Graduate business students in the United States and Canada are more likely to cheat on their
work than their counterparts in other academic fields, the author of a research paper said this
week.
The study of 5,300 graduate students in the United States and Canada found that 56 per cent of
graduate business students admitted to cheating in the past year, with many saying they cheated
because they believed it was an accepted practice in business.
Following business students, 54 per cent of graduate engineering students admitted to cheating,
as did 50 per cent of physical science students, 49 per cent of medical and health-care students,
45 per cent of law students, 43 per cent of liberal arts students and 39 per cent of social science
and humanities students.
“Students have reached the point where they’re making their own rules,” said lead author Donald
McCabe, professor of management and global business at New Jersey’s Rutgers University.
“They’ll challenge rules that professors have made, because they think they’re stupid, basically, or
inappropriate.”
McCabe said it’s likely that more students cheat than admit to it. The study, published in the
September issue of the Academy of Management Learning and Education, defined cheating
as including copying the work of other students, plagiarising and bringing prohibited notes into
exams.
McCabe said that in their survey comments, business school students described cheating as
a necessary measure and the sort of practice they’d likely need to succeed in the professional
world.
“The typical comment is that what’s important is getting the job done. How you get it done is less
important,” McCabe said. “You’ll have business students saying all I’m doing is emulating the
behaviour I’ll need when I get out in the real world.” (Reuters)
Interview training
To limit mistakes during interview sessions, ensure that members of the panel from your
organisation are adequately instructed on the job requirements and the qualities of the person
required. This will reduce rating errors during the actual interview.
work than their counterparts in other academic fields, the author of a research paper said this
week.
The study of 5,300 graduate students in the United States and Canada found that 56 per cent of
graduate business students admitted to cheating in the past year, with many saying they cheated
because they believed it was an accepted practice in business.
Following business students, 54 per cent of graduate engineering students admitted to cheating,
as did 50 per cent of physical science students, 49 per cent of medical and health-care students,
45 per cent of law students, 43 per cent of liberal arts students and 39 per cent of social science
and humanities students.
“Students have reached the point where they’re making their own rules,” said lead author Donald
McCabe, professor of management and global business at New Jersey’s Rutgers University.
“They’ll challenge rules that professors have made, because they think they’re stupid, basically, or
inappropriate.”
McCabe said it’s likely that more students cheat than admit to it. The study, published in the
September issue of the Academy of Management Learning and Education, defined cheating
as including copying the work of other students, plagiarising and bringing prohibited notes into
exams.
McCabe said that in their survey comments, business school students described cheating as
a necessary measure and the sort of practice they’d likely need to succeed in the professional
world.
“The typical comment is that what’s important is getting the job done. How you get it done is less
important,” McCabe said. “You’ll have business students saying all I’m doing is emulating the
behaviour I’ll need when I get out in the real world.” (Reuters)
Interview training
To limit mistakes during interview sessions, ensure that members of the panel from your
organisation are adequately instructed on the job requirements and the qualities of the person
required. This will reduce rating errors during the actual interview.