Ethical misconduct in the business school: A case of plagiarism that turned bitter

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2004

Authors

Cabral-Cardoso, C. (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Journal of Business Ethics

Vol. 49

Pages: 75-89

ISSN: 0167-4544

Publisher: Springer Nature

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 35 Citations

Scopus - 42 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-000-D19

DOI: 10.1023/b:busi.0000013864.76547.d5

Abstract (EN): As a result of the public demand for higher ethical standards, business schools are increasingly taking ethical matters seriously. But their effort has concentrated on teaching business ethics and on students' ethical behavior. Business faculty, in contrast, has attracted much less attention. This paper explores the context and the implications of an alleged case of plagiarism in a master's dissertation submitted to a university lacking both an ethical code of conduct and a formalized procedure to deal with academic misconduct. The events evolved into a bitter political process in which the more ethically aware members of faculty challenged efforts to cover-up. Here the focus is on the motives and behavior of faculty members involved in this case rather than the alleged plagiarist's. The role played by the main actors involved in the process in examined using the theory of moral development and the organizational politic perspective. The paper discusses the mechanisms available to raise ethical awareness and prevent academic misconduct, and the limitations of self-regulation and self-monitoring that prevails in the university system. It also examines the impact of ethics instruction and faculty ethical standards on students' behavior and concludes that ethics instruction can only be effective when the principles taught are in line with daily actions of their instructors.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 15