Wall Street Journal Examines Who Cheats and Why
Jul 7th, 2008 • Posted in: Research ReportSurvey of 19 countries finds widespread pessimism about state of modern ethics
From the Wall Street Journal:
“Europeans say cheating in business, sports and even love has become more prevalent over the past decade. Whether this phenomenon is real or perceived — actual cheating is hard to measure — people say the world has become a more ruthless, dishonest place.
“To study the issue, The Wall Street Journal asked market-research firm GfK to poll almost 20,000 people in 19 countries — 16 European countries, plus Russia, Turkey and the U.S. GfK asked whether cheating had become more common and whether it was a major problem. They also asked people to describe their own cheating habits. The survey covered a range of issues: taxes, business, academics, sports and romantic relationships.
“The results weren’t pretty.
“Different cultures have different definitions of cheating: A merchant haggling over a carpet in a Turkish bazaar might offend a Dutch banker’s sense of business propriety. A student who uses material from a Web site for an essay might be punished at one school but not another. But even with such shades of gray, cheating across a range of countries and disciplines — from boardrooms to bedrooms — is a growing source of concern, most people say.
“This sentiment reflects widespread anxiety about competition, according to ethicists. The proliferation of new wealth and the growing gap between rich and poor in many countries have spurred fears about being left behind. This worry, in turn, makes people suspect that others who appear to be getting ahead, making good grades in school or driving expensive cars, aren’t always playing by the rules. In some cases, this worry might be justified….
“Others say the media have increased coverage of cheating scandals that once might have escaped public attention….
“When it comes to cheating, in business deals, on taxes or on the playing field, people often point a finger at Italy. European survey respondents (10%) most commonly named Italy as the country that cheats the most in business. Italians themselves (40%) also said they were the worst nationality when it comes to honesty in business.
“According to the GfK study, 91% of Italians described cheating on their taxes as a major problem in their country, the highest level among the 16 European countries surveyed….
“Broadly speaking, 48% of respondents around the world said cheating on taxes was more common today than 10 years ago, while 10% of respondents said it was less common.
“Business transactions were a matter of concern among most survey participants. Across the 19 countries included in the poll, 55% of respondents said cheating in business deals was more common than 10 years ago, while only 7% said it was less common….
“When asked which country cheats the most in business dealings, 7% of total survey respondents said Russia, the highest level in the survey. Italy (5%) was the second most common answer….
“Cheating at school is more common than a decade ago, according to 42% of survey respondents. Only 9% said it had decreased….
“Cheating at sports has become more common over the past 10 years according to 48% of those surveyed….
“When it comes to romance, 42% of those surveyed said they think cheating is more common than a decade ago. Only 10% said it had become less frequent….
“The survey didn’t ask people why they cheat, but ethicists said widespread worries about cheating and the sense that cheating has become more common in romance and other areas could create a self-perpetuating problem. ‘It seems pointless to keep your promises if no one else is keeping them, and the reasons for being honest fall apart if a significant number of other people … aren’t abiding by these moral rules,’ said Alex Voorhoeve, a philosophy lecturer at the London School of Economics….”
For more information, see: Full release from the Wall Street Journal, June 27 — Snapshot illustration of survey results.
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