US poll: teen ethics left wanting
Posted by
Ricki Sharpe on
December 12, 2007
Filed Under
Work Behaviour
The findings from a recent US survey of teen ethics are quite sobering. Thirty eight percent of those surveyed believe it is sometimes necessary to cheat, plagiarise, lie or even behave violently in order to succeed. The findings are all the more alarming given the recent cases of US school violence.
The survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of Junior Achievement Worldwide between September 19–26, 2007 among 725 US 13–18 year olds. Here are some of the findings:
- 71 percent say they feel fully prepared to make ethical decisions when they enter the workforce.
- 38 percent believe it is sometimes necessary to cheat, plagiarise, lie or even behave violently in order to succeed.
- 23 percent think violence toward another person is acceptable on some level.
- Of those who think violence is OK, the justifications for violence include settling an argument (27 percent) and revenge (20 percent).
- 24 percent think cheating on a test is acceptable, and more than half of those (54 percent) say their personal desire to succeed is the rationale.
- Of the teens who think plagiarism is acceptable, 37 percent think a personal desire to succeed is justification, and that number climbs to 51 percent among the students who feel an overwhelming pressure to succeed.
- 27 percent said it’s not fair for an employer to suspend or fire employees for unethical behaviour outside of their jobs.
- 57 percent believe it is not fair for employers to make hiring or firing decisions based on material they have posted to the Internet, and another 19 percent weren’t sure if it was fair or not.
- 47 percent believe it acceptable to illegally download music without paying for it, but only 5 percent said it was acceptable to steal something from a store.
“It’s sobering when teens who say they are fully prepared to make ethical decisions on the job also say they need to cheat to fulfil their personal ambition, to plagiarise because they don’t have enough time, or to physically harm another because they’ve had an argument,†said Ainar D. Aijala, Jr. Chairman of Junior Achievement Worldwide.
The survey confirms why integrity tests are a necessary pre-employment tool for employers who want to weed out candidates who might cheat, steal, fight or just not show up for work.
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