Abstracts Category : Other

How Academic Department Chairs View the Influence of Corporate Ethics Scandals on Ethics Education in Arizona Business Schools| A Qualitative Case Study at the Postsecondary Level

by Robert James Gillis

AbstractThe purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore how department chairs described the influence of recent corporate ethics scandals on content and availability of ethics education in postsecondary business schools in Arizona. The following research questions guided this study: RQ1: How do department chairs describe the influence of recent corporate ethics scandals on the content of ethics education in postsecondary business schools in Arizona? RQ2: How do department chairs describe the influence of recent corporate ethics scandals on the availability of ethics education in postsecondary business schools in Arizona? RQ3: How do department chairs feel that ethics education can be improved in postsecondary business schools in Arizona? R4: How have postsecondary business schools in the state of Arizona changed their ethics curriculum in response to recent corporate ethics scandals? The sample for this study was 9 department chairs out of 40 in postsecondary schools in Arizona that offer business degrees. It was important for the purpose of this study to focus on department chairs, because of their direct involvement in the management of their business degree programs (i.e., design and accreditation of required curriculum), faculty, and business schools. The Hosmer and Kiewitz managerial ethics theory provided the foundation of this research. The data analysis procedure chosen was the thematic analysis from the triangulation of three data sources. The results found that a higher number of participants perceived that recent corporate ethics scandals did have an influence on content and availability of ethics education.Keywords: ethics, education, business, management, Arizona, scandal, corporate, social responsibility, post-secondary education