The test is hard and it determines whether a student passes. No one is looking and the answer to the question is on the first page of the study guide that is peeking out of the students backpack. The professor is reading a book and will not notice if the individual cheats, what will he or she do? That is the question, to defy ethical beliefs and cheat or not. The thoughts that wander through individuals brains as they decide whether to cheat is a struggle. Ethics are a set of moral principles that dictate a person’s behavior. The importance of ethics for college students is astronomical. Employers look at the ethical values and views of college students to determine the future of their companies. In 2001, the Journal of Academic & Business Ethics stated, “By gaining an insight into how college students perceive an activity to be ethical or unethical, businesses can determine how these potential hires will make ethical business decisions when confronted with similar moral dilemmas in the real world” (Lau 2). Over the years, many surveys and studies have been conducted to understand the behavior behind college students’ ethical ideas. The involvement of faculty members, the use of internet and the difference in the definitions of cheating all effect whether students make ethical or unethical decisions in college.
The definition of cheating is as follows: the use of tools to gain an unfair advantage over others, but what is considered “unfair”. Therein lies the issue, what is cheating? Everyone has his or her own moral compass and there is no way to determine a set definition for it. For instance, according to the literary article College Students' Perception of Ethics , “ working together on a take home exam is considered ‘pos...
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...nd the accessibility of cheating all affect whether students are compelled to commit academic misconduct. The issues that lie behind the ever-changing definition of cheating makes it complicated for college students to meet the ethical standards that are expected of them
Works Cited
Bloodgood, J., Turnley, W., & Mudrack, P. (2010, August). Ethics Instruction and the Perceived Acceptability of Cheating. Journal of Business Ethics, 95(1), 23-37. doi:10.1007/s10551-009-0345-0
Keith-Spiegel, P., & Whitley, B. (2001). Ethics and Behavior. Mahwah, NJ: L. Erlbaum.
Lau, L., Caracciolo, B., Roddenberry, S., & Scroggins, A. (2011). College Students' Perception of Ethics. Journal of Academic & Business Ethics, 5, 1-13.
Stoller, E. (2011). Ethics and College Studetns. In Higher Ed Live. Retrieved October 20, 2013, from : http://higheredlive.com/ethics-and-college-students/
... you are involved in cheating, your tolerance of unethical behavior will increase. Ethical is one the fundamental virtue for all business student. If business students are not well train for maintaining ethical judgment, the scandals they might create will damage investors’ confidence on investing corporation, which damage nation’s economy as a whole(Works Cited).
Today, students are expected to understand and follow a general Code of Ethics, that they think is right on a college level. The author of “The Unacknowledged Ethicists on Campuses,” David A. Hoekema is the chair of the philosophy department and a philosophy professor at Calvin college. Hoekema is the chair of the philosophy department and a philosophy professor at Calvin college. David Callahan is the editor of the blog PolicyShop. He is known for his exploration on issues related to finances and ethics. His article, “A Better Way to Prevent Cheating: Apparel to Fairness. Both the authors are talking about the importance of ethics and morals that a college student needs to understand and follow. The colleges don’t have the responsibility to
Throughout the course of day-to-day business life, the business professionals come in contact with quite a sum of ethical dilemmas. There are various ways to handle these ethical dilemmas, but failure to follow the appropriate manner could result in an unethical outcome. The ethical guides related to the book definitely help students develop an ethical character that is sure to stand out for highly ethical companies. In addition, there are companies that test how ethical applicants are before hiring them, this in turn makes getting the job more difficult and costly. However, despite the high cost and difficulty said companies stay firm to ethics, guaranteeing they get top-of-the-line employees who will act in an ethical manner. Ethics is defined
An Ethical, Not a Legal, Problem.” Ethics in the 21st Century. Ed. Mary Alice Trent. Pearson Education, 2005. 113-119.
Fieser, J. & Moseley, A. (2014). Introduction to Business Ethics. San Diego, CA Bridgepoint Education, Inc.
