THE INFLUENCE OF PERSONALITY AND DEMOGRAPHIC-VARIABLES ON ETHICAL DECISIONS RELATED TO INSIDER TRADING

We investigated the influence of the following variables on individual s' ethical decisions related to insider trading: interpersonal competi tiveness, locus of control, need for achievement, self-esteem, religio us beliefs, frequency of attendance at religious services, social clas s, parents' annual income, year in college, college major, college GPA , exposure to an ethics course, age, and gender. Upper division busine ss students (N = 201) were asked to read eight vignettes that depicted ethical dilemmas involving insider trading and to indicate what they would do in each case. The findings indicated that interpersonal compe titiveness, locus of control, religious beliefs, age, and gender may b e important influences on individuals' levels of ethicality.