Abstract
This research investigates the perceptions of five constituent groups of an accredited business school — their perceptions of others' ethics, of their own ethics and ideal values, and of how business ethics can be improved. Self-described behavior from the constituent groups is quite similar, yet is decidedly different from that which respondents felt others would do. Undergraduate business students tended to have the lowest estimation of others' ethics in addition to the least ethical self-described behavior compared with other constituent groups. All constituents were solidly in favor of improving ethics by developing principles of business ethics, requiring ethics courses in business schools and introducing industry codes of ethics. People are much more ethical than they are perceived to be. Knowing that others are more ethical may in turn cause other people to act more ethically. Similarly, believing that others are less ethical may encourage less ethical behavior.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
AACSB: 1980,Accreditation Council Policies, Procedures and Standards: 1980–81 (American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business, St. Louis, MO).
Arlow, P.: 1991, ‘Personal Characteristics in College Students' Evaluations of Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility’,Journal of Business Ethics 10, 63–69.
Arlow, P. and T. A. Ulrich: 1980, ‘Business Ethics, Social Responsibility and Business Students: An Empirical Comparison of Clark's Study’,Akron Business and Economic Review 11 (Fall), 17–23.
Baumhart, R. S. J.: 1968,An Honest Profit: What Businesses Say About Ethics in Business (Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York), p. 185.
Brenner, S. N. and E. A. Molander: 1977, ‘Is the Ethics of Business Changing?’,Harvard Business Review 55 (Jan.–Feb.), 57–71.
Clark, J. W.: 1966,Religion and the Moral Standards of American Businessmen (South-Western, Cincinnati, OH).
Cooke, R. A.: 1991, ‘Danger Signs of Unethical Behavior: How to Determine If Your Firm Is at Ethical Risk’,Journal of Business Ethics 10, 249–253.
Evangelauf, J.: 1991, ‘Business — School Accrediting Groups Revises Standards in Efforts to Improve Teaching and Foster Innovation’,The Chronicle of Higher Education 33 (May 1), A11, A14.
Ferrell, O. C. and K. M. Weaver: 1978, ‘Ethical Beliefs of Marketing Managers’,Journal of Marketing 42 (July), 69–73.
Frederick, R. E. and W. M. Hoffman: 1989, ‘Business Ethics in the Curriculum: A Stranger in a Strange Land’,International Journal of Value Based Management 2, 1.
Furman, F. K.: 1990, ‘Teaching Business Ethics: Questioning the Assumptions, Seeking New Directions’,Journal of Business Ethics 9, 31–38.
George, R. J.: 1988, ‘The Challenge of Preparing Ethically Responsible Managers: Closing the Rhetoric-Reality Gap’,Journal of Business Ethics 7, 715–720.
Hollon, C. J. and T. A. Ulrich: 1979, ‘Personal Business Ethics: Managers vs. Managers-to-be’,Southern Business Review 5, 17–22.
Hosmer, L. T.: 1985, ‘The Other 338: Why a Majority of Our Schools of Business Administration Do Not Offer a Course in Business Ethics?’,Journal of Business Ethics 4, 17–22.
Hosmer, L. T.: 1988, ‘Adding Ethics to the Business Curriculum’,Business Horizons 31 (July/Aug.), 9–15.
Kohlberg, L. and D. Candee: 1984, ‘The Relationship of Moral to Moral Action,’ in W. M. Kurtines and J. L. Gerwitz (Eds.),Morality, Moral Behavior and Moral Development (Wiley, New York), pp. 52–73.
Martin, T. R.: 1982, ‘Do Courses in Ethics Improve the Ethical Judgement of Students?’,Business and Society (Winter/Spring), 17–26.
McDonald, G. M. and R. A. Zepp: 1988, ‘Ethical Perceptions of Hong Kong Chinese Business Managers’,Journal of Business Ethics 7, 835–845.
Michalos, A. C.: 1990, ‘The Impact of Trust on Business, International Security, and the Quality of Life’,Journal of Business Ethics 9, 619–638.
Morgan, R. B.: 1993, ‘Self-and Co-Worker Perceptions of Ethics and Their Relationships to Leadership and Salary’,Academy of Management Journal 36(1), 200–214.
Nelson, D. R. and T. E. Obremski: 1990, ‘Promoting Moral Growth Through Intra-Group Participation’,Journal of Business Ethics 9, 731–740.
Pitt, L. F. and R. Abratt: 1986, ‘Corruption in Business: Are Management Attitudes Right?’,Journal of Business Ethics 5, 39–44.
Schoenfeldt, L. F., D. M. McDonald and S. A. Youngblood: 1991, ‘The Teaching of Business Ethics: A Survey of AACSB Member Schools’,Journal of Business Ethics 10, 237–241.
Sims, R. R. and S. J. Sims: 1991, ‘Increasing Applied Business Ethics Courses in Business School Curricula’,Journal of Business Ethics 10, 211–219.
Stevens, G. E.: 1984, ‘Business Ethics and Social Responsibility: The Responses of Present and Future Managers’,Akron Business and Economic Review 15 (Fall), 6–11.
Tyson, T.: 1990, ‘Believing that Everyone Else is Less Ethical: Implications for Work Behavior and Ethics Instruction’,Journal of Business Ethics 9, 715–721.
Tyson, T.: 1992, ‘Does Believing that Everyone Else is Less Ethical Have an Impact on Work Behavior?’,Journal of Business Ethics 11, 707–717.
Vogel, D.: 1987, ‘Could an Ethics Course Have Kept Ivan From Going Bad?’,Wall Street Journal (April 27), 24.
Weber, J.: 1990, ‘Measuring the Impact of Teaching Ethics to Future Managers: A Review, Assessment, and Recommendations’,Journal of Business Ethics 9, 183–190.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Harriet Stephenson, Professor of Management in the Albers School of Business and Economics, Robert D. O'Brien Chair, is Director of The Entrepreneurship Center at Seattle University. She teaches Entrepreneurship, Small Business Management, and Business Policy and Organization, and does research in the areas of business ethics, entrepreneurship, and marketing for small business.
Sharon Galbraith, is an Assistant Professor in the Albers School of Business and Economics at Seattle University, Seattle Washington. She teaches Marketing and Marketing Research and does research in the areas of consumer information processing, pedagogy, business ethics, and small business.
Robert B. Grimm, an Associate Professor of Management in the Albers School of Business and Economics, and also currently Rector of the Seattle University Jesuit Community, teaches and consults in the area of business ethics. He has published inConsultation and a number of proceedings.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Stephenson, H.B., Galbraith, S. & Grimm, R.B. Ethical congruency of constituent groups. J Bus Ethics 14, 145–158 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00872019
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00872019