Promoting Moral Repair in Business Ethics Education

Editorial, Volume 5(1)

On the turning point of European and world history, it is extremely important to unveil and effectively utilize the potential of effective high-quality education to make the future better for generations to come. Higher education quality management through accreditation has a long history of development in the United States, and time-proven standards, stimulating accredited institutions to continually improve academic quality. The concepts, systems, principles and practices of accreditation arouse in the United States out of the need to meet the demands for quality, and evolved over decades, to form a coherent set of standards and frameworks of continuous improvement in all meaningful directions of the educational institutions’ life, striving for teaching excellence and high learning outcomes. At present, accreditation principles and processes, as exemplified by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) programmatic accreditation, are implemented in the US and numerous countries of the world, to ensure high standard and continuous improvement of business education quality, to raise the competitiveness of educational institutions in response to the expectations of public (primarily, students and their families), governments, employers, universities/colleges, academics, and broader communities. This study establishes the correlation of the quality management system via ACBSP accreditation with the continuous improvement of business education quality. This study also provides statistical evidence that the application of quality management principles at institutions of higher education with accredited business programs did result in the association with enhanced student learning outcomes. Higher education quality management leads to higher employability of the institution’s graduates. Since the quality of education is crucial for the country’s economic growth and prosperity, the business education institutions and programs in Ukraine and other Central and Eastern European and Eurasian countries may benefit from implementing quality management through ACBSP accreditation for their undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate (doctoral) business programs, to satisfy ever-rising expectations of candidates for top managerial and leadership positions. The research suggests that 51% of the institutions of higher education with business programs in the United States, and 93% of the institutions of higher education worldwide could benefit from implementing accreditation principles and processes to maintain and enhance their education quality and competitiveness in the world business education market, for the sake of highest recognition of their graduates’ diploma on the global job markets and significant increase of their employability.

Academic integrity is a cornerstone of post-secondary education. Academic integrity violations disrupt the soundness of the assessment process, which is exacerbated in professional programs like engineering where accreditation hinges on the measurement of student proficiencies and graduate attributes. Engineering programs are typically challenging with demanding schedules and higher than typical workloads. Freshmen often face this challenge with deficient time management skills, which is coupled with increasing student mental health and wellness concerns. Combined with pressure to perform, these systemic issues can create circumstances in which students rationalize opportunities that constitute potential code of conduct violations, especially in group situations. The academic misconduct investigation process can be resource intensive, time intensive and stressful for students, instructors, and administrators. A restorative justice model was implemented as an alternative path to manage a large number of cases in first year engineering. The objective of using this approach was to educate students, emphasize the connection between academic integrity and engineering ethics and prevent further occurrences. This paper describes the development and use of this collaborative approach for first year.

This paper posits that functional business and entrepreneurship education in Nigeria universities is a panacea for entrepreneurship development in Nigeria. The paper took a cursory look on the concept of functional education, business education, entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurship development. The paper reviewed the business and entrepreneurship education programmes as reflected in the National Universities Commission Core Curriculum minimum Academic Standards (NUC CCMAS). The paper highlighted the nexus between the philosophies, objectives, unique features, employability and 21st century skills of the programmes. The paper discussed that functional Business and entrepreneurship education has the potentials of promoting entrepreneurship development in Nigeria since it could lead to the acquisition of skills for identifying viable investment opportunities, proper marketing, financial management, proper management and avoidance of business failure. It could also enable individuals to become capable of living in the society and to contribute towards its economic development. Challenges of business and entrepreneurship education were discussed and the paper concluded that for Nigeria to achieve sustainable economy and become one of the most developed nations of the world, entrepreneurship development through functional business and entrepreneurship education is a must. The paper recommended among others that qualified business and entrepreneurship educators should be recruited, trained and re-trained in the area of entrepreneurship development, and the management of Universities should partner with industries to enable lecturers and students acquire practical experience to bridge the gap between theory and practice.

