Content of Vignettes and Ethical Sensitivity in Decision-Making: Case of Undergraduate Business Education Learners at University of Nairobi, Kenya

Abstract

Vignettes are instructional resources for experiential learning, which have been applied to train professionals in health sciences. Vignettes positively influence learning outcomes, learners’ perceptions, as well as ethical sensitivity in decision-making by promoting higher order thinking skills. At the University of Nairobi’s Department of Educational Communication and Technology, most instructors remain slow to embrace experiential learning and are inconsistent in applying vignettes in business ethics unit courses. This study examined the relationship between the use of vignettes and learners’ ethical sensitivity in decision-making at the Department. The article focuses on content of vignettes. Cross-sectional survey design guided the research process, and data were collected from 116 learners at the University of Nairobi in 2018. The study required quantitative data to assess learners’ perceptions on ethically sensitive issues, as well as qualitative data from interviews and focus group discussions. Results show vignettes derived from personal experiences, interviews and case studies were key influencers of learners’ ethical sensitivity in decision-making. The study concludes that the more learners appreciate the relationship between vignette content and ethical sensitivity in decision-making, the stronger the odds of making ethical decisions and vice versa. Inclusion of vignettes derived from the cited contents as an instructional approach is likely to improve the probability of learners making ethically sensitive decisions.