A Quantitative Examination of the Relationship of Work Experience to Attitudes of Business Ethics in Graduate Students

Abstract

This quantitative study explored work experience as a potential contributor that may affect attitudes towards business ethics (ATBE) of graduate students in the United States. ATBE was measured on a fivepoint Likert scale using the ATBE questionnaire. A one-way ANOVA was used to explore for significant differences among groups of graduate students who were grouped according to their length of work experience. A one-way MANOVA was used to explore for significant differences in business philosophies. The results showed significant differences between some of the groups, suggesting a more relaxed ATBE for participants with less work experience.