Everybody Else is Doing it, So Why Can?t We? Pluralistic Ignorance and Business Ethics Education

Abstract

In light of the myriad accounting and corporate ethics scandals of the early 21st century, many corporate leaders and management scholars believe that ethics education is an essential component in business school education. Despite a voluminous body of ethics education literature, few studies have found support for the effectiveness of changing an individual's ethical standards through programmatic ethics training. To address this gap in the ethics education literature the present study examines the influence of an underlying social cognitive error, called pluralistic ignorance. We believe that if pluralistic ignorance is reduced, the result will be more effective business ethics education programs. Eighty undergraduate management students participated in this longitudinal study, and a mixed-model ANOVA revealed that the reduction of pluralistic ignorance (due to an ethics education program designed to reduce pluralistic ignorance) resulted in higher personal ethical standards over the course of a semester, when compared to a class that did not receive a formal ethics education program as part of their course. We discuss the implications of pluralistic ignorance in training business ethics and ethics education.

Ethics Education and the Role of the Symbolic Market

“…Jeff S. Everett first encountered in the classroom (on the efficacy of ethics education, see Bampton and Maclagan, 2005;Halbesleben et al, 2005). While some appeared to acquiesce to the implicit demands of neoclassical economic theory and thus limit their concern with what constitutes right action to the self-interest, the maximization of utility, or the avoidance of costs, others appeared to resist.…”

Pluralistic ignorance: Conceptual framework, antecedents and consequences

“…With students of a course in business ethics, Halbesleben et al (2005) empirically tested if the discussion about pluralistic ignorance and the reduction of it increased the patterns of concepts about ethical attitudes. They found that students who participated in the discussions about pluralistic ignorance were less likely to engage in unethical issues in today's business environment.…”

The Role of Islamic Ethics in Accounting Environment

“…In recent publications, it was highlighted that merely identifying the presence of an ethical situations is not enough (Halbesleben, Wheeler, & Buckley, 2005). This is because once they have identified and made their own ethical decision, they are hesitant to voice it out.…”

“…In simplicity, they are in favour a 'perceived opinion' to which everyone are actually opposed to. The term pluralistic ignorance is applied at this instance (Halbesleben, Wheeler, & Buckley, 2005). Going along this line, the moral reasoning judgement of an individual is constantly changing.…”