The statistic shown in the student survey of fall 2007 and spring 2008 reveal that only a select few of the students willingly uphold the school’s rules (Source: E). This lack of enforcement relates to the percentage of how many students have not been caught doing unethical behaviors. By increasing the number of students who follow the rules, the amount of students who cheat will decrease proportionally, thus creating a healthier environment. Additionally, students have shown to have an overall effect on other students and their behaviors: “Students who enter a college of mostly ‘honest’ types will more often choose not to cheat even if they are not innately ‘cheater’ types” (Source: C). Honest people who abide by the rules provided can influence other students into being ethical and vice versa, implying that the environment should promote the growth of virtuous behavior. Through a healthy surrounding, a school may have a majority of its students become honest people, thus revealing that the students and the environment directly affect each
Mosser, K. (2013). Ethics and social responsibility (2nd ed.). San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.
Slobogin, K. (2002, April 5). Survey: Many students say cheating’s ok. Retrieved June 12, 2009,
Many students justify their behavior, because of the many examples of unethical behavior in society. For example, in May of 2003, readers of the New York Times were shocked to discover that a reporter, Jayson Blair, was fabricating details and plagiarizing in his articles. The media attention attributed to the Blair affair included a front-page article in the New York Times on Mother’s Day, May 11, 2003 (Barry, 2003).
Cheating is a big issue that has reached the most competitive campuses around the United States. It is increasing more and more with the new technology that we have in the 21st century because students have easy access to many sources of information. Cheating is something all students have done at some point in their lives, but as they reach a higher academic level, they are faced with more rigorous consequences that can affect their futures in many different ways. Cheating might be seen as an easy way to obtain a good grade, get into a good college, or maintain scholarships or financial aid, but the consequences could affect the life and the future of the student.
"I’m preparing for the real world. Business is unethical. Cheating is just good training. I’ll be better able to handle what’s put at me when I get out." "‘Oh, it’ll only be this once’ or ‘Everyone else does it, so why shouldn’t I?’" Sly glances at a neighbor’s work, an open book on the lap, or even high-technology methods—the resources of the cheater are many and varied. Whatever the methods, there are many statements like those above to justify cheating. For example, in the United States, surveys show that more than half of all students cheat, or have cheated, during their school years.
From a young age we are taught the differences between right and wrong, but as we get older the line between moral and immoral is often blurred. Things that were once thought of as unacceptable are now perfectly fine in our minds. Have you ever seen anyone cheat on an assignment or exam? Do you know anyone that’s been expelled from school for cheating? What if it was discovered that a U.S. senator plagiarized his college thesis paper? Imagine if it got out that one of the most respected universities in the U.S. was involved in a huge fraud scandal that involved thousands of students. Academic cheating is a terrible offense because it is unethical, self-degrading, and can be detrimental to the learning environment.
Honesty is a key moral characteristic to have throughout life, but the problem is some students lack the honesty to admit that they are even in the wrong. According to an article in the Huffington Post, “75% of college students admit to cheating”(Buchmann). I am
Academic knowledge is the basis on which future prosperity, and financial security has been determined. As a consequence, students feel inclined to perform above average in school. Now, as students perform less and less, they sink to obtain good grades by cheating. This method to acquire the desired grades will only harm the student, instead of the imagined result. Prompted by a child’s inability to perform basic tasks throughout his education , academic cheating spawns numerous negative consequences.
When I think of ethics, I think of the angel on my left shoulder telling me to do the “right” thing, and the devil on my right, tempting me to join the dark side. This scenario deals with what is “right” or what is “wrong” and where my morals will lie in the end. But who is to say what is right and wrong? Ethics is such a trivial word because every person, company, and culture has a different idea of what is considered ethical or what is considered unethical. Throughout this paper, I will address my personal view on ethics, and how I believe it effects the workplace and today’s society.