MBAs Don’t View Business as Very Clean

MBA students and graduates apparently don’t think too highly of businesspeople–at least when it comes to ethics.

The Committee of 200–a group representing women in business–commissioned the Center for Women’s Business Research to conduct the study of MBA students and MBA graduates who had received their degrees between five and ten years ago. The committee surveyed both men and women. Only 39 percent of student respondents say that businesses “are honest and ethical.” On top of that, only 35 percent said that businesses “care about employees.”

Recent grads had similar opinions. Thirty-six percent say that businesses are honest and ethical and 25 percent say that businesses care about employees.

Women surveyed generally had more negative impressions of business ethics than men.

The survey also found that the Internet is the most popular source of advice for both women and men in business school or early in their careers. They rely on it more than they rely on spouses/partners, friends, colleagues and associations.