Ethics Education in MBA Programs : Effectiveness and Effects

Results of a survey of 3,225 MBA graduates from 75 schools located in the United States are analyzed to determine (a) how and how effectively ethics is incorporated in the graduate business curriculum, (b) how graduates assessed the corporate scandals that occurred prior to the study,; and (c) how these scandals affected their job search behavior. Forty-two percent of graduates say that ethics is being incorporated extremely or very effectively in the curriculum, but 18% say incorporation is not effective. The effectiveness of ethics education is most influenced by the number of ways that ethics is incorporated in the curriculum, based on the results of a multiple regression analysis. The inclusion of a required core course, integrated case studies within most courses, and a reference to ethics in most courses also contribute positively to predicting effectiveness. So, too, do ratings of the quality of program management, curriculum, and faculty, as well as students' willingness to recommend their schools