Cheating in College and the Workplace: An Examination of Engineering Undergraduates' Ethical Behavior

Research has demonstrated that engineering undergraduates report higher rates of cheating than those in other disciplines and that students who cheat in college are more likely to make unethical decisions as professionals. Therefore, better understanding the decision-making processes of engineering students and professionals who engage in dishonest behavior could lead to effective college-level interventions to cheating that have a positive impact on the ethical behavior of future professionals. To explore the relationship between academic and professional ethical behavior, the authors launched the Work Experience Study (WES) that examines students’ decision-making in situations where they are tempted to engage in unethical behavior in academic and professional settings. This paper focuses on the interaction of several variables involved in this decision, including prior cheating, the perception of unethical behavior among one’s peers, the context of the unethical behavior and the frequency with which respondents are tempted to engage in unethical behavior.