Perceptions of Ethics in Business: A Study of Business Students in Bangladesh

Abstract

This paper uses a survey instrument to elicit business students’ perceptions of ethics in business in Bangladesh. Based on students’ opinions, the survey results show that ethical practices are not properly followed by companies in recruitment and managerial decision making. Also, most of the companies do not provide a safe and a harassment-free environment, especially for the female employees. Respondents further believe that the enactment of proper laws and regulations, religious values, and a well-defined code of conducts can play a significant role in improving ethical business practices in Bangladesh. Moreover, a good understanding of what constitutes ethical behavior by both managers and owners help promote ethical conducts. The paper suggests that a university should include different business courses on ethics in its academic curriculum to shape the ethical attitudes of the students properly.