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Objections to the teaching of business ethics

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Abstract

To date the teaching of business ethics has been examined from the descriptive, prescriptive, and analytical perspectives. The descriptive perspective has reviewed the existence of ethics courses (e.g., Schoenfeldtet al., 1991; Bassiry, 1990; Mahoney, 1990; Singh, 1989), their historical development (e.g., Sims and Sims, 1991), and the format and syllabi of ethics courses (e.g., Hoffman and Moore, 1982). Alternatively, the prescriptive literature has centred on the pedagogical issues of teaching ethics (e.g., Hunt and Bullis, 1991; Strong and Hoffman, 1990; Reeves, 1990; Castro, 1989; George, 1987; Golenet al., 1985) and in providing recommendations for teachers of business ethics (e.g., Nappi, 1990; Hosmer and Steneck, 1989). From the analytical perspective judgments have been made as to whether courses in ethics are in fact effective in achieving value and attitudinal modifications in students (e.g., Loeb, 1991; Weber, 1990; Wynd and Mager, 1989; Pamental, 1989; Martin, 1982; Purcell, 1977). The evidence to date suggests that courses can be a means of achieving ethical awareness and sensitivity in students although it should be recognized that significant objections to the teaching of business ethics do exist and greatly inhibit their successful introduction. This paper addresses a number of the common objections to the teaching of business ethics that must be overcome if ethical programs are to continue in the future, and concludes with recommendations to facilitate the establishment of ethical training in an academic context.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. London School of Economics, Institute of Management, WC2A 2AE, London, UK

    Gael M. McDonald & Gabriel D. Donleavy

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  1. Gael M. McDonald
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  2. Gabriel D. Donleavy
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Gael McDonald is currently completing her doctorate at the Institute of Management in the London School of Economics and Political Science. Previously she was an Associate Professor with Asia Pacific International University based in Hong Kong and teaching on their international M.B.A. programs within the Pacific Rim. Miss McDonald has published in;Journal of Business Ethics, Journal of Managerial Psychology, Asia Pacific International Journal of Marketing, Management Decision, The International Review of Retail Distribution andConsumer Research and is an Associate Editor ofBusiness Ethics — A European Review.

Gabriel Donleavy is the Academic Director of the Hong Kong University Business School and is the founding Managing Editor ofAsia Review of Accounting. Dr. Donleavy has published over forty three articles to date in the field of Accounting and Finance. The most significant of these articles in;Kaijian Ekonomi Malayasia, the proceedings of the VI World Conference on Accounting Education and Managerial Finance. Recently Dr. Donleavy has published the text Cash Flow Accounting: International Uses and Abuses by Routledge (International Accounting Series), London.

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McDonald, G.M., Donleavy, G.D. Objections to the teaching of business ethics. J Bus Ethics 14, 839–853 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00872350

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