Ethical Behavior Research Articles (Page 1)

Immanuel Kant's moral philosophy, with the central concept of "Categorical Imperative", laid the foundation for a moral system based on reason and universality. This study explores the profound meaning of universal moral law in Kant's thought, emphasizing its role as an immutable principle that guides human behavior beyond personal gain or specific circumstances. The absolute imperative requires that every action be taken in such a way that the principle behind it can become a universal law, while respecting the human being as an end in itself and not as a means. The article analyzes how Kant constructs this concept from pure reason, sees it as the highest expression of autonomous will, and evaluates its significance in shaping moral norms. In the context of the modern world, the study examines the application of absolute imperatives to issues such as digital technology, social inequality, and environmental crises, where moral values are often challenged by economic interests and individualism. The results show that the Kant philosophy provides a coherent ethical framework to face these challenges, encouraging global responsibility and respect for human dignity. However, its rigidity also raises questions about its ability to adapt in complex situations. The article concludes that Kant's universal moral law still holds great value, providing a rational foundation for guiding ethical behavior in contemporary society, including Vietnam.

Exploring the mediating role of appraisal fairness between the relationship of ethical behaviour and employee performance: moderating role of organisational culture

Abstract The evidence on the influence of rational appeals on moral behavior remains inconclusive. The opportunity to donate to a charity provides a fruitful applied case to test the details that might explain the mixed results. Previous studies have demonstrated the power of emotional appeals to induce participants to donate, while different rational appeals vary in their performance. Our paper presents the results of three pre-registered experiments comparing how much participants were willing to donate via direct cash transfers when exposed to different conditions. Experiment 1 tested five conditions. Three are vignette-based: Narrative, our emotional textual prompt, presents the testimony of an identified recipient, while Argument presents a Singer-style argument for charitable giving, and Facts consists of the numerical results of an evaluation of a cash transfer program. The other two conditions are based on perspective-taking exercises with either a reasonable donor or a suffering recipient, designed to elicit empathy with the beneficiaries. As predicted, the average amount donated in the control condition was significantly lower than in each of the other five conditions. Narrative performed best, significantly better than all other conditions. Among the rational conditions, Facts performed better descriptively. Its success is surprising given the poor performance of adding numerical information in other studies. After a replication with the vignette conditions in Experiment 2, we tested two variations of our Facts condition to explore how numerical information was taken into consideration. The numerical information in Large Numbers conveyed a highly effective intervention, while those in Small Numbers presented a barely positive impact. Since both variations generated roughly the same average donation amount, it seems that the numbers were not processed as numerical information.

Cyberbullying is becoming a growing concern among teenagers. The negative impact of cyberbullying on teenagers includes deteriorating mental health, broken friendships, and decreased academic success. As more social interaction occurs online, it becomes significant to understand how young people make moral judgments in digital environments. Most studies so far focus on behavioral and emotional factors of cyberbullying. Only a few studies examine how moral development theories explain these behaviors. This review fills this gap by comparing major moral development theories, including Piagets stages, Kohlbergs six-stage model, and social domain theory. It also examines how each framework explains cyberbullying. Stage theories describe the development of moral reasoning over time. In contrast, social domain theory offers a more detailed understanding of how adolescents navigate moral dilemmas online. Both theories together help explain how complex moral behavior can be in online spaces. Future research should combine the strengths of both theories and include cross-cultural perspectives.

A small business typically refers to a privately owned enterprise that operates on a smaller scale compared to larger corporations. These businesses are often characterized by a limited number of employees, lower revenue, and a smaller market share. The research is focused on the performance of small and medium-sized enterprises through social responsibility. The topic elaborates on the performance of SMEs under the influence of ethical components and social responsibility, the benefits that the company can have during the application of the rules, their commitment to the social responsibility, the application of international standards in relation to performance. Social responsibility refers to the idea that individuals, organizations, and businesses should act in ways that benefit society as a whole. It emphasizes ethical behavior and encourages actions that contribute positively to the well-being of communities, the environment, and future generations. The conceptual model of the study presents the connection of performance in relation to responsibility towards the environment. The econometric model that was used to test the hypotheses and the discussion of the findings were carried out based on the approaches of the Linear regression model where the dependent variables are ROA in relation to the independent variables of environmental responsibility From the results, we can see how companies are oriented towards environmental protection, how companies invest in improving technological processes and how social responsibility directly affects the performance of companies.

