How Do Business Educators Prepare Students Better about Ethical Decision-Making?

• Published in: Journal of International Education in Business Vol. 16; no. 3; pp. 266 - 279
• Main Author: Do, Hau Thi Kim
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Acton Emerald Publishing Limited 07-11-2023; Emerald Group Publishing Limited
• Subjects: Age Differences; Business Administration Education; Business Education Teachers; Business Schools; Cognitive Processes; Cross Cultural Studies; Cultural Context; Decision Making; Educational Responsibility; Employee Attitudes; Employees; Ethical Instruction; Ethics; Foreign Countries; Government (Administrative Body); Leadership Styles; Learner Engagement; Literature Reviews; Moral Development; Nongovernmental Organizations; Perceptions; Social Bias; Social Desirability; Social responsibility; Stakeholders; Student Attitudes; Sustainability; Teaching Methods; Undergraduate Students; Value Judgment; Vietnamese People; Vietnam
• ISSN: 2046-469X; 1836-3261
• DOI: 10.1108/JIEB-02-2022-0013

Purpose: This paper aims to identify predictors that affect business student perceptions on ethical decision-making. This paper also investigates how those predictors impact the decision-making related to ethical matters among Vietnamese business students. Design/methodology/approach: A survey was conducted to collect data for testing the hypotheses. Questionnaires were administered to 500 Vietnamese business students from four public and private universities. The independent t-test was applied to the usable sample to analyze and derive relationships. Findings: The empirical results showed that idealism and relativism significantly predict the perception of ethical decision-making. Idealism and relativism were found to influence high ethical decision-making significantly. Originality/value: The study contributes to the literature on ethical decision-making in a transitional economy. New findings and insights from the research serve as a foundation for future research with ethics and decision-making topics. The results offer some insights to business schools in improving their ethical teaching courses and to businesses in their recruitment.