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Article
Publication date: 1 October 2004

Gbolahan Gbadamosi

While there is no dearth of studies on ethical issues, the specific subject of examination misconduct has attracted fewer studies, especially in Africa. This study is an ongoing…

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Abstract

While there is no dearth of studies on ethical issues, the specific subject of examination misconduct has attracted fewer studies, especially in Africa. This study is an ongoing exploratory attempt to develop a measure of examination misconduct. Self‐administered questionnaires were used to collect data from 450 undergraduate business students of the Universities of Botswana and Swaziland. A nine‐item measure of examination misconduct was correlated with a measure of perception of business ethics, ethical value assessment and Hofstede's four dimensions of culture. The results indicated significant inter‐correlations among the variables (especially the three measures of ethics) and limited construct validity for the examination misconduct scale. The results of factor analysis suggest three factors for the emerging scale: cheating behaviour, intervention and desperation. The ethical inferences of the findings, managerial implications for university administrators and practitioners, study limitations and directions for future research are discussed.

Details

Management Decision, vol. 42 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0025-1747

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 April 2014

Stephen K. Nkundabanyanga, Charles Omagor and Irene Nalukenge

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of the fraud triangle, Machiavellianism, academic misconduct and corporate social responsibility (CSR) proclivity of students…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of the fraud triangle, Machiavellianism, academic misconduct and corporate social responsibility (CSR) proclivity of students.

Design/methodology/approach

The present study surveyed 471 university students. The study was cross-sectional and employed structural equation modelling in statistical modelling.

Findings

The study provides evidence that perceived opportunity to cheat in examinations is the single most important factor accounting for significant variations in rationalization and academic misconduct. Similarly, low Machiavellians significantly get inclined to CSR ideals. The fraud triangle alone accounts for 36 per cent of the variations in academic misconduct, hence the error variance is 64 per cent of academic misconduct itself. This error variance increases to 78 per cent when a combination of perceived opportunity, rationalization, Machiavellianism is considered. Moreover, both Machiavellianism and academic misconduct account for 17 per cent of variations in students’ proclivity to CSR ideals.

Research limitations/implications

Results imply that creating a setting that significantly increases a student's anticipated negative affect from academic misconduct, or effectively impedes rationalization ex ante, might prevent some students from academic misconduct in the first place and then they will become good African corporate citizens. Nevertheless, although the unit of analysis was students, these were from a single university – something akin to a case study. The quantitative results should therefore be interpreted with this shortcoming in mind.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the search for predictors of academic misconduct in the African setting and as a corollary, for a theory explaining academic misconduct. Those students perceiving opportunity to cheat in examinations are also able to rationalize and hence engage in academic misconduct. This rationalization is enhanced or reduced through Machiavellianism.

Details

Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, vol. 6 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2050-7003

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 July 2008

Sean Valentine and Roland E. Kidwell

This study aims to gauge business school student perceptions of the academic conduct of college professors, to determine students' ethical evaluations of certain potential faculty…

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Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to gauge business school student perceptions of the academic conduct of college professors, to determine students' ethical evaluations of certain potential faculty behaviors. The relationships between perceived faculty misconduct and several student demographic characteristics including sex and academic classification were also investigated.

Design/methodology/approach

A large sample of undergraduate students attending one of two diverse universities responded to an anonymous survey. Responses were analyzed using univariate and multivariate statistical methods.

Findings

Behaviors such as giving lower grades because of opposing opinions in the classroom and sharing an undergraduate student's private information with colleagues were rated the most harshly by student respondents. The 55 items that we used to measure professors' academic misconduct distilled into two basic dimensions: “inappropriate sexual situations” involving students and coworkers and “inappropriate familiarity with students.” Student sex and academic classification were related to one or both of these dimensions.

Research limitations/implications

The study did not address whether faculty misconduct might be seen as incompetent by the students rather than unethical. The survey also did not ascertain if or how often the student respondents had observed the behaviors that they judged as unethical or ethical.

Practical implications

Faculty who wish to be more effective teachers and role models should realize their behaviors are being scrutinized and evaluated by students who make ethical judgments about teacher conduct.

Originality/value

The study makes an important contribution by distilling 55 established items on ethical behaviors into two durable ethics scales regarding faculty‐student relationships: “inappropriate sexual situations” and “inappropriate familiarity with students.” These scales can be applied in future research.

