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The Ethical Perception of Undergraduate Students in Computer-Related Situations: An Analysis of the Effects of Culture, Gender and Prior Education

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Teaching Business Ethics

Abstract

This study investigates differences in the ethical perceptions of undergraduate students in a number of computer-related situations. One hundred and eight students of UK/Irish and Malaysian backgrounds were asked to evaluate the ethical implications of eighteen computer-related scenarios. Tests for differences were conducted across four homogenetically distinct groupings – cultural background, gender, previous formal ethics education and incremental formal computer education. The results of the tests carried out indicate that the ethical perceptions of the students in computer-related situations differ most significantly on the basis of their cultural backgrounds. Observed differences across the other three variables were minimal.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Business and Economics, University of Auckland, New Zealand

    David Hay

  2. School of Management and Economics, The Queen's University of Belfast, Belfast, N. Ireland, UK

    Patricia McCourt Larres

  3. Commerce Division, Lincoln University, New Zealand

    Peter Oyelere

  4. Service Performance Manager, Customer Service Division, Air New Zealand, New Zealand

    Andrew Fisher

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  1. David Hay
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  2. Patricia McCourt Larres
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  3. Peter Oyelere
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  4. Andrew Fisher
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Hay, D., McCourt Larres, P., Oyelere, P. et al. The Ethical Perception of Undergraduate Students in Computer-Related Situations: An Analysis of the Effects of Culture, Gender and Prior Education. Teaching Business Ethics 5, 331–356 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1011445614132

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