INSTITUTIONAL PRESSURES AND ETHICAL BEHAVIOUR: THE CASE OF STUDENT ACADEMIC INTEGRITY ISSUES IN AUSTRALIA

“The good which every man, who follows after virtue, desires for himself he will also desire for other men...” (Baruch Spinoza, Rationalist Philosopher).

As Internet technologies proliferate the market, ethics has gained significant attention in the higher education industry in ensuring that the ICT students operate in an ethical and responsible manner during their course of study. A key skill that all ICT students need is the ability to embrace as well as integrate ethical principles during their study life. Studies conducted in the past have highlighted the role ethics play in students’ work and learning in ICT and Engineering education (Bauer & Adams, 2005; Abate, 2011; Stappenbelt, 2013). Reports published by Australian Computer society (ACS) which is the peak body representing ICT industry in Australia highlights ethical competence as one of the key attributes required for ICT graduates to be employed in the industry (ACS, 2018). There is also a body of literature (For example, McDermid, 2008; Baase, 2013; Tavani, 2013; Reynolds, 2014) highlighting the importance of ethical consideration by professionals when developing ICT products and services including areas where prescriptive regulatory processes cannot be fully observed or imposed.

In Australia, a key issue that has drawn the attention of Australian Higher Education Regulator TEQSA- Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) over the past few years is ‘Academic Integrity’. Academic integrity is defined as “the moral code of academia. It involves using, generating and communicating information in an ethical, honest and responsible manner” (TEQSA, 2017). Our examination of the academic literature also identified this as a recurring theme discussed in the literature.

Using institutional theory as a theoretical framework (DiMaggio and Powell, 1983; Oliver, 1991) this study adopted an institutional perspective and argues that there is a role for institutional pressures in encouraging ethical behaviour among ICT students. The study uses secondary data sources for analysis. A key finding was that institutional pressures have played a role in educating university students about academic integrity issues and encourage them to think ethically. Further, these pressures have also led to frequent and fateful interactions between various stakeholders of the higher education industry in addressing academic integrity issues. The research analysis provides evidence to contend in what way institutional pressures have played a role in raising awareness about academic integrity issues. Findings can assist in developing strategies to promote ethical familiarity and ethical behaviour among ICT students and empower students to become champions for promoting ethical values at the University now and at IT workplaces in the future through responsible practice, research and innovation in the ICT industry.