The effect of industrial training on ethical awareness of final year students in a Malaysian public university

Abstract

Studies (for example, Dellaportas in Making a difference with a discrete course on accounting ethics. J Bus Ethics 65(4):391–404, 2006; Saat in An investigation of the effects of a moral education program on the ethical development of Malaysian future accountants, 2010) on final year accounting students show that industrial training has a positive impact on the ethical development in a way that students improved in their ethical judgement after attending a 6-month training. Thus, this research aims to evaluate the influence of industrial training in the development of ethical awareness among final year students from a Malaysian public university. These students were from multiple academic backgrounds—engineering, science and social science. A pre and post study was adopted in order to achieve the objectives. A set of survey was distributed to students before and after they have attended industrial training. In assessing students’ ethical awareness, 15 business-related and workplace ethical situations were given and students had to rate their acceptance on these situations from not acceptable (1) to most acceptable (7). From the findings, it can be observed that although the level of ethical awareness among students is fairly good, industrial training has minimal impact in improving or developing students’ ethical awareness. The impact is such because students who undergone industrial training may have observed certain behaviour that they thought are acceptable in a workplace; this may have changed the way students perceived their acceptance on the situations.

Appendix

		Not acceptable				Most acceptable
1.	An executive makes RM5,000 travelling expense claims though only RM3,000 was spent. He argued that if the director can do the same, then there is no harm he takes the action	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
2.	A clerk often takes office supplies (i.e. pens, pencils, papers) to accommodate her children’s schooling needs	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
3.	A human resource manager received application for a supervisor’s position from two equally qualified applicants but hired the male applicant because he thought that some employees might refuse being supervised by a female	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
4.	A small business received one-fourth of its gross revenue in the form of cash. The owner reported only one-half of the cash receipts to avoid paying too much income tax	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
5.	You notice a friend has cheated in the examination. You know that he needs good grades to secure his scholarship since he comes from a poor family and sick parents, so you let his action unreported	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
6.	A company Chairman found that a competitor had made an important scientific discovery, which would sharply reduce the profits of his own company. He then hired a key employee of the competitor in an attempt to learn the details of the discovery	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
7.	As part of the marketing strategy for a product, the producers changed its colour and marketed it as ‘new and improved’, even though its other characteristics were unchanged	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
8.	A company director knows that sending expensive Hari Raya gifts to clients’ purchasing officers might influence, and the purchasing officers may be punished if caught receiving the gifts. However, he continued sending gifts as it was common practice and changing it might result in loss of business	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
9	A worker surf the internet and makes social network during office hours. He claims that he has completed all tasks assigned and therefore deserves some leisure time	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
10.	The CEO promoted a loyal friend and competent manager to a higher position and declined another candidate who is better-qualified manager but whom he had no close personal ties	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
11.	An engineer discovered a product flaw design which could result a safety hazard to customers. His company declined to correct the flaw. The engineer decided to keep quiet, rather than taking his complaint outside the company	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
12.	An owner of a small business firm obtained a free copy of copyrighted computer software program from a business friend rather than spending RM1,500 to obtain his own program from the software dealer	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
13.	A clerk has to send his ill mother to the doctor but the treatment takes the whole day. He has limited annual leave left so he ‘bought’ a medical certificate from a clinic and produce to the employer. If he had not sent his mother, she will not be able to go to the doctor	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
14.	A friend is caught in a traffic jam and has asked you to punch in the attendance for him. You know that as trainees both of you cannot be late to work or you will not get good report. You do as his request knowing that you might need the same help in the future	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
15.	The young cashier had thought that you gave her RM50 note instead of RM10 and thus handing you a change of RM45 after the RM5 purchase. You desperately need some money to travel back to your hometown. Instead of asking your old mother for money, you keep the RM45 change although you know the young cashier will be in trouble	1	2	3	4	5	6	7