Identifier

etd-11122007-154057

Degree

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Information Systems and Decision Sciences (Business Administration)

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

Despite the fact that research into cheating has continued for several decades, cheating in higher education appears to be widespread and endemic. This may be particularly troublesome for business school students, who, according to some research, appear to cheat more than students in other curriculums. Technology is giving students new opportunities to cheat. Companies are developing products specifically designed to help students cheat. Although there are some resources and tools to help faculty monitor things such as plagiarism, technology is providing a continuous stream of new opportunities for students to cheat, oftentimes without a high likelihood of being caught. Beliefs and norms are one indicator for why students cheat. Understanding how students perceive cheating using technology versus cheating using traditional means may provide valuable insights and may form the basis for additional research. This study tested the hypothesis that students tend to view cheating via technology with more leniency than cheating with traditional means. It did this by examining the results of survey data that asked 148 students to rate the acceptability of behavior in a series of scenarios that included a version using information technology and one using more traditional means. The results of the survey were mixed, leading to the conclusion that the general hypothesis is not supported and that researchers should look into other factors for the reasons behind cheating with information technology.

Date

2007

Document Availability at the Time of Submission

Release the entire work immediately for access worldwide.

Committee Chair

Suzanne Pawlowski

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_theses.2593

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