An Examination of the Relationship Between Academic Dishonesty and Workplace Dishonesty: A Multicampus Investigation

Abstract

This article addresses academic integrity in both the classroom and the work environment. The authors distributed an in-class questionnaire to a sample of business students from 6 different campuses (N = 1,051). The study was an attempt to bridge the gap between findings related to academic dishonesty and those regarding dishonesty in the workplace. The authors found that students who believed that cheating, or dishonest acts, are acceptable were more likely to engage in these dishonest behaviors. Additionally, students who engaged in dishonest acts in college classes were more likely to engage in dishonest acts in the workplace. The authors suggest some techniques to discourage dishonesty in the classroom.