WORKPLACE ETHICS AND THE 21ST CENTURY BUSINESS EDUCATION GRADUATES COMPETITIVENESS

Abstract

This study investigated workplace ethics and the 21^st century business education graduates competitiveness. It focused on these two aspects of workplace ethics: integrity and professionalism. Two hypotheses guided the study. The population comprised 1,059 business education graduates between 2017/2018 and 2020/2021 academic sessions from two institutions: University of Calabar (UNICAL) and University of Cross River State (UNICROSS). 220 respondents were purposively drawn from the population as sample using snowballing and accidental sampling techniques. A validated four point rating scale structured questionnaire titled “Workplace Ethics and 21^st Century Business Education Graduates Competitiveness Questionnaire” (WPEABEGCQ) was used for data collection. A reliability estimate of .81 was achieved for the instrument using Cronbach alpha reliability coefficient after a pilot test. Simple linear regression statistical technique was used in testing the hypotheses at .05 level of significance. Findings revealed among others that integrity has a significant influence on the 21^st century business education graduates competitiveness. Consequently, it was recommended that the Association of Business Educators of Nigeria (ABEN) which is the apex professional body for all business educators in Nigeria should develop a handbook on workplace ethics that all her students (would-be members) would be taught with while in the university so that upon graduation, they would have been imbued with these fundamental tenets. By so doing, members of the association would have become embodiments of integrity in whichever workplace they find themselves.

Keywords: Workplace, ethics, integrity, professionalism, business education, 21^st century, competitiveness