Learning from Students’ Ethical Dilemmas: Insights into Pedagogy and Practice

Maureen Snow Andrade; Paige Gardiner; Jill Jasperson

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Learning from Students’ Ethical Dilemmas: Insights into Pedagogy and Practice

Maureen Snow Andrade

Utah Valley University, USA

Paige Gardiner

Southern Utah University, USA

Jill Jasperson

Utah Valley University, USA

Volume 21: 2024 pp. 17-34: ABSTRACT

Teaching ethics is a critical aspect of coursework in higher education business schools and to future business success. Recent research, however, indicates that business schools are focusing on the sustainability aspect of ethics, or grand challenges such as poverty and inequality, rather than helping students understand the underlying ethical considerations (Jaganjac 2024). A shift is needed to reclaim personal ethics education to develop future business leaders with the ability to act ethically. This calls for new pedagogies to help students form personal ethical frameworks and make appropriate ethical decisions. This research examines the outcomes of an ethical dilemma assignment. Using content analysis, the findings indicate that while students are able to identify ethical conflicts, they lack a fundamental personal ethical framework to understand the philosophical aspects of ethical conflicts. Additionally, they need training to equip them to intervene and address ethical dilemmas. Faculty who teach ethics in business schools should consider including practical assignments such as ethical dilemmas. They must also incorporate specific training to help students develop conflict management skills and know how to intervene.
Keywords: ethics, business schools, pedagogy, ethical dilemmas and conflict management skills