This creative research focuses on the design and development of a corporate identity for the Office of Digital Technology, Khon Kaen University, the primary unit responsible for driving the institution’s digital strategy in teaching, research, academic services, and Smart Campus development. The project aims to create a visual identity that reflects technological advancement while preserving the Isan region’s cultural heritage, ensuring that it is clearly visible in the agency’s visual communication and recognized both within and outside the university. The study reinterprets the university’s three-segment emblem—originally representing “Philosophy, Ethics, and Wisdom”—within a modern digital context, aligning it with three core dimensions: (1) Philosophy in Information Technology (blue–navy tones symbolizing stability, trustworthiness, and security), (2) Ethical Digital Behavior (gold–orange tones symbolizing purity, warmth, and optimism), and (3) Digital Intelligence and Wisdom (pink–purple tones symbolizing wisdom, elegance, and intelligent application). Curved lines and circular dots are incorporated to convey connectivity and innovation while preserving the graceful qualities of local art forms. The research employed a mixed-methods approach under the Research Through Design Framework, structured into five stages: (1) document analysis on the organization’s history, identity, and strategic plans, along with case studies of corporate identities from comparable technology-focused institutions, (2) development of three conceptual approaches—Typography, Monogram, and Mixed-Modern, (3) creation of prototypes and preliminary evaluation, (4) refinement of the final corporate identity system, and (5) expert evaluation by ten professionals in graphic design, corporate identity, and organizational communication using a five-point rating scale. Findings from the comparative analysis and expert evaluation indicated that the “Mixed-Modern” approach was the most suitable, achieving a balanced integration of modernity and cultural reference. Expert evaluation yielded an overall mean score of 4.73 out of 5 (S.D. = 0.43), categorized as “highest,” with top scores in modernity, mission alignment, and applicability across different media. The lowest-scoring aspect, balance between contemporary and cultural elements (4.30, “high”), reflects the inherent challenges of cross-cultural design. The final identity design demonstrates high versatility, applicable to printed media, digital platforms, signage, and branded merchandise. The research generates three main contributions: (1) a conceptual framework for corporate identity design that integrates local cultural heritage with contemporary digital aesthetics, (2) a methodology for reinterpreting and applying institutional symbols in a digital context while retaining their original values, and (3) an integrated design and evaluation process applicable to technology-focused units in higher education. It is recommended that a comprehensive Corporate Identity System manual be developed to establish correct, consistent usage standards across all media, ensuring effective and sustainable organizational communication.

Corruption remains a significant threat to governance, social equity, and sustainable development, particularly in developing countries. In Malaysia, efforts to promote integrity and combat corruption have been central to public policy, yet the attitudes and perceptions of the younger generation—especially tertiary students—remain under explored. Under the National Anti-Corruption Plan (NACP) 2019–2023, the Malaysian government has mandated that higher education institutions introduce and implement integrity and anti-corruption courses beginning in 2023. The primary objective is to cultivate a strong sense of ethical responsibility among students, ensuring they recognize their role in upholding integrity and contributing to national efforts to combat corruption. This study investigates the relationship between the tendency toward integrity (IT) and the perceived threat of corruption (CT) among tertiary-level students in Malaysia. A total of 219 participants, primarily from higher education institutions in Malaysia, were surveyed to explore how awareness and perception of corruption influence personal integrity values. The research employed descriptive statistics, correlational analysis, and linear regression to examine the interplay between the two constructs. The findings revealed a strong and statistically significant positive correlation between perceived corruption threat and integrity tendency. Specifically, the perceived corruption threat was found to explain 62.4% of the variance in integrity tendency, suggesting that as students become more aware of corruption and its consequences, they are more likely to develop and exhibit a stronger inclination toward ethical behavior and personal integrity. These results highlight the importance of reinforcing anti-corruption education and awareness campaigns within academic settings. Cultivating integrity among students may serve as a key strategy for long-term cultural and institutional reform. The study contributes to the growing body of literature on youth integrity development and underscores the role of perceived societal threats in shaping ethical values.

