Ethics Perception: Does Teaching Make a Difference?

Abstract

The present study examined student learning in business ethics, particularly ethical judgment, using R. E. Reidenbach and D. P. Robin's (1990) Multidimensional Ethics Scale (MES). The authors asked 262 undergraduate students to provide ethical judgment rating, first at the beginning of the semester and again at the end of the semester. Students judged 3 moral issues in the MES—labeled sales, auto, and retail—using 3 ethics theories: moral equity, relativism, and contractualism. Ethics learning was only significant in contractualism ethics for the auto scenario. Further, ethics learning significantly predicted ethical behavioral intent, supporting A. Bandura's (1986) social cognitive theory. The authors provide theoretical and practical implications based on the study's findings.