Gender variations in the ethical perceptions of business students – Evidences from Nigeria

Abstract

Ethics guides a person’s conduct with respect to that which is right or wrong, and as a discipline, deals with the methodological examination of matters of right and wrong, good and evil, virtue and vice. Several studies, national and trans-national, with student samples suggest that men and women vary in their levels of ethical perceptions and practices. This study investigates and provides the Nigerian experience of gender variation in the ethical perceptions of Nigerian business students. Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy with a GDP of over $500 billion and one of the fast-growing economies in the world, is located in the western part of the African continent. With an economy that is primarily driven by significant investment in public and private investment, particularly in manufacturing, infrastructure, as well as oil and gas industry, the Nigerian economy is tremendously significant for the economic transformation of the African and Sub-Sahara Africa region. This study explores the ethical perceptions of business students in Nigeria by examining responses to ethical dilemmas. Responses from a sample of 876 students drawn from four Nigerian universities – two from the Northern region and two from the Southern region) were analyzed. Recommendations are made in a framework for ethical training of Nigeria’s future business professionals.