BackgroundResearch ethics is crucial for protecting participants’ rights in medical studies. Although several studies have explored general awareness and attitudes toward research ethics among medical students, few have systematically examined the behavioral determinants of adherence to Research Ethical Codes (REC) using established theoretical models. This study addresses this gap by identifying the determinants of REC adherence among students at Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences (KUMS), applying the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) as a conceptual framework.MethodsA descriptive-analytical study was conducted in 2024 among KUMS students. A cluster sampling approach was used, with structured questionnaires distributed to gather data on demographics and TPB constructs. Data were analyzed using SPSS, employing Pearson correlation and linear regression analyses.ResultsThe study included 271 participants with a mean age of 23.99 years. The adherence level to ethical codes was 69.1%. The adjusted R² value was 0.352, indicating that 35.2% of the variance in adherence to REC behavior was explained by the model. Notably, attitude (B = 0.694, p < 0.001) and intention (B = 0.857, p = 0.002) were significant predictors. The highest adherence was for confidentiality (mean score = 4.04), while the lowest was for obtaining ethical approval before data collection (mean score = 2.68).ConclusionsThe findings indicate a 69.1% adherence to ethical research codes, with attitude and intention identified as key predictors of ethical behavior. These results emphasize the importance of targeted educational strategies to strengthen students’ commitment to ethical research practices.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12910-025-01315-0.

This article employs the concepts of Unhu (the Shona term for ethical human behaviour) and African eco-feminism to analyse how Doris Lessing’s The Grass is Singing (1973) and Tsitsi Mapepa’s Ndima Ndima (2023) engage with ecological justice. It focuses on how the texts appeal to Unhu principles of mutual respect, shared responsibility, respect for nature, and community empowerment in their call for ethical custodianship of the environment in the face of increasing ecological injustice. Examining the experiences of the central characters, the article interprets the two novels as feminist ecological narratives that mobilise nature as a political agent for challenging gender inequality and environmental injustice. It argues that both novels harness feminist sensibilities and indigenous ecological philosophy to critique social injustice and anthropocentrism. Thus, the article is situated at the intersection of African philosophy and eco-feminism, enabling it to innovatively assert the critical role of African literary imagination in re-grounding indigenous conservation epistemologies.

This study aims to analyze the meaning and function of qalb (heart) from the perspective of Ahmad Mustafa al-Marāghī as presented in Tafsīr al-Marāghī, focusing on verses that highlight the role of the heart in understanding divine truth, particularly Q.S. al-Ḥajj: 46, Q.S. Qāf: 37, and Q.S. al-A‘rāf: 179. The study employs a qualitative research method with a library research approach, utilizing descriptive and interpretative analysis of the tafsīr text and relevant supporting literature. The findings reveal that al-Marāghī interprets the qalb not merely as a physical organ but as the center of spiritual consciousness that plays a crucial role in the process of thinking, understanding, and responding to divine truth. According to al-Marāghī, the qalb serves as a moral and epistemological instrument that bridges reason and faith, forming the foundation for human awareness, belief, and ethical behavior. This study emphasizes that the success of humans in attaining divine guidance and wisdom greatly depends on the purity and sensitivity of their conscience. Thus, the results of this study are expected to enrich the conceptual understanding of qalb in the corpus of Qur’anic exegesis and contribute to the development of Islamic ethics and spirituality in the modern era.

