Importance of Maintaining Academic Honesty
An important factor when looking at academic honesty is its reflection of the person. Honesty and integrity help define who you are. They outline what kind of person you will be. What kind of employee you will be and what kind of contributions you will make to society. These are two character traits whose lines are crossed or blurred so that one can quickly or easily reach goals that have been set.
Although people claim to be honest or have high integrity, they will cross the boundary when it comes to self preservation or furthering their career or education. According to Klein, Levenburg, McKendall, and Mothersell (2007), “In a study of employed MBA students, Sims (1993) found a high degree of correlation between cheating in school and unethical behaviors at work.”(p.197) society pushes people to be the best of the best, no matter what the cost. Everyone is trying to outdo those around them, whether it’s the best grade on a paper, getting a job promotion, even having the biggest house on the block. Everyone wants to be number one. Even children in elementary school are feeling extreme pressure to succeed.
This push to be the best has changed how people really view honesty and integrity. I don’t think students today have the same values regarding academic honesty
References: Klein, H. A., Levenburg, N. M., McKendall, M., Mothersell, W.(2007) Business majors integrity and dishonesty is reported to be at an all time high compared to other fields of education. Journal of Business Ethics.(2007). 72:197-206. Retrieved September 15, 2008, from EBSCOhost database. Staats, S., Hupp, J., M., Hagley, A. M. (2008). Honesty and Heroes: A positive psychology view of heroism and academic honesty September 15, 2008 from EBSCOhost database. Hall, T. L., Kuh, G. D., (1998). Honor among students: academic integrity and honor codes at state-assisted universities McCabe, D.L., & Trevino, L.K. (1993). Academic dishonesty: honor codes and other contextual influences