ETHICAL ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIOR OF UNDERGRADUATE BUSINESS STUDENTS: TRENDS AND THE ROLE OF THE ELECTRONIC RESOURCES POLICY

As the Internet population continues to grow, so does the issue of productivity. Because of online temptations and opportunities for distraction, businesses implement electronic resource policies, block websites, and monitor behavior. Unfortunately, violating company Internet policies is still one of the five most common unethical behaviors in the workplace. As a result, this longitudinal study was undertaken to empirically examine the ethical attitudes and online ethical behavior of the undergraduate business student population. Findings suggest that although most students regard the electronic resources policy as a deterrent for himself/herself and others, the policy is becoming less effective. In addition, gender and academic class are correlated to unethical behaviors. Results imply that administrators may need to re-evaluate policy notification/reinforcement strategies and educators further proactively implement instruction with respect to ethical online behavior.