Purpose: This study explores how perceived astroturfing and media literacy influence individuals’ critical responses to online content. It examines whether awareness of astroturfing and self-reported evaluation style mediate this relationship, challenging the assumption that media literacy alone ensures ethical digital behavior. Methodology: A cross-sectional web-based survey was conducted in Romania between March and April 2025 with a convenience sample of 226 participants aged 18 to 73. The questionnaire measured perceived media literacy, four dimensions of astroturfing awareness, evaluation style, and critical response. Data were analyzed using structural equation modelling (SEM) with serial mediation, employing diagonally weighted least squares (DWLS) and bootstrapped confidence intervals. Results: Media literacy did not directly predict critical response. However, it significantly increased astroturfing awareness, which in turn strongly predicted ethical behavior online (β = 0.56, p &lt; .001). Evaluation style had a marginal role, and age was slightly associated with a more rational response style. The model showed excellent fit indices (CFI = 0.991, RMSEA = 0.03). Conclusions: Media literacy fosters ethical engagement only when users recognize coordinated manipulation. Astroturfing awareness functions as a catalyst for activating critical response, emphasizing the need to integrate detection of digital inauthenticity into educational curricula. Collateral information: Limitations include the cross-sectional design and reliance on self-reported measures. Implications highlight the importance of platform transparency and media education reform.

Human moral interactions often assume that resources should be allocated equitably, i.e., one should not take more than one's fair share. To what extent do people apply this assumption to social AI entities? Using a 21-round Ultimatum Game, we investigated participants' behavioral, physiological, and affective responses to fair, disadvantageous, and advantageous offers from an AI (vs. human) counterpart. We report three principal findings: (a) Participants were more likely to reject disadvantageous offers from an AI counterpart than from a human counterpart, but were more likely to reject advantageous offers from a human counterpart than from an AI counterpart; (b) Participants reported more negative affect following disadvantageous offers from an AI counterpart than from a human counterpart; (c) Participants exhibited a stronger association between heart rate variability and rejection rate for disadvantageous offers from an AI counterpart than from a human counterpart. Based on these findings, we propose a model emphasizing an important, previously under-examined role of self-regulatory processes in humans' responses toward AI moral behavior.

This study aims to analyze the impact of character education programs on the moral formation of students in the junior high school environment. The context of this research arises from the growing concern about the decline of moral values among adolescents, which is reflected in issues such as indiscipline, lack of respect for teachers and peers, and weak sense of responsibility in the school environment. Character education is therefore seen as one of the strategic efforts in instilling moral values such as honesty, responsibility, and respect in students from an early age. The method used in this study is a qualitative approach with a case study in one of the junior high schools in Indonesia. Data collection techniques were conducted through observation, in-depth interviews with teachers and students, as well as documentation of character education activities. The results showed that the implementation of character education program has a positive impact on the moral behavior of students, especially in aspects of discipline, responsibility, and empathy for others. Learning that is integrated with character values, as well as support from the school environment and family, are key factors in the success of the program. However, there are still some challenges such as the lack of consistency in the implementation of the program and the limitations of teacher training in implementing a character-based approach. In conclusion, the character education program has a significant contribution in the formation of student morale, but its sustainability and effectiveness are highly dependent on the commitment of all components of the school as well as collaboration with parents. The recommendations of this study emphasize the importance of periodic evaluation, teacher training, and active involvement of all parties in building a school culture of character.

In this study, the perspectives of UiTM academics are explored to highlight honesty in their intellectual behaviour. The literature review highlights ongoing issues that continue to evolve, particularly with the rise of technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI). Several key elements are encompassed within integrity, namely honesty, openness, responsibility, and ethical awareness. Through institutional policies, proactive movements were discovered which include integrity as the main component. However, the underlying cases of academic dishonesty and abuse or misuse of technology tools continues to threaten the integrity of scholarly projects. Research indicates that academic integrity is governed by institutional rules, cultural values, and teachers’ role modelling. Moreover, it paves the way for culturally specific models in Islam to develop and improve the quality of moral behaviour among students in Malaysian universities. Additionally, the study has greater implications for the ongoing development of the policies, ethics awareness, and adaptation to new academic challenges that would enable UiTM to implement its plagiarism laws simultaneously secure its academic reputation and rankings.

