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Ethics education: the impact of ethics training engagement on unethical decision-making in the workplace

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Abstract

This study examined the impact of ethics training engagement (i.e., active learning vs. passive learning) on unethical decision-making in the workplace. Participants were randomly assigned to one of the two conditions. Next, a baseline measurement of ethical ideology was collected using the Ethics Position Questionnaire (EPQ) and participants then engaged in ethics training based on the condition to which they were randomly assigned. They then had the option to read along or listen to a hypothetical scenario about an employee faced with the opportunity to make an unethical decision, and completed the Unethical Decision Questionnaire (UDQ). Results showed that participants in the passive learning condition were significantly more likely to perceive an unethical situation as ethical compared to participants in the active learning ethics training condition. Additionally, participants in the passive learning condition were significantly more likely to engage in unethical decision-making than participants in the active learning condition. The current findings contribute to the existing literature by providing evidence that active learning in ethics training programs could reduce unethical decision-making within the workplace.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Xavier University, 3800 Victory Pkwy, Cincinnati, OH, 45207, USA

    Stanley Singer Jr & Dalia Diab

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  1. Stanley Singer Jr
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  2. Dalia Diab
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Correspondence to Stanley Singer Jr.

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This research was conducted as a requirement for completion of the Master of Arts degree in Industrial-Organizational Psychology at Xavier University. The research was funded by Frank G. and Catherine A. Miltz Mini Grant from Xavier University. There are no conflicts of interest to declare that are relevant to the content of this article. Both authors certify that they have no affiliations with or involvement in any organization or entity with any financial interest or non-financial interest in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript. The authors have no financial or proprietary interests in any material discussed in this article. This study was submitted to the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at Xavier University and approved as exempt research. All participants provided informed consent to participate in this study.

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Singer, S., Diab, D. Ethics education: the impact of ethics training engagement on unethical decision-making in the workplace. International Journal of Ethics Education 6, 109–124 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40889-020-00114-y

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