Who's in the ethics driver's seat? Factors influencing ethics in the MBA curriculum

The amount of attention given to ethics in the curricula of MBA programs varies widely. In this study we utilize both neoinstitutional theory and an internal view of power and politics to investigate the factors - from inside and outside the business school - that influence whether MBA programs attend to ethics by including ethics courses in their curricula. Our results from analysis of over 200 full-time MBA programs reveal support for institutional influences, such as the positive influence of a program's prestige and religious affiliation. Findings also reveal power and political effects, such that in business schools with a relatively larger percentage of faculty from the marketing and management areas, the amount of attention to ethics in the MBA curriculum is greater. Implications for future research and for management education are discussed.