In a context where artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming higher education, this study analyzes how students’ perceptions of AI influence their academic integrity (INA), with a focus on sustainable education. Through a correlational-explanatory analysis based on Structural Equation Models (SEMs) applied to a sample of 659 students from 13 universities in Chile and Peru, it is observed that AI has a significant and direct impact on academic integrity in both countries (β = 0.44). In Peru, the most influential dimension is trust in education (λ = 0.86), followed by social, economic, security, and risk implications (λ = 0.78), while attitudes towards AI also have a direct impact on integrity factors (β = 0.15). In Chile, the dimensions of trust in education (λ = 0.83) and social and economic impact (λ = 0.79) are most relevant, and the relationships between the dimensions of academic integrity such as justice, respect, and responsibility (λ = 0.71) are stronger. The study highlights the importance of incorporating AI literacy into educational curricula and developing regulatory frameworks that promote its ethical use, linking these actions to sustainable education. The findings highlight the need for sustainable educational approaches that enhance understanding of AI and ensure that its use in academia is beneficial, ethical, and contributes to sustainable development.

Challenges to academic integrity in management education appear to be on the rise in U.S. institutions of higher education. In an effort to reduce cheating and plagiarism in business education, universities have turned to a variety of technological approaches. However, technology cannot be considered a panacea for ensuring academic integrity and is probably best viewed as a “stop gap” measure that can eventually be compromised. The authors begin this chapter by describing how declining ethics has been evidenced recently in business. Then, they present a review of the literature describing the extent and causes of academic dishonesty and discuss what some educational institutions are doing to address academic integrity, including calls for an increase in ethics education. Finally, they review technological approaches used by many colleges and universities to prevent cheating and plagiarism, examining the features, strengths, weaknesses, and current status of each technology.

Challenges to academic integrity in management education appear to be on the rise in U.S. institutions of higher education. In an effort to reduce cheating and plagiarism in business education, universities have turned to a variety of technological approaches. However, technology cannot be considered a panacea for ensuring academic integrity and is probably best viewed as a “stop gap” measure that can eventually be compromised. The authors begin this chapter by describing how declining ethics has been evidenced recently in business. Then, they present a review of the literature describing the extent and causes of academic dishonesty and discuss what some educational institutions are doing to address academic integrity, including calls for an increase in ethics education. Finally, they review technological approaches used by many colleges and universities to prevent cheating and plagiarism, examining the features, strengths, weaknesses, and current status of each technology.

List of Tables, Figures, and Appendices Table of Contents Foreword, Ben L. Kedia Acknowledgments Introduction Part I. Indian Subcontinent 1. Quality in Business Education: A Study of the Indian Context, Vipin Gupta, Kamala Gollakota, and Ancheri Sreekuma 2. Governance of Publicly Funded Business Schools: The Current Debate in India, Vipin Gupta and Kamala Gollakota 3. Engineer as Entrepreneur: A Necessity for Successful Product Innovation in the Small-scale Industry Sector in India, V.P. Wani, T.K. Garg, and S.K. Sharma 4. Undergraduate in India: The Corporate Context, Raj Agrawal 5. Management Education in Nepal: A View from the High Country, Alfred Rosenbloom and Bijay K.C. Part II. Russian Federation 6. Entrepreneurship Training in Postcommunist Europe, Leo Paul Dana 7. Recent Developments in Accounting Education in Russia, Galina G. Preobragenskaya and Robert W. McGee 8. Developing Key Skills in Russian Business Education: A Comparison Between U.K. and American Business Programs, Scott G. Dacko Part III. Transitioning Europe and Central Asia 9. Business Education in the Former Soviet Union Republic of Kazakhstan: A Former Dean's Perspective, Dai Rao and Liza Rybina 10. Entrepreneurial Behavior in the Academic Environment: The Case of the Lviv Institute of Management, Sharon V. Thach, Serhiy Gvozdiov, and Galen Hull 11. The Internationalization of Business Education in Lithuania: The Vilnius University Master Program in International Business, Vytautas Pranulis and Audra I. Mockaitis 12. Reforming Accounting Education in Armenia, Robert W. McGee 13. Educating Professors in a Transition Economy: A Case Study of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Robert W. McGee 14. Is Albania Ready for a Business School Model? Diagnosis and Prospects, Vera Ivanaj, Silvester Ivanaj, and Palok Kolnikaj Part IV. Latin America 15. Toward the Internationalization of Business Education in Latin America, Jaime Ortiz 16. University Entrepreneurship Education in Argentina: A Decade of Analysis, Sergio Postigo and Fernanda Tamborini 17. Undergraduate Students as a Source of Potential Entrepreneurs: A Comparative Study Between Italy and Argentina, Sergio Postigo, Donato Iacobucci, and Maria Fernanda Tamborini 18. Business Education in Chile: A Case Study for Successful Transition to Market Economy in Developing Countries, Maria-Teresa Lepeley Part V. Africa and Near East 19. Management Education in Developing Countries: What Can Business Schools Contribute? Guy Pfefferman 20. Education, Management, and the World's Work: Leadership Traits of Educators in Undeveloped and Developing Countries Focusing on Uganda in Sub-Saharan Africa, Romie F. Littrell and Peter Baguma 21. Research Capacity Building: A North-South Knowledge Transfer Project, Jan-Erik Jaensson and Lettice Rutashobya 22. Reengineering Business Education: A Case Study of the Modular Curriculum of Sakarya University, Rana Ozen Kutanis and Serkan Bayraktaroglu 23. Open vs. Closed Minds: Lessons in Management Education from the International Leadership Development Academy in Ghana, Earl N. Caldwell II and Vanessa Gail Perry Part VI. China 24. Distance Learning Education in China, Jonatan Jelen and Ilan Alon 25. Educating Future Marketing Professionals in China, Ilan Alon and Le Lu Conclusion: The Nexus Between Business Education and Economic Development About the Editors and Contributors Index.