Background Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has evolved from a peripheral philanthropic activity into a strategic necessity, particularly in recovering economies where social trust and consumer confidence are fragile. Generation Z, shaped by economic turbulence and heightened social awareness, increasingly demands transparency and ethical integrity from corporations. Yet, despite growing CSR awareness, little is known about how communication and trust translate that awareness into ethical consumer behavior in such contexts. Objective This study aimed to examine how CSR awareness, communication, and trust influence the ethical consumerism of Generation Z in a recovering economy, focusing on the mechanisms through which awareness transforms into loyalty and advocacy. Methods A quantitative research design was employed using a structured questionnaire administered to 322 Generation Z consumers in Greece. Descriptive and inferential analyses, including exploratory factor analysis and multiple regression models, were conducted to evaluate the relationships among CSR awareness, communication, trust, and ethical purchasing behavior. The study integrated the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and Social Identity Theory (SIT) to interpret how attitudes, social norms, and identity alignment shape consumer choices. Results Findings reveal that while CSR awareness among Generation Z is moderate, participation in formal CSR education is low. Despite this limited depth of knowledge, respondents strongly perceive CSR as beneficial to society and the. Regression analyses demonstrate that CSR awareness significantly predicts consumer, while communication positively influences trust and transparency reinforced through NGO partnerships enhances credibility. Simplified CSR messaging also contributes to ethical consumerism by improving comprehension.

Purpose This study aims to review the literature on the intersection of greenwashing and corporate governance, with a specific focus on environmental, social, governance (ESG) practices. Design/methodology/approach The study undertakes an extensive systematic literature review (SLR) of 97 articles retrieved from the Scopus database. It applies the TCCM (theory, context, characteristics and methodology) framework to present its findings. Findings The research indicates an increasing trend in publications on this topic, particularly after 2020, with contributions across 50+ journals and a broad geographic spread. The dominant theories used in the studies include stakeholder theory, legitimacy theory and greenwashing theory. The context of greenwashing behaviors differs significantly across industries and regions, emphasizing the need for tailored governance solutions. Key themes include organizational setting, greenwashing activities, ESG performance, financial impact, investor analysis and corporate governance. The research base is primarily dominated by empirical studies relying on secondary data from reputed sources. Practical implications The study’s findings hold value for both academicians and practitioners by providing insights into greenwashing behaviors and their governance implications. They highlight the importance of customized governance strategies across industries and regions, fostering better ESG performance and stakeholder trust. Social implications The study highlights significant social implications by addressing the adverse effects of greenwashing on public trust, ethical business practices and stakeholder confidence. By promoting transparency and authentic ESG practices, it fosters greater accountability among corporations, empowering consumers and investors to make informed decisions. This, in turn, supports equitable access to sustainable development benefits, encourages ethical corporate behavior and strengthens community trust in sustainability initiatives, ultimately contributing to a fairer, more socially responsible economic and environmental system. Originality/value This study provides a comprehensive review of greenwashing and governance practices, offering a structured analysis through the TCCM framework and revealing critical gaps as well as future research directions in this domain. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that explicitly links corporate governance and greenwashing using the TCCM framework.

