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Does academic dishonesty relate to unethical behavior in professional practice? An exploratory study
Trevor S Harding1, Donald D Carpenter, Cynthia J Finelli
1Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering Department, Kettering University, Flint, Michigan, USA.
Science and Engineering Ethics
|May 22, 2004
Summary
Engineering students who cheat academically are more likely to act unethically in their careers. This study found similarities in decision-making for academic and professional dishonesty, linking past cheating to future unethical behavior.
Area of Science:
- Engineering Education
- Ethics in STEM
- Academic Integrity
Background:
- Engineering students report higher rates of academic dishonesty compared to other disciplines.
- Prior deviant behavior often predicts future misconduct.
- This raises concerns about ethical decision-making in professional engineering practice.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate similarities in decision-making processes for academic and professional dishonesty among engineering students.
- To determine if prior academic dishonesty predicts future unethical decisions in professional settings.
Main Methods:
- Exploratory survey administered to undergraduate engineering students with both academic and professional experience.
- Analysis of responses to open-ended questions regarding ethical temptations and hesitations.
- Analysis of forced-choice questions assessing the relationship between past and present dishonest behaviors.
Main Results:
- Students identified common themes in decision-making for both academic cheating and professional policy violations.
- A significant relationship was found between self-reported high school cheating and decisions to cheat in college and violate workplace policies.
- The findings support the hypotheses that decision-making processes are similar and prior dishonesty predicts future actions.
Conclusions:
- There are demonstrable connections between decision-making regarding academic and professional dishonesty in engineering students.
- Understanding these connections can inform strategies to promote ethical behavior in academia and subsequently in professional practice.
- Interventions in academic settings may positively influence future ethical conduct in the workplace.