Business Students’ Perceptions of Academic Misconduct, Credential Embellishment, and Business Unethicality

Sohyoun Shin; K. Damon Aiken; Vincent A. Aleccia

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Business Students’ Perceptions of Academic Misconduct, Credential Embellishment, and Business Unethicality

Sohyoun Shin and K. Damon Aiken

California State University, USA

Vincent A. Aleccia

Eastern Washington University, USA

Volume 14: 2017, pp. 69-92: ABSTRACT

This research explores the relationships between business students’ academic misconduct and their attitudes toward professional ethics, specifically credential embellishment and business unethicality. Based on 135 survey responses from business students in a northwestern university, we tested hypothesized relationships using multiple regression analyses. We found that students’ attitudes toward academic misconduct, especially illicit collaboration and exam cheating, were positively correlated with their attitudes toward credential embellishment (i.e., rèsumè fraud and/or rèsumè padding and business unethicality), unethical business operations, and unethical employee practices. In addition, gender yielded meaningful differences related to perceptions of both dimensions of business unethicality. We emphasize the importance of ethics education, and suggest actionable remedies including placement of strict policies, promotions of shared norms and cultures, and curriculum redesign guidelines for business educators and administrators.