ABSTRACT People frequently compete with one another for awards, benefits, contracts, positions, or roles. One of the regulatory challenges in these contexts lies in preventing people from making dishonest claims to win such competitions. Honesty pledges, asking people to commit to ethical behavior ex ante, have been found to reduce cheating under non‐competitive settings (when rewards were given based on individual reports only). However, as people behave differently under competitive settings, it is unclear whether honesty pledges could be effective and recommended in such situations as well. In four experiments, we apply honesty pledges to competitive and non‐competitive settings, finding that pledges remain effective in reducing cheating behavior under competitive contexts (Studies 1–4). Moreover, this effect is not crowded out if a sanction (fine) is added to the honesty pledge (Study 2). Honesty pledges are also effective among people who tend to cheat more, due to low or overestimated task‐related ability (Study 2) or due to high competitiveness (Study 3). Additionally, people's estimations regarding others' cheating behavior explain why pledges accompanied by descriptive honesty norms affect cheating behavior (Study 3). Lastly, even in high‐stakes competitive environments that demonstrably increased dishonesty, honesty pledges remained effective in reducing dishonesty (Study 4). These findings demonstrate that honesty pledges can serve as effective non‐coercive regulatory instruments to reduce dishonesty in competitive environments, offering advantages over traditional enforcement mechanisms while remaining effective even among individuals most prone to cheating and under high‐stakes conditions, with important implications for organizational policy design and regulatory approaches.

The digital era has introduced new challenges for education, particularly in shaping the social-emotional character of Madrasah Ibtidaiyah (MI) students. Amid the rapid development of information technology, MI teachers are expected to serve not only as learning facilitators but also as counselors capable of integrating social and emotional values into the educational process. This study aims to comprehensively analyze the role of MI teachers in developing students’ social-emotional character in the digital age, with a focus on strategies, approaches, and challenges encountered. A Systematic Literature Review (SLR) method was employed, analyzing a range of scholarly journals, articles, and relevant references published between 2019 and 2025. The findings indicate that teachers play a vital role in instilling character values through active learning strategies, project-based learning, the mindful use of digital media, and collaboration with parents and the community. Digitally literate teachers who model ethical behavior in the digital space are shown to be more effective in fostering empathy, responsibility, and social skills among students. The study concludes that strengthening the social-emotional character of MI students in the digital era requires a synergy of relevant pedagogical approaches, purposeful integration of technology, and support from a positive, collaborative learning environment. These findings offer both practical and theoretical contributions for teachers, educational institutions, and policymakers in designing adaptive character education strategies that address contemporary challenges.

In the context of corporate governance, this article offers a worldwide analysis of the connection between audit quality and financial reporting transparency. The study synthesizes results from professional literature, regulatory frameworks, and scholarly research using document analysis and grounded theory to determine the factors that influence audit quality. Alongside legislative actions and corporate governance procedures, important factors such audit firm size, auditor tenure, industry specialization, and audit fees are assessed. According to the analysis, audit quality strengthens the independence, skill, and moral behaviour of auditors, which greatly increases the credibility and dependability of financial disclosures. Simultaneously, it has been demonstrated that robust governance procedures, efficient regulatory supervision, and developing institutional and technology frameworks are necessary for financial reporting transparency. The results demonstrate how audit quality and transparency are interdependent and how they work together to promote investor trust, accountability, and long-term market expansion. By providing insights into how worldwide differences in audit procedures and governance contexts impact financial reporting transparency, the study advances both professional practice and scholarly discourse.

Various authors, including myself, have argued that happiness and morality operate in a circularly supportive relationship. In this paper, love will be added to this relationship. The new triple correlation will be explored through the following lens: not only do love and happiness reinforce moral action, but they appear to be in a triple circularly supportive relationship. Moral behavior is frequently grounded in love; love encourages prosocial behavior; prosocial behavior increases happiness; happiness, in turn, enhances the inclination of most people to act morally most of the time. Argued from the opposite direction: happiness tends to encourage prosocial behavior in most people most of the time; prosocial behavior is conducive to the development of loving relationships; love induces us to behave morally toward the people we love. The argument presented here will also propose that this triple circular reinforcement can be significantly deepened and sustained through a careful use of love-enhancing substances, aided by guided meditation-particularly in the case of the psychedelic psilocybin. It will be concluded that humans will be motivated to use love drugs because they tend to increase their happiness. Consequently, a voluntary use of love drugs is a more effective means of moral (bio-)enhancement than is the prevention of "ultimate harm" that is based on compulsory moral enhancement.