|
|
Lessons On Ethics And Character Can Prevent Unethical Behavior In The WorkplaceResearch by Kansas State University professor of management Thomas A. Wright, the Jon Wefald Leadership Chair in Business Administration, shows that there is a gap between the character traits that business students say make good executives and the traits that they say they have themselves. Wright says business schools need to close that gap by continuously discussing ethics and character in the classroom, and that it is critical for students to learn about the importance of character and ethical behavior before entering the workplace. "As business professors in an increasingly 'just show me the money' business school environment, we all share responsibility for this moral decline," says Wright. "Many citizens are increasingly seeing the potentially grave consequences of dishonest and fraudulent actions by our business and political leaders." Wright's research involves measuring student character strength on several dimensions, including valor, hope, zest, honesty, critical thinking, kindness, and gratitude. Through Wright's research, students are able to identify their individual strength profile, as well as how them compare to other students. Wright found that business students believe social intelligence and a love of learning are the most important strengths to being an effective manager, but both of those strengths were among the least common strengths self-reported by students. Many students also rated honestly as one of the top five strengths, but another study found that 88 percent of students report they have cheated in school, with many reporting that they have cheater 100 times or more. "Our collective failure to practice strengths of character, such as perseverance and self control, has led us to the brink of both moral and financial ruin. Massive governmental takeovers are not the answer, but the development of individual character may well be a viable solution. As faculty members, the ethical and strength of character development of our students should be made an integral part of our stated mission in higher education," says Wright. |
2010 Pre-employment Screeners Conference - Clearwater Registration 2010 Pre-employment Screeners in Human Resources Conference - Clearwater Registration Conferences Photos and Presentations Testimonials of our Conferences
|
