Can Business Ethics Courses Be Effective? A Quasi-Experimental Mixed-Methods Study of a Cooperative-Learning Approach in Higher Education.
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| Title: | Can Business Ethics Courses Be Effective? A Quasi-Experimental Mixed-Methods Study of a Cooperative-Learning Approach in Higher Education. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Martini, Mattia1 (AUTHOR) mattia.martini1@unimib.it, Cavenago, Dario1 (AUTHOR) dario.cavenago@unimib.it, Carminati, Monica1 (AUTHOR) monica.carminati@unimib.it |
| Source: | Journal of Business Ethics. Nov2025, Vol. 202 Issue 2, p439-458. 20p. |
| Subject Terms: | *Higher education, *Ethics education in universities & colleges, *Group work in education, Business ethics |
| Abstract: | This study assesses the effectiveness of an elective course in business ethics designed around a cooperative-learning approach and explores how this pedagogical method supports graduate students in practising ethical attitudes and behaviours. The research employs a mixed-method approach, integrating a quasi-experimental pre- and post-test study with an in-depth qualitative study based on focus groups. The quantitative study investigates the effectiveness of a business ethics course delivered within a university master's program in improving various ethical outcomes, including moral efficacy, moral sensitivity, and moral motivation. In contrast, the focus groups explore how the cooperative-learning approach adopted within the course enhances the student's learning process and the overall effectiveness of the course. The quantitative results demonstrate that the business ethics course effectively develops the students' moral efficacy and moral motivation but not their moral sensitivity. The qualitative results indicated that the cooperative-learning approach contributes to achieving positive outcomes by favouring the motivational, relational, and cognitive dimensions of the student's learning processes. The study contributes to the literature on business ethics education by providing a robust understanding of the effectiveness of business ethics programs in higher education and highlighting the role of the cooperative-learning pedagogical approach in developing graduate students' ethical knowledge, skills, and behaviours. In addition, it showed that, despite the complexity of ethics, adopting a cooperative-learning approach in the business ethics course design improves the ability of future employees and managers to take responsibility for individual and collective actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Journal of Business Ethics is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Education Research Complete |
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| Header | DbId: ehh DbLabel: Education Research Complete An: 189530733 AccessLevel: 6 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Can Business Ethics Courses Be Effective? A Quasi-Experimental Mixed-Methods Study of a Cooperative-Learning Approach in Higher Education. – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Martini%2C+Mattia%22">Martini, Mattia</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> mattia.martini1@unimib.it</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Cavenago%2C+Dario%22">Cavenago, Dario</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> dario.cavenago@unimib.it</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Carminati%2C+Monica%22">Carminati, Monica</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> monica.carminati@unimib.it</i> – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Journal+of+Business+Ethics%22">Journal of Business Ethics</searchLink>. Nov2025, Vol. 202 Issue 2, p439-458. 20p. – Name: Subject Label: Subject Terms Group: Su Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Higher+education%22">Higher education</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Ethics+education+in+universities+%26+colleges%22">Ethics education in universities & colleges</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Group+work+in+education%22">Group work in education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Business+ethics%22">Business ethics</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: This study assesses the effectiveness of an elective course in business ethics designed around a cooperative-learning approach and explores how this pedagogical method supports graduate students in practising ethical attitudes and behaviours. The research employs a mixed-method approach, integrating a quasi-experimental pre- and post-test study with an in-depth qualitative study based on focus groups. The quantitative study investigates the effectiveness of a business ethics course delivered within a university master's program in improving various ethical outcomes, including moral efficacy, moral sensitivity, and moral motivation. In contrast, the focus groups explore how the cooperative-learning approach adopted within the course enhances the student's learning process and the overall effectiveness of the course. The quantitative results demonstrate that the business ethics course effectively develops the students' moral efficacy and moral motivation but not their moral sensitivity. The qualitative results indicated that the cooperative-learning approach contributes to achieving positive outcomes by favouring the motivational, relational, and cognitive dimensions of the student's learning processes. The study contributes to the literature on business ethics education by providing a robust understanding of the effectiveness of business ethics programs in higher education and highlighting the role of the cooperative-learning pedagogical approach in developing graduate students' ethical knowledge, skills, and behaviours. In addition, it showed that, despite the complexity of ethics, adopting a cooperative-learning approach in the business ethics course design improves the ability of future employees and managers to take responsibility for individual and collective actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] – Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright Label: Group: Ab Data: <i>Copyright of Journal of Business Ethics is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
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| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1007/s10551-025-05948-4 Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 20 StartPage: 439 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Higher education Type: general – SubjectFull: Ethics education in universities & colleges Type: general – SubjectFull: Group work in education Type: general – SubjectFull: Business ethics Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Can Business Ethics Courses Be Effective? A Quasi-Experimental Mixed-Methods Study of a Cooperative-Learning Approach in Higher Education. Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Martini, Mattia – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Cavenago, Dario – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Carminati, Monica IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 25 M: 11 Text: Nov2025 Type: published Y: 2025 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 01674544 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 202 – Type: issue Value: 2 Titles: – TitleFull: Journal of Business Ethics Type: main |
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