick, B.A. (2005). Higher education: The motivation, organization, and socialization of Japanese college student volunteers. Ph.D. dissertation, Boston University, United States—Massachusetts. Retrieved September 7, 2010, from Dissertations and Theses: The Humanities and Social Sciences Collection. (Publication No. AAT 3157362).

  • Davis, S. F., Grover, C. A., Becker, A. H., & McGregor, L. N. (1992). Academic dishonesty: prevalence, determinants, techniques, and punishments. Teaching of Psychology, 33, 39–42.

    Google Scholar 

  • De Lambert, K., Ellen, N., & Taylor, L. (2003). Cheating—what is it and why do it: a study in New Zealand tertiary institutions of the perceptions and justifications for academic dishonesty. The Journal of American Academy of Business, 3, 98–103.

    Google Scholar 

  • Diekhoff, G. M., LaBeff, E. E., Shinohara, K., & Yasukawa, H. (1999). College cheating in Japan and the United States. Research in Higher Education, 40(3), 343–353.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dutta-Bergman, M. (2004). Describing volunteerism: the theory of unified responsibility. Journal of Public Relations Research, 16, 353–369.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fackler, M. (2011). Internet cheating scandal shakes Japan universities. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/02/world/asia/02japan.html.

  • Finn, K. V., & Frone, M. R. (2004). Academic performance and cheating: moderating role of school identification and self-efficacy. Journal of Educational Research, 97(3), 115–122.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Firmin, M. W., Burger, A., & Blosser, M. (2009). Affective responses of students who witness classroom cheating. Educational Research Quarterly, 32, 3–15.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gbadamosi, G. (2004). Academic ethics: what has morality, culture and administration got to do with its measurement? Management Decision, 42(9), 1145–1161.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Geng, D. (2008). Students setting out to alleviate “poverty of spirit” in rural China found themselves transformed. Chinese Education and Society, 41(3), 72–84. doi:10.2753/CED1061-1932410308.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Graham, M., Monday, J., O’Brien, K., & Steffen, S. (1994). Cheating at small colleges: an examination of student and faculty attitudes and behaviors. Journal of College Student Development, 35, 255–260.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grimes, P. W. (2004). Dishonesty in academics and business: a cross-cultural evaluation of student attitudes. Journal of Business Ethics, 49(3), 273–290.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hayes, N., & Introna, L. D. (2005). Systems for the production of plagiarists? Journal of Academic Ethics, 3(1), 55–73.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hetherington, E. M., & Feldman, S. E. (1964). College cheating as a function of subject and situational variables. Journal of Educational Psychology, 55, 212–218.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Houston, J. P. (1986). Classroom answer copying: roles of acquaintanceship and free vs. Assigned seating. Journal of Educational Psychology, 78(3), 230–232.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Iyer, R., & Eastman, J. K. (2006). Academic dishonesty: are business students different from other college students?”. Journal of Education for Business, 82(2), 101–110.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kelly, J. A., & Worrell, L. (1978). Personality characteristics, parent behaviors, and sex of subject in relation to cheating. Journal of Research in Personality, 12, 179–188.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kidwell, L., Wozniak, K., & Laurel, J. P. (2003). Student reports and faculty perceptions of academic dishonesty. Teaching Business Ethics, 7, 205–214.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kisamore, J. L., Stone, T. H., & Jawahar, I. M. (2007). Academic integrity: the relationship between individual and situational factors on misconduct contemplations. Journal of Business Ethics, 75(4), 381–394. doi:10.1007/s10551-006-9260-9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Klein, H. A., Levenburg, N. M., McKendall, M., & Mothersell, W. (2007). Cheating during the college years: how do business school students compare? Journal of Business Ethics, 72(2), 197–206. doi:10.1007/s10551-006-9165-7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Levy, E., & Rakovski, C. (2006). Academic dishonesty: a zero tolerance professor and student registration. Choices. Research in Higher Education, 47(6), 735–754.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lin, C.-H. S., & Wen, L.-Y. M. (2007). Academic dishonesty in higher education—a nationwide study in Taiwan. Higher Education, 54, 85–97.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lupton, R. A., Chapman, K. J., & Weiss, J. (2002). Russian and American college students’ attitudes, perceptions, and tendencies towards cheating. Educational Research, 44(1), 17–27.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCabe, D. L. (2001). Cheating: why students do it and how we can help them stop. American Educator, 25(4), 38–43.

