The relationship between love of money, peer influence and personality traits on unethical behaviour of graduate accounting students
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to analyse the impact of love of money, personality traits and peer influence on the ethical behaviour of graduate accounting students at the University of Ghana Business School.
Design/methodology/approach
This study used a quantitative research approach to sample postgraduate accounting students who completed a self-administered questionnaire on the variables of interest. Using partial least square–structural equation modelling, the hypothesized relationships were examined based on 328 appropriate responses received for the questionnaire.
Findings
The empirical findings suggest that peer influence and personality trait, extraversion positively and significantly influence unethical behaviour, whereas the personality traits, agreeableness and openness to experience have a negative and significant relationship with unethical behaviour. The study, however, does not find support for the hypothesized relationships between the love of money, personality traits (conscientiousness, neuroticism) and unethical behaviour.
Originality/value
The study contributes to the literature on unethical behaviour, highlighting how decision-making factors such as love of money, peer influence and personality traits, respectively, influence unethical behaviour explained by the self-justification concept under the social cognitive and moral reasoning theory. This could aid these potential managers in seeking higher reviews on ethical dilemmas. It could also aid the professional body and academics in Ghana particularly to intensify ethical education for students of the profession.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to the respondents of the research questionnaire, the anonymous reviewers and editors.
Citation
Sabah Welbeck, E.E. and Bremang, M.O. (2024), "The relationship between love of money, peer influence and personality traits on unethical behaviour of graduate accounting students", International Journal of Ethics and Systems, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOES-04-2023-0075
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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