Today’s high school cheats – tomorrow’s fraudsters?

The numbers are truly astounding. Several recent studies note that approximately 90 to 95% of high school students admit to having cheated in some shape or form. The type of cheating ranged from copying homework to cheating on final exams.

USA Today reported that an Ohio High School canceled graduation ceremonies for all 60 seniors.

An excerpt from the USA Today article:

“Superintendent Dorothy Holden said so many students are involved that it was impossible “to separate the wheat from the chaff” in terms of deciding who could graduate. Instead, all students will be mailed their diplomas.”

The statistics relating to cheating in college are equally shocking. Various studies report that approximately 85 to 95% of college students admit to cheating.

What does this alarming trend mean for companies? The connection between cheating in high school, college and fraud in the workplace is not fully understood. However, if children opt to cheat while “earning” an education, what type of behaviors will they pursue in the work place?

For employees that routinely received “A’s” in high school and college, a bad performance review may trigger feelings of resentment that could lead to fraudulent activity. Just as they felt justified in cheating while in school, they may rationalize that committing fraud to either improve their performance, or steal funds to “punish” their employer is justified. In fact, given their track record of academic fraud, reaching the decision to commit corporate fraud may be arrived at in very short order.

I do not mean to infer that all “20 something” employees entering the workforce are fraudsters in the making. However, you can’t help but ask if an employee that cheated in high school and/or college has the moral compass to guide them in today’s workplace?

Do you believe that academic fraud is an indicator of propensity to commit corporate fraud? If so, are you concerned that corporate fraud will increase as today’s college and high school seniors enter the workplace?

Need a writer that understands fraud? When you hire me to write an article, blog post, newsletter or white paper you get an accomplished writer that is also an expert in fraud.

paul@mccormackwrites.com