Details

Quality Assurance in Education, vol. 16 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0968-4883

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 October 2019

Myriam Ertz, Fahri Karakas, Frederick Stapenhurst, Rasheed Draman, Emine Sarigöllü and Myung-Soo Jo

This study aims to offer a better understanding of supply side of bribery and corruption in an international business perspective by conceptualizing it in the narrower concept of…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to offer a better understanding of supply side of bribery and corruption in an international business perspective by conceptualizing it in the narrower concept of misconduct in business (MIB) derived from the deontological perspective to business ethics.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use a case study methodology of professionals working within Canadian mining multinational corporations operating in Africa. The authors conducted 2 focus groups, 25 in-depth interviews, document search and an open-ended questionnaire to 15 professionals. Further, they drew on a combination of the classic relationalist sociological framework and its recent revision, that they named the relationalism-substantialism framework to analyze the data.

Findings

The triangulated empirical data show that the reason why MIB in the form of bribery supply occurs is not exclusively tied to any given perspective, whether the individual, the organization or the wider societal context. Rather, these different layers are tightly intertwined and interact with each other for the supply of bribery to occur.

Originality/value

Although the three siloed perspectives of MIB have been studied in the literature, they have not been addressed in relation to one another, and even less with a relationalism-substantialism framework. Yet, this perspective contributes compellingly to the understanding of the supply side in bribery. The authors propose a net of conceptually related constructs that intervene in the process of bribery supply occurrence, namely relationality influenced by institutional dysfunctionality and conflation and substantiality through agency and culture.

Details

critical perspectives on international business, vol. 16 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1742-2043

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 18 January 2024

Monica Gallant and Pranab Kumar Pani

The aim of this paper is to explore the behavior pattern, perceptions, and motivations of students towards academic misconduct in a Business School with a view to mitigating its…

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to explore the behavior pattern, perceptions, and motivations of students towards academic misconduct in a Business School with a view to mitigating its occurrence.

Design/methodology/approach

The survey was conducted among a batch of undergraduate students who responded to various dimensions of plagiarism through a structured questionnaire. Responses were measured on a Likert scale. Some non-parametric tests were done for statistical analysis.

Findings

From the perception of the prevalence of plagiarism committed by others, the authors found that the majority tend to believe that it happens in spite of the existence of preventive policies. Based on the findings, the authors conclude that the students who are more prone to cheating/plagiarism are male, with low grade point average, and are not on scholarship. Parental disapproval is found to be one of the dominant deterrent factors that have the potential to restrain unethical behavior.

Practical implications

The findings demonstrate that the managers of graduate programs should include parental roles in the deterrent mechanism to improve the quality of education.

Originality/value

Very little evidence exists about the perception of academic dishonesty among the students of a multicultural academic institution located in a middle-east country. There are not many studies that analyze the effectiveness of deterrents from a student’s perspective. In this paper, the authors have attempted to assess the value of various deterrents and their effectiveness as perceived by the students.

Details

Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2050-7003

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 January 2023

Feiqiong Chen, Jieru Zhu and Wenjing Wang

This paper aims to investigate whether executive compensation and internal control can prevent overseas compliance risks through the mediating influence of multinational…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate whether executive compensation and internal control can prevent overseas compliance risks through the mediating influence of multinational corporation (MNC) legitimacy and the moderating role of institutional distance.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on a law and economics perspective and the “bad apple,” the “red barrel” and the “bad cellar” theory of business misconduct, this paper constructs a systematic framework of “compliance motivation MNC legitimacy overseas compliance risk prevention” from the individual, organizational and systematic levels and uses data of Chinese MNCs for empirical analysis.

Findings

Empirical data from Chinese MNCs show that overseas compliance risks are comprehensively affected by the factors of the individual, organizational and systematic levels. Higher executive compensation and internal control will reduce MNCs’ overseas compliance risks through MNC legitimacy acquisition; institutional distance hinders the positive effect of internal control on MNC legitimacy and therefore aggravates overseas compliance risks.

Practical implications

This paper contributes to the understanding of the overseas law-abiding and offence behavior of MNCs from a law and economics perspective and offers valuable insights on how to prevent the ever-increasing overseas compliance risks.

Originality/value

Although the literature has analyzed the factors of compliance behavior, they are not interrelated, let alone integrated in a systematic risk prevention framework. This paper applies a law and economic analysis framework to the study of the overseas compliance risks for the first time.

Details

Multinational Business Review, vol. 31 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1525-383X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 April 2019

Alexander Glebovskiy

This paper aims to discuss criminogenic elements and processes inherently presented in business organisations that affect the emergence of crime committed in or by business

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to discuss criminogenic elements and processes inherently presented in business organisations that affect the emergence of crime committed in or by business organisations.

Design/methodology/approach

This conceptual paper, based on relevant literature regarding a range of crime-coercive and crime-facilitative elements and forces that promote corporate crime, considers business organisations as a cogent unit of analysis to discuss the causation and origin of corporate crime.

