Promoting Moral Repair in Business Ethics Education: Making the Case for 
Restorative Practices Following Cheating in Academic Contexts

Chris Riley; Andrew Little

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Promoting Moral Repair in Business Ethics Education: Making the Case for Restorative Practices Following Cheating in Academic Contexts

Chris Riley and Andrew Little

Abilene Christian University, USA

Volume 21: 2024 pp. 99-118: ABSTRACT

Academic integrity is a growing concern in colleges and universities worldwide, with business programs no exception. Business educators have wrestled with the best ways to promote a culture of ethical behavior by implementing effective policies and practices to prevent and respond to academic misconduct (McCabe et al. 2006). Traditional punitive systems often fail to deter misconduct effectively. This paper explores both historical approaches to academic integrity and proposes adopting restorative alternatives that are centered on a foundation of moral repair. Considering the unique challenges of the business school context, the paper advances the idea that promoting moral repair through restoration could reshape academic integrity enforcement, fostering a culture of trust and responsibility in business education and beyond. It specifically suggests applying Goodstein and Butterfield’s restorative justice model, which was developed with the workplace in mind, to the academic context, emphasizing proactive community standards, faculty involvement, and trust and accountability. The paper includes a case study, which describes an initial effort in applying these models through the curriculum. The discussion concludes with lessons learned, opportunities and challenges in implementing such approaches, and opportunities for future research.
Keywords: academic integrity, restorative justice, business ethics, moral repair