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Influence of Gender and Ethical Training on University Teachers Sensitivity Towards the Integration of Ethics in Business Studies

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Abstract

The aim of this work is to analyse the effect of gender and ethical training received on the sensitivity of university teachers towards the inclusion of ethics in graduate business studies. To this end, a study has been carried out that uses four ethical sensitivity indicators for teachers: their opinion about the need to include ethics in the world of business, their opinion about the need to include ethics in University education involving business studies, the current integration of ethics by teachers in the subjects they teach, and whether they intend to increase the time set aside for ethics in those subjects in the future. Results suggest that the ethical training received by teachers has a significant influence on their sensitivity towards the inclusion of ethics in graduate studies and the introduction of ethical aspects in their classes. Conversely, the results do not enable us to draw the conclusion that gender is a significant variable in terms of sensitivity towards the inclusion of ethics in the university education of business students. This work is of special relevance because it adds to the extremely limited amount of literature available on variables that may explain the attitude of teachers towards the integration of ethics in higher education, by supporting the thesis defended by many authors of the positive effect of ethical training on an improvement in sensitivity and ethical judgement.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of the Basque Country, Avda Lehendakari Aguirre 83, 48015, Bilbao, Spain

    Edurne Aldazabal & Ana Martín-Arroyuelos

  2. University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Avda Lehendakari Aguirre 83, 48015, Bilbao, Spain

    Marcela Espinosa-Pike

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  1. Marcela Espinosa-Pike
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  2. Edurne Aldazabal
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  3. Ana Martín-Arroyuelos
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Correspondence to Marcela Espinosa-Pike.

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Espinosa-Pike, M., Aldazabal, E. & Martín-Arroyuelos, A. Influence of Gender and Ethical Training on University Teachers Sensitivity Towards the Integration of Ethics in Business Studies. J Acad Ethics 10, 9–25 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10805-012-9151-x

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