Abstract
Applied Business Ethics is a core module for business undergraduate students in an internationalised university business degree programme from the United Kingdom (UK) taught at a Private Higher Education Institution (PHEI) in Singapore. Students, who are working adults undertaking this part-time degree, are assessed purely on the application of theoretical knowledge through essays that show evidence of their ability to apply theory in workplace ethical dilemmas. This pilot study explores the utility of the module in terms of use and exchange value. It was conducted in two phases as an empirical qualitative research. First, an email survey was sent to students, who had already graduated, to gather impressions of the module using open-ended questions. Based on the responses, semi-structured interviews of a purposive sample of four students were carried out to unearth insights on use and exchange value of the module through their stories. The study suggests that a key determinant of use value is workplace utility of the knowledge that has been gained. Over time, consistent derivation of use value translates to exchange value as long-term behaviour changes in the individual create positive workplace outcomes. The study also recognised the powerful influence of organisational culture in determining whether ethical thinking translates into ethical action, which also has a direct bearing on perceptions of use and exchange value. The findings of this study provide an insight to the understanding of the motivations of working adults attending the Applied Business Ethics module on a part-time basis. Having this understanding, it will be possible to further structure the module, in terms of positioning, delivery and assessment, to enable these students to become better managers when dealing with real-world workplace ethical issues.
Highlights
Applied Business Ethics is a core module for business undergraduate students in an internationalised university business degree programme from the United Kingdom (UK) taught at a Private Higher Education Institution (PHEI) in Singapore
That the exchange value, or the future realisable value, of business ethics takes precedence over its use value, or inherent value. This conceptual separation of use value and exchange value arises from the phenomenon of commodification (Skeggs 2004, p. 77), where the notion of finding meaning in education, in this instance business ethics, because it is an Bintrinsically valuable activity^ (Winch 2002, pp. 102–104), is viewed as a divergent notion from being able to realise the exchange value of that education for future employment (Skeggs 2004, p. 77)
This study sets out to examine the perceived and experienced utility of the Applied Business Ethics module taught in an undergraduate degree programme to part-time working adults
Summary
Applied Business Ethics is a core module for business undergraduate students in an internationalised university business degree programme from the United Kingdom (UK) taught at a Private Higher Education Institution (PHEI) in Singapore. It seems, that the exchange value, or the future realisable value, of business ethics takes precedence over its use value, or inherent value. That the exchange value, or the future realisable value, of business ethics takes precedence over its use value, or inherent value This conceptual separation of use value and exchange value arises from the phenomenon of commodification 102–104), is viewed as a divergent notion from being able to realise the exchange value of that education for future employment This paper will first discuss literature on business ethics in higher education and elaborate on the research methodology, after which the stories will be analysed to examine whether the applied business ethics module supports existing literature on the effectiveness of ethics education
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