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The Impact of Business Education on Moral Judgment Competence: An Empirical Study

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Abstract

This study uses theories of moral reasoning and moral competence to investigate how university codes of ethics, perceptions of ethical culture, academic pressure from significant others, and ethics pedagogy are related to the moral development of students. Results suggest that ethical codes and student perceptions of such codes affect their perceptions of the ethical nature of the cultures within these institutions. In addition, faculty and student discussion of ethics in business courses is significantly and positively related to moral competence among students. Our results point to the need to further examine the connections among academic institutional structures, ethics pedagogy, and students’ moral development.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Barney School of Business, University of Hartford, Hartford, CT, U.S.A.

    David E. Desplaces

  2. Gabelli School of Business, Roger Williams University, Bristol, RI, U.S.A.

    David E. Melchar & Susan M. Bosco

  3. College of Business Administration, University of Rhode Island, 7 Lippitt Road, Kingston, RI, 02881, USA

    Laura L. Beauvais

Authors
  1. David E. Desplaces
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  2. David E. Melchar
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  3. Laura L. Beauvais
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  4. Susan M. Bosco
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Laura L. Beauvais.

Additional information

David E. Desplaces is an Assistant Professor of Management and Entrepreneurial Studies, the Founding Director of the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Economic Development, and SBI Director at the Barney School of Business, University of Hartford. David’s research focuses on regional economic development, spatial allocation of funding for new ventures, business ethics education, and change management. He has published in the Michigan Journal for Community Service Learning, International Journal of Case Method Research and Application, and the Journal of Business and Entrepreneurship.

David E. Melchar is a Professor of Management at the Gabelli School of Management at Roger Williams University. His research interests include leadership and business ethics education, and has had articles presented at meetings of the Academy of Management and Eastern Academy of Management. He is also a retired Marine Corps officer.

Laura L. Beauvais is Professor of Management at the University of Rhode Island in Kingston, RI. She received her Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from the University of Tennessee in 1987. Her research interests include the management of work/professional/family roles among employees; self concept-based motivation processes; moral development among business students: and organizational change. She has published in many journals, including the Journal of Applied Psychology, industrial and Labor Relations Review, Journal of Managerial Issues, Human Relations, Journal of Behavioral and Applied Management, and Journal of Vocational Behavior.

Susan M. Bosco is an Associate Professor of Management at the Gabelli School of Business at Roger Williams University. Her research interests include gender and career issues, workplace diversity, and the use of group pedagogical methods as well as business ethics education. She has published in the Journal of Applied Business, College Student Journal, and Organization Management Journal. Susan earned her PhD from the University of Rhode Island.

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Desplaces, D.E., Melchar, D.E., Beauvais, L.L. et al. The Impact of Business Education on Moral Judgment Competence: An Empirical Study. J Bus Ethics 74, 73–87 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-006-9221-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-006-9221-3

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