Evaluating the Intervention of an Ethics’ Class in Students’ Ethical Decision-Making: A Summative Review

Marquita Walker

doi:10.5539/ies.v6n1p10

Abstract

This summative evaluation is the result of two years’ of data reflecting the impact of an ethics class in terms of students’ ethical decision-making. The research compares aggregate responses from scenario-based pre- and post-survey open-ended survey questions designed to measure changes in ethical decision-making by comparing students’ cognitive and affective perceptions about ethical workplace behavior. Grounded in constructivist theory, which explains how individuals “know” and “come to know something (Reeves, 2003), this intervention of an ethics class encourages students to make better and more informed ethical decisions in the workplace based on their understanding of their value and belief system. The findings suggest the intervention of an ethics class informed students’ cognitive and affective perceptions based on individual value and belief systems, strengthened student’s ability to remain open-minded and reconsider previous beliefs and actions from a 360 degree perspective, and increased student’s ability to apply new information to ethical dilemmas in the workplace.

Highlights

IntroductionAn increased awareness in ethic’s instruction and the concept of ethical decision making in organizations is currently prevalent in light of fraudulent, deceitful, and deceptive workplace practices which quickly impact many in a workplace environment
This summative evaluation is the result of two years’ of data reflecting the impact of an ethics class in terms of students’ ethical decision-making
The findings suggest the intervention of an ethics class informed students’ cognitive and affective perceptions based on individual value and belief systems, strengthened student’s ability to remain open-minded and reconsider previous beliefs and actions from a 360 degree perspective, and increased student’s ability to apply new information to ethical dilemmas in the workplace

Summary

Introduction

An increased awareness in ethic’s instruction and the concept of ethical decision making in organizations is currently prevalent in light of fraudulent, deceitful, and deceptive workplace practices which quickly impact many in a workplace environment. Though devious workplace practices have always existed , the increasing disregard for ethical behavior in the workplace has reached unprecedented heights as evidenced by multiple scandals in firms across the country (Anderson, 2008). The inclusion of ethics courses in higher education curriculum may help resolve this problem (Lind, 2010). Some believe ethics should be incorporated in most formal education settings to expose all students to a “common method of resolving ethical dilemmas” Others suggest formal ethics training has little or no effect at all (Abell, 1990; Weber, 1990)

Methods

Results

Conclusion