DOI:
Citation: Smith, C.G., Bozac, M. G. & Paulisic, M. (2023). Moral judgement: A comparison of Croatian college students and business professionals. SAM Advanced Management Journal, 88(3),23-43.
This paper examines influences on the second psychological construct of Rest et al’s (1999) model of moral behavior, moral judgment. We quantitatively test the impact of cognitive moral development, moral philosophy, religiosity, and gender on a sample of 172 college students and 60 business professionals in the Republic of Croatia. We chronicle the association of five variables on the quality of moral judgment and compare their influence across students as they transition from the classroom to the boardroom. Our paper adds to current literature by extending the use of cognitive moral development measures to Croatia for the first time and by adding to the study of cross-cultural management. Most striking is the lack of a relationship between cognitive moral development and moral judgment for both groups. However, measures of moral judgment are superior for the adult sample, indicating the efficacy of collegiate education, and for females. Additionally, students shift their focus from a utilitarian to a deontological moral philosophy as they enter the business world and women demonstrate superior moral judgment skills as students compared to men. It also appears religiosity may have an influence only in earlier life. Implications of our findings for policy and suggestions for future research are offered.
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