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How Ethical are U.S. Business Executives? A Study of Perceptions

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  • Betsy Stevens

Abstract

Not much has been written about how the ethics of U.S. business executives are perceived by the American public, yet the perception of integrity is important to both businesses and their investors. This study examines the U.S. public’s perceptions of the ethics of American business executives using Gallup Poll data for the past thirty years. Organizations with unethical executives have trouble attracting investors, customers, and new managerial talent. They suffer lawsuits, market share deterioration, and often prison time for the once-revered leaders. This study also looked at the U.S.’s relative standing on the Corruption Perceptions Index and the Edelman Trust Barometer. Confidence in the ethics of the U.S. business executive remains fairly low on the Gallup Poll surveys and the U.S. has declined on the CPI and Edelman Trust Barometer. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2013

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  • Betsy Stevens, 2013. "How Ethical are U.S. Business Executives? A Study of Perceptions," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 117(2), pages 361-369, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:117:y:2013:i:2:p:361-369
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-012-1510-4
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Johan Graafland & Bert Ven, 2011. "The Credit Crisis and the Moral Responsibility of Professionals in Finance," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 103(4), pages 605-619, November.
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    Cited by:

    1. Vijay S. Sampath & Naomi A. Gardberg & Noushi Rahman, 2018. "Corporate Reputation’s Invisible Hand: Bribery, Rational Choice, and Market Penalties," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 151(3), pages 743-760, September.
    2. Kristen Smith & Keston Fulcher & Elizabeth Hawk Sanchez, 2017. "Ethical Reasoning in Action: Validity Evidence for the Ethical Reasoning Identification Test (ERIT)," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 144(2), pages 417-436, August.
    3. Pietra Paola Amata & Leonardo Draghetti & Sabrina Galiotto & Rebecca L. Orelli & Marco Tieghi, 2021. "The Introduction of Management Control in the Legislative Assembly of the Emilia-Romagna Region," International Journal of Business and Management, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 14(10), pages 185-185, July.
    4. Joan A. Ballantine & Xin Guo & Patricia Larres, 2018. "Can Future Managers and Business Executives be Influenced to Behave more Ethically in the Workplace? The Impact of Approaches to Learning on Business Students’ Cheating Behavior," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 149(1), pages 245-258, April.

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