The Influence of Media Factors on Ethical Behavior

As the number of scandals in the business world continue, there seems to be a greater need for ethics training This study looks at some of the known characteristics of information, and the influence those characteristics have on students when it comes to ethical behavior. Mason developed the PAPA ethics categories, and this study examines the Property category in depth. A set of scenarios was developed around three main constructs: the costs of a product (free or not); the type of product (an MP3 file vs. a test); the medium of a product (digital format or tangible); and the ownership perspective (owned by a friend or owned by the subject). The overall results show students are lacking in ethics, and that there is a difference in ethical behavior when MP3 files are studied