The Effects of Professional Education on Values and the Resolution of Ethical Dilemmas: Business School vs. Law School Students

Prior research on the impact of ethics education within the business curriculum has yielded mixed results. Although the impact is often found to be positive, it appears to be both small and short-lived. Interpretation of these results, however, is subject to important methodological limitations. The...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of business ethics 1994-09, Vol.13 (9), p.693-700
Main Authors: McCabe, Donald L., Dukerich, Janet M., Dutton, Jane E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Business education
Business ethics
Business schools
College students
Commercial education
Comparative studies
Curricula
Decision making
Education
Educational sector
Ethical behavior
Ethical dilemmas
Ethical instruction
Ethics
Full time students
Impacts
Law
Law schools
Law students
Legal education
Legal profession
Longitudinal studies
Polls & surveys
Professional education
Professional ethics
Professional workers
Social ethics
Society
Student surveys
Students
Study and teaching
United States
Values
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Summary:Prior research on the impact of ethics education within the business curriculum has yielded mixed results. Although the impact is often found to be positive, it appears to be both small and short-lived. Interpretation of these results, however, is subject to important methodological limitations. The present research employed a longitudinal methodology to evaluate the impact of an M.B.A. program versus a law program on the values and ethical decision making behavior of a cohort of students at two major universities in the northeast. The results suggest that the M.B.A. curriculum remains a value-neutral experience for most students. In contrast, the law school program had a significant impact on both values and ethical decision making.
ISSN:0167-4544
1573-0697
DOI:10.1007/BF00881328