Abstract
The study was prompted by (a) Frederick and Vogel's debate concerning future research in “business and society”, (b) such recently reported managerial excesses as golden parachutes, “greenmail”, and fraud, (c) the increasing emphasis on coursework in the area. It appears that there is a need to assess how students, our future business leaders, perceive social issues and if a “business and society” course can help them define and understand the importance of these issues.
Three questions provided the focal point: (1) Which issues do students perceive as most important before and after completing the course? (2) How much importance do students place on issues? (3) Does completing a “business and society” course make a significant difference in how students perceive the importance of the issues presented?
Students appeared to have already clearly defined priorities before entering the course as there was very little post-course reordering of priorities. However, they did display an increased perception of the importance of social issues. The study also indicated that a “business and society” course can contribute to an increased student awareness of the importance of social issues. Therefore, it was concluded that a “business and society” course can help students define and evaluate the importance of social issues.
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Bette Ann Stead is Professor of Marketing in the College of Business Administration at the University of Houston. She edited Women in Management, Second Edition, published by Prentice-Hall Inc., in 1985. She authored ‘Corporate Giving: A Look at the Arts’, which appeared in the Journal of Business Ethics (Spring 1985) and co-authored ‘Women's Adoption of a Business Uniform: A Content Analysis of Magazine Advertisements’, which appeared in Sex Roles (August 1986).
Janice J. Miller is Assistant Professor in the College of Business Administration, University of Houston. Dr. Miller has co-authored two international business books and has lectured on the area of business and society issues in Europe and the Far East. She has taught at the University of Iowa and University of Texas at Dallas.
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Stead, B.A., Miller, J.J. Can social awareness be increased through business school curricula?. J Bus Ethics 7, 553–560 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00382603
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00382603