The Effectiveness of Ethics Training Strategies: Experiential Learning for the Win

Abstract

Organizations place a great deal of emphasis on ethics, spending significant resources on ethics training initiatives. Research indicates the positive impact that ethical training has on a variety of organizational outcomes. However, in practice, ethics training efforts are often met with resistance and skepticism by employees. This cynicism may be merited and perceived failures in ethics training could be in part a function of the type of ethics training intervention they receive. This study examines the extent to which different types of training interventions impact participants’ moral judgment. Evidence suggests that experiential learning is superior to lecture, immersion, behavioral modeling, and role-play. This research contributes to the training and pedagogical literature. It provides evidence suggesting how higher education and industry may better equip students and employees for the ethical challenges they face in today’s workplace.