Drawing on the responses from a survey of 852 undergraduates in a business program in Canada we identified situational, personality and contextual variables correlated with business students’ self-reported rates of academic integrity violations. The most influential predictors of increasing rates were: greater estimates of peers’ violations, increasingly negative perceptions of the program’s academic integrity culture, and rating questionable academic behaviours less seriously. Individual priorities, personal characteristics and social support were less influential. We then analyzed our quantitative results in light of our deep understanding of the broader context in which the students were located to derive richer insights from the interplay of our independent variables. Importantly, our results indicated that program-led proactive messaging designed to foster a culture of academic integrity could effectively buffer tendencies towards academic dishonesty. Absent ongoing messaging, however, increasing academic pressures may have eroded those initial benefits. Moreover, we identified how repercussions of major academic integrity breaches could be long lasting suggesting an even greater need for fostering academic integrity culture a priori. Based on our results we recommended a public health practice of identifying positive deviants – individuals who thrive in hostile environments – and then, in an effort to change a peer support system that fostered increasing rates of violations into one that does the opposite, engaging with those individuals to understand why and how they resisted the status quo.

International internships as learning method have gained attention in the business and management education. While a number of studies have well established the benefits and challenges of this learning approach across countries and study-programs, more recent research takes a critical instance towards internships as learning form. An emerging criticism is that internships sacrifice theoretical development for practice and experiential learning. This criticism is closely connected to the current gap on the “black-box” of internships abroad, as extant research has gaps on the pedagogical elements required to connect internships with the broader theoretical elements of the programs in international business. To address this gap, the present study tackles two complementary research questions: i) How to design and implement problem-based international internships in business education? ii) What requirements do this combination of two active-learning experiences in business education demand for both small business school, partner HEI and hosting organizations? The paper presents a pedagogical action research which developed two courses for international internships in business in a Norwegian-Brazilian perspective for bachelor and master students. The results of the study is a validated teaching framework which argues for international internships which are connected to loosely defined problems at the host organization, which the student will self-scope and connect through the theoretical baggage she/he counts with from other courses. The framework has also practical applications for teaching and administrative staff interested to develop international internship programs at home universities, and require more guidelines about how to connect the practical aspects, well known in the literature with the teaching-learning aspects of international internships

