Abstract
This research compares and contrasts the ethics of convicted felons in three midwestern United States prison systems with those of a cross section of MBA students from previous research. Building on and replicating seminal works in business ethics, this study identifies the differences and many similarities between students and inmates on several dimensions of ethics and values. Both groups expressed similar views of which ethical issues need attention from the business community, those constituencies that are most important to business firms, and perceptions of the ethics of other salient groups. When confronted with difficult ethical situations, inmates usually, although not always, tended to be more willing do what was asked and less willing to speak out regarding the conflict. Inmate priorities for ethical issues and constituency groups tended to be very similar to the MBA student sample. Implications for business practice and business ethics education are discussed.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.
REFERENCES
Arlow, P.: 1991, 'Personal Characteristics in College Students', Evaluations of Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility', Journal of Business Ethics 10, 63-69.
Baumhart, R. C.: 1961, 'How Ethical Are Businessmen?', Harvard Business Review, July–August, 6–19, 156-176.
Brenner, R. F. and E. A. Molander: 1977, 'Is the Ethics of Business Changing?', Harvard Business Review, January–February, 57-71.
Chonko, L. B. and S. D. Hunt: 1985, 'Ethics and Marketing Management: An Empirical Examination', Journal of Business Research 13, 329-338.
Clinard, M. B.: 1983, Corporate Ethics and Crime: The Role of Middle Management, Sage Publications, Beverly Hills.
Cole, B. C. and D. L. Smith: 1996, 'Perceptions of Business Ethics: Students vs. Business People', Journal of Business Ethics 15, 889-896.
Dubinsky, A. J., E. N. Berkowitz and W. Rudelius: 1980, 'Ethical Problems of Field Sales Personnel', MSU Business Topics, 11-16.
Dubinsky, A. J. and T. N. Ingram: 1984, 'Correlates of Salespeople's Ethical Conflict: An Exploratory Investigation', Journal of Business Ethics 3, 343-353.
Eastman, K. L., J. K. Eastman and A. D. Eastman: 1996, 'The Ethics of Insurance Professionals: Comparisons of Personal Versus Professional Ethics', Journal of Business Ethics 15, 951-962.
Hirschman, A. O.: 1970, Exit, Voice, and Loyalty, Harvard University Press, Cambridge.
Jones, T. M. and F. H. Gautschi, III: 1988, 'Will the Ethics of Business Change? A Survey of Future Executives', Journal of Business Ethics 7, 231-248.
Lane, J. C.: 1995, 'Ethics of Business Students: Some Marketing Perspectives', Journal of Business Ethics 14, 571-580.
Posner, B. Z. and W. H. Schmidt: 1984, 'Values and the American Manager: An Update', California Management Review 26(3), 202-216.
Sayre, S., M. L. Joyce and D. R. Lambert: 1991, 'Gender and Sales Ethics: Are Women Penalized Less Severely Than Their Male Counterparts?,' Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management 12(2), 49-54.
Solberg, J., K. C. Strong and C. McGuire: 1995, 'Living (Not Learning) Ethics', Journal of Business Ethics 14, 71-81.
Trawick, F. and W. R. Darden: 1980, 'Marketers' Perceptions of Ethical Standards in the Marketing Profession: Educators and Practitioners', Review of Business and Economic Research 16(1), 1-17.
Zinkhan, G. M., M. Bisesi and M. J. Saxton: 1989, 'MBA's Changing Attitudes Toward Marketing Dilemmas: 1981-1987', Journal of Business Ethics 8, 963-974.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Stearns, J.M., Borna, S. A Comparison of the Ethics of Convicted Felons and Graduate Business Students: Implications for Business Practice and Business Ethics Education. Teaching Business Ethics 2, 175–195 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009791325614
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009791325614
Keywords
- Business Ethic
- Ethical Issue
- Business Practice
- Student Sample
- Ethic Education