Findings

Business organisations are, per se, criminogenic, i.e. companies are latently prone to committing crime, but are not necessarily criminal. By seeking to achieve commercial goals, companies can unintentionally create an atmosphere that invites crimes and unethical conduct. Organisational criminality is not primarily influenced by deviance in individual behaviour, but is a product of the organisation’s criminogenic settings and environment. Criminal activity arises from contact with criminogenic systems and employees’ adaption to organisational behaviours that do not meet the highest ethical and moral standards.

Research limitations/implications

This is a theoretical analysis, lacking empirical research.

Practical implications

This study can help anti-fraud and compliance practitioners to develop anti-fraud strategies to prevent corporate crime at its source and further discussion on the causes of corporate misconduct and progresses the debate on the sources of illegal and unethical behaviour displayed in, and by, business organisations.

Originality/value

This paper highlights intrinsic features of business organisations that influence companies and employees to engage in illegal activities, malpractice and unethical behaviour and provides a conceptual framework and insights into the realm of inherent criminogenesis within business organisations and how this is shaped by organisations themselves.

Details

Journal of Financial Crime, vol. 26 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1359-0790

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 23 May 2022

Agostino Vollero

The chapter begins the analysis by showing how the wider concept of ethical behaviour in organisations can be considered as the starting point to interpret the rise of…

Abstract

The chapter begins the analysis by showing how the wider concept of ethical behaviour in organisations can be considered as the starting point to interpret the rise of environmental concerns in business operations as well as of greenwashing, primarily seen as a form of business misconduct. The focus on corporate environmentalism, intended as the deliberate process by which companies assimilate environmental concerns into their decision-making, provides the proper background to examine the birth of the concept of greenwashing. The discussion about ever-growing ethical issues, such as the conflict between private gain and public good, the tension between moral principles and profits, intertwines with the discourse on corporate sustainability and corporate social responsibility. Specifically, a distinction is made between mandatory and voluntary CSR disclosures, with the aim of elucidating further reasons behind greenwashing temptations. Lastly, the chapter concludes with the discussion of deceptive communication activities of companies that are described as different forms of identity-washing.

Article
Publication date: 5 October 2015

Anastasia Suhartati Lukito

The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of private sector in Indonesia to prevent and combat corruption practices. The eradication of corruption is not only the…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of private sector in Indonesia to prevent and combat corruption practices. The eradication of corruption is not only the government’s problem which can be solved only by government regulations. The private sector should be involved in and be aware of these matters because of the huge interest of the business activities concerning national interest as well as their private interest to achieve highest profit.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper explores the Indonesian laws on corruption eradication and analyzes the important role of the private sector that needs to be built.

Findings

The role of private sector in the financial system can be viewed as a non-penal policy, which has a great impact as a prevention method to combat economic crimes such as corruption. A new perspective is needed to build, balance and integrate the role of the private sector. As a new perspective combating corruption, Indonesian Laws on Corruption Eradication is fostering the role of the private sector in promoting integrity and good corporate governance.

Practical implications

The paper can be a source to explore the eradication of corruption based on Indonesian perspectives.

Originality/value

This paper contributes by encouraging the private sector to prevent corruption and bribery practices, which, nowadays, are common in Indonesia.

Details

Journal of Financial Crime, vol. 22 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1359-0790

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 12 April 2022

Jens Jörn Dahlgaard and Loukas N. Anninos

This study aims to reflect on quality, sustainability and resilience as emerging organisational priorities within total quality management (TQM) and organisational excellence.

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Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to reflect on quality, sustainability and resilience as emerging organisational priorities within total quality management (TQM) and organisational excellence.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses a conceptual approach based on reflection and theoretical studies on the philosophical foundations of quality, excellence, resilience and sustainability as cornerstones for organisational excellence. Bearing in mind that sustainable excellence rests upon a combination of systemic and soft issues that define organisational ability for resilience and sustainability, there is a need to analyse and reflect on short business cases from world-leading companies and further reflect on the fundamental principles, which have helped such companies to survive, grow and sustain. This study includes such a business case – the LEGO case. In addition, a Japanese case has been included. Japanese training material on human motivation developed in the 1980s exemplifies how company managers were trained, at that time, to understand and practice human motivation, excellence principles and tools.

Findings

Organisational excellence constitutes an evolving concept as the world becomes more chaotic and interconnected with multiple disruptive shocks. Organisational excellence challenges the inflexibilities of Newtonian mindsets, recognising the paramount importance of interactions and further underlining the significance of invisible elements such as human potentiality, motivation and values that formulate the principles of organisational excellence.

Originality/value

The paper investigates the notions of quality, resilience and sustainability and their relation to motivation and organisational excellence within the framework of business management and TQM. A world-leading company – LEGO – will be used to exemplify the theoretical findings together with the Japanese Motivation Training Programme case.

Details

International Journal of Quality and Service Sciences, vol. 14 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1756-669X

Keywords

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