This publication explores the potential and actual use of generative AI (GAI) in business education at Arcada University of Applied Sciences, with a particular focus on the teacher’s role in integrating GAI into course modules. Research suggests that GAI can enhance teaching and student learning by offering personalized and engaging experiences. The aim of the study is to contribute to a deeper understanding of AI in education and to promote knowledge about the responsible integration of AI into business education. A further objective is to develop teaching practices that prepare students to engage with the technology responsible in their future professional lives.We investigate teachers’ perceptions of AI and their reflections on working with it. Additionally, we describe our collaborative work on these issues over the course of a year. During spring and autumn 2024, we conducted research into our own teaching practices in relation to AI within our teaching team. In parallel, we collected data from workshops where current AI practices, tools, challenges, and educational needs were discussed.The project also provides insights into how AI can be integrated across various areas of business education and lays the foundation for future research on optimizing AI use in educational contexts.We identify challenges related to safety, bias, and academic integrity. Finally, we discuss future trends and the evolving role of teachers in an educational landscape where AI is embedded in the learning environment. A balanced use of AI is recommended, and continued work is needed to ensure responsible, reliability, and ethical integration.The publication aligns with strategic goals concerning sustainable digital solutions and responsible AI. We argue that the publication contributes to the broader discourse on high-quality, sustainable, and responsible education. Our project supports Sustainable Development Goals 4 and 11, and peer learning has been central throughout our process.

The paper begins with an examination of traditional attitudes towards business ethics. I suggest that these attitudes fail to recognize that a principal function of ethics is to facilitate cooperation. Further that despite the emphasis on competition in modern market economies, business like all other forms of social activity is possible only where people are prepared to respect rules in the absence of which cooperation is rendered difficult or impossible. Rules or what I call the ethics of doing, however, constitute just one dimension of ethics. A second has to do with what we see and how we see it; a third with who we or what I describe as the ethics of being. Of these three dimensions, the first and the third have been most carefully explored by philosophers and are most frequently the focus of attention when teaching business ethics is being discussed. I argue that this focus is unfortunate in as much as it is the second dimension which falls most naturally into the ambit of modern secular educational institutions. It is here that moral education is most obviously unavoidable, and most clearly justifiable in modern secular teaching environments. I conclude by describing the importance of this second dimension for the modern world of business.

This study explores the evolution of business ethics education in Estonia, examining its integration into higher education curricula and its alignment with contemporary societal needs. Drawing from qualitative research, including interviews and focus group discussions with business educators, trainers, and corporate representatives, the paper highlights the importance of key ethical issues such as corporate governance, corruption, human rights, and sustainability. The findings reveal that Estonian business ethics education has evolved significantly, adapting to global trends and local challenges. Participants emphasized the importance of fostering ethical awareness among future business leaders to address pressing ethical dilemmas in today’s rapidly changing business environment. Despite progress, concerns about greenwashing and the ongoing challenges in promoting genuine ethical practices were acknowledged. The paper concludes by outlining the need for further integration of ethics across all business education and training programs, aiming to shape responsible business practices in Estonia and beyond.

The rapid growth of digital learning has reshaped the academic landscape, but it has also raised serious concerns regarding academic integrity. One of the emerging issues is the increasing prevalence of online cheating, which may be influenced by students’ psychological traits. This study aims to examine the impact of psychopathy—one of the traits within the Dark Triad—on online cheating behavior, while also evaluating the moderating role of locus of control (LoC). The novelty of this research lies in its integration of Dark Triad personality traits (specifically psychopathy) and locus of control in understanding online cheating within accounting and business education. A quantitative approach was employed, using primary data collected through a structured questionnaire distributed to 208 university students in Indonesia. The sample was selected using purposive sampling, focusing on students majoring in accounting and business. The data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 4 software.The findings reveal that: (1) psychopathy has a significant and positive influence on the tendency to engage in online cheating; (2) students with an external locus of control are more likely to exhibit dishonest behavior; however, (3) locus of control does not significantly moderate the relationship between psychopathy and online cheating. These results suggest that while personality traits and perceived control play important roles in shaping unethical behavior in digital learning environments, their interaction may not always be statistically significant. The study underscores the importance of addressing individual psychological factors and calls for integrative strategies—such as digital ethics education and moral reflection—to foster academic honesty in online settings, particularly within accounting and business education.

In this study, we proposed the ethical receptive capacity (ERC) perspective on teaching business ethics. The ERC perspective was developed on two premises: the separation of personal moral values and professional ethics, and the path dependent nature of professional ethics, such that individuals in the early stage of their profession have higher ERC (i.e., individuals’ capacity to receive ethical contents) and thus are more receptive to new ethical contents prescribed to them. The experimental results in this study supported the ERC perspective, suggesting that business ethics education should be introduced to students as early as possible in their business programme.