Stress and Perceptions of Unethical Behaviours in Academia

The study presented herein explores the possibility of identifying a relationship between stress and the perception of non-ethical behaviours in the academic sphere. Four Departments of the University of Siena in Italy were requested to collaborate on this study. 70 academics completed an online questionnaire to investigate: 1 stress-inducing organisational factors (HSE), 2 the perception of frequency and severity of certain categories of unethical behaviour, and 3 the propensity to manifest their dissent in response to these same behaviours. The results highlight the occurrence of conditions that may contribute to stress. Among them, the "lack of proper support from superiors and colleagues" and the "clear definition of work commitments" seem to be expressed as problematic, especially for professors in the over 55 age range. The results of the analysis of unethical behaviours indicate an unexpected relationship between the perception of the frequency of inappropriate behaviours, the assessment of their severity and the individual propensity to manifest dissent. These results, once again, seem to be particularly relevant for faculty who are more advanced in age. It was also possible to highlight a relationship between stress conditions and unethical behaviours. In particular, in academic terms, stress seems to have an impact on the perceptions of unethical behaviours and the clear expression of personal dissent.