    Google Scholar 

  • McCabe, D. L. (2009). Academic dishonesty in nursing schools: an empirical investigation. Journal of Nursing Education, 48(11), 614–623. doi:10.3928/01484834-20090716-07.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCabe, D. L., & Trevino, L. K. (1995). Cheating among business students: a challenge for business leaders and educators. The Journal of Management Education, 19(2), 205–218.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCabe, D. L., & Trevino, L. K. (1997). Individual and contextual influences on academic dishonesty: a multi-campus investigation. Research in Higher Education, 38(3), 379–396.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCabe, D. L., Butterfield, K. D., & Trevino, L. K. (2006). Academic dishonesty in graduate business programs: prevalence, causes, and proposed action. Academy of Management Learning and Executive, 5(3), 294–305.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mirshekary, S., & Lawrence, A. (2009). Academic and business ethical misconduct and cultural values: a cross national comparison. Journal of Academic Ethics, 7(3), 141–157.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nonis, S. A., & Swift, C. O. (1998). Deterring cheating behavior in the marketing classroom: an analysis of the effects of demographics, attitudes and in-class deterrent strategies, Journal of Marketing Education, 20(3), 188–199.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nonis, S. A., & Swift, C. O. (2001). A personal value profiles and ethical business decision. Journal of Education for Business, 76(5), 251–256.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nowell, C., & Laufer, D. (1997). Undergraduate student cheating in the fields of business and economics. Journal of Economic Education, 28, 3–12.

    Google Scholar 

  • Park, C. (2003). In other (People’s) words: plagiarism by university students- literature and lessons. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 28(5), 471–488. doi:10.1080/0260293032000120352.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pavela, G. (1997). Applying the power of association on campus: a model code of academic integrity. Journal of Business Ethics, 16(1), 97–118.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pincus, H. S., & Schmelkin, L. P. (2003). Faculty perceptions of academic dishonesty: a multidimensional scaling analysis. The Journal of Higher Education, 74(2), 3–12.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Premeaux, S. R. (2005). Undergraduate student perceptions regarding cheating. Journal of Business. Ethics, 62(4), 407–418. doi:10.1007/s10551-005-2585-y.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shen, L. (1995). Assessing students’ academic dishonesty in junior colleges in south Taiwan. Chia-Nan Annual Bulletin, 21, 97–112.

    Google Scholar 

  • Simkin, M. G., & McLeod, A. (2010). Why do college students cheat? Journal of Business Ethics, 94(3), 441–453.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sierra, J. J., & Hyman, M. R. (2008). Ethical antecedents of cheating intentions: evidence of mediation. Journal of Academic Ethics, 6(1), 51–66.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Simha, A., & Cullen, J. B. (forthcoming in 2011). Cheating and academic dishonesty: proactive and retroactive solutions. In C. Wankel & A. Stachowics-Stanusch (Eds.), Handbook of research on teaching ethics in business and management education. Hershey, PA: IGI Global.

  • Simha, A., Topuzova, L. N., & Albert, J. F. (forthcoming). V is for Volunteer(ing) - The journeys of undergraduate volunteers. Journal of Academic Ethics.

  • Simon, C. A., Carr, J. R., McCullough, S. M., Morgan, S. J., Oleson, T., & Ressel, M. (2004). Gender, student perceptions, institutional commitments and academic dishonesty: who reports in academic dishonesty cases? Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 29(1), 75–90.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sims, R. L. (1993). The relationship between academic dishonesty and unethical business practices. Journal of Education for Business, 68(4), 207–211.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smyth, M. L., & Davis, J. R. (2004). Perceptions of dishonesty among two-year college students: academic versus business situations. Journal of Business Ethics, 51(1), 63–73.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Swift, C. O., & Nonis, S. A. (1998). When no one is watching: cheating behavior on projects and assignments, Marketing Education Review, 8(1), 27–38.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wright, J., & Kelly, R. (1974). Cheating: student/faculty views and responsibilities. Improving College and University Teaching, 22, 31–34.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yahyanejad, M. (2000). Comparing studying inside Iran and abroad. http://web.mit.edu/persian/www/resources/node3.html.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Organizational Leadership, Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA, 99258, USA

    Aditya Simha, Josh P. Armstrong & Joseph F. Albert

Authors
  1. Aditya Simha
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Josh P. Armstrong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Joseph F. Albert
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Aditya Simha.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Simha, A., Armstrong, J.P. & Albert, J.F. Volunteers Versus Non-Volunteers—Which Group Cheats More, and Holds More lax Attitudes About Cheating?. J Acad Ethics 9, 205–215 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10805-011-9137-0

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10805-011-9137-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation