Dien Noviany Rahmatika

Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Pancasakti Tegal, Jl., Indonesia

Juli Riyanto Tri Wijaya

Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Pancasakti Tegal, Jl., Indonesia

Sanchita Saha

Department of Management, EIILM - Kolkata, India

Yoga Prihatin

Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Universitas Pancasakti Tegal, Jl., Indonesia

Noor Zuhry

Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences, Universitas Pancasakti Tegal, Jl., Indonesia

Correspondence: diennovi@upstegal.ac.id

Abstract

The rapid digitalisation of higher education has transformed how students learn, simultaneously expanding opportunities for academic dishonesty, particularly through AI-assisted tools, online assessments, and technology-enabled collaboration. This study investigates the determinants of academic dishonesty by examining the roles of ethical perception, digital learning habits, and perceived detection risk, as well as the moderating influence of opportunistic behaviour on these relationships. Using data from 160 university students across Indonesia, the Philippines, Ghana, India, Kenya, Poland, and Thailand, this study employed Structural Equation Modelling (SEM-PLS) to analyse the direct and moderating effects within the proposed framework. The results show that ethical perception and perceived detection risk significantly reduce academic dishonesty, whereas instrumental digital learning habits increase the likelihood of misconduct. Opportunistic behaviour directly heightens academic dishonesty and partially mediates the effect of perceived detection risk. However, it did not moderate the relationships between ethical perception, digital learning habits, and dishonest behaviour. Instead, opportunistic behaviour significantly moderates the influence of perceived detection risk, indicating that students with strong opportunistic tendencies are less deterred by the possibility of detection. These findings highlight the complex interplay between moral awareness, technological behaviour, perceived surveillance, and exploitative tendencies in shaping misconduct. This study contributes to academic integrity research by integrating ethical, behavioural, and contextual elements into a comprehensive model, offering practical guidance for institutions seeking to strengthen integrity in digital learning environments.

Keywords: Ethical Perception; Digital Learning Habits; Perceived Detection Risk; Opportunistic Behaviour; Academic Dishonesty

DOI : 10.65176/IJLM.V2I2.02

JEL Classification : I21, I23, A22

References 

Andersen, R. (2025). The Case for Expanding the Domain of Registered Reports: Confronting Academic Dishonesty and Declining Confidence in Science. Human Resource Management Journal. https://doi.org/10.1111/1748-8583.70019

Artyukhov, A., Churikanova, O., & Yehorova, Y. (2025). Exploring the Link Between Education, Governance Quality, and Academic Integrity: A Cross-Country Clustering Analysis. Business Ethics and Leadership, 9(1), 143-153. https://doi.org/10.61093/bel.9(1).143-153.2025

Bratten, B., Huang, M., Jenkins, N. T., & Xie, H. (2025). Mandatory disclosures and opportunism: Evidence from repurchases. Journal of Accounting and Economics, 80(1), Article 101783. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacceco.2025.101783

Cao, Y., & Zhang, W. (2025). How AI Is Shaping Accounting and Finance British Accounting Review, Article 101650. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bar.2025.101650

Chai-Arayalert, S., & Puttinaovarat, S. (2025). Fostering Visitor Engagement Through Serious

Game-Based Mediation in Small Local Museums. Tourism and Hospitality, 6(4), Article 218. https://doi.org/10.3390/tourhosp6040218

Demeter, E., McBride, A., Holladay-Sandidge, H., Rasmussen, L. M., Banks, G., & Hall-Hertel, K. (2025). Intervention to Promote Ethical Authorship Practices in Graduate Education. Science and Engineering Ethics, 31(4), Article 22. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11948-025-00548-x

Deng, R., & Ahmed, S. (2025). Perceptions and paradigms: An analysis of AI framing in trending social media news. Technology in Society, 81, Article 102858. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2025.102858

Djankov, S., Melcarne, A., Ramello, G. B., & Spruk, R. (2025). Timely justice as a determinant of economic growth. Journal of Economic Behaviour and Organization, 238, Article 107235. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jebo.2025.107235

Ehrmann, T., Ludes, L., & Reindl, M. (2025). Does Character Matter When Everyone Cheats? Peer Influence and Environmental Drivers of Academic Misconduct. Kyklos. https://doi.org/10.1111/kykl.70017

Fathy, E. A., Zidan, H. A. K. Y., El Sayed, A. H., & Fouad, A. M. (2025). Integrating ChatGPT in tourism and hospitality education: A systematic and bibliometric analysis of research trends,

applications, and implications. Tourism and Hospitality Research, Article 14673584251357510.https://doi.org/10.1177/14673584251357510

Forbes, J. K. (2025). The relationship between higher education faculty’s motivation to report suspected academic dishonesty and likelihood to report. International Journal for Educational Integrity, 21(1), Article 27. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40979-025-00200-y

Huy, D. P. M., Nhu, N. G., & Le, D. N. (2025). A Combine Solution for Online Exams Cheating

Detection, Prediction, and Prevention Using Artificial Intelligence. Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-96-3381-4_51

Ilona, D., Zaitul, u., & Darmayanti, Y. (2025). Academic Dishonesty among Accounting Students During COVID-19: New Evidence from Developing Country. Interdisciplinary Journal of Management Studies, 18(4), 731-750. https://doi.org/10.22059/IJMS.2025.381792.676997

Kalota, F., Boamah, B. F., Allam, H., Schisler, T., & Witty, G. (2025). Beyond Books: Student

Perspectives on Emerging Technologies, Usability, and Ethics in the Library of the Future. Publications, 13(3), Article 32. https://doi.org/10.3390/publications13030032

Kamphorst, B. A., & O'Neill, E. R. H. (2025). Digital recording and the hazards of unbounded moralized judgment. Technology in Society, 82, Article 102779. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2024.102779

Kann, V. (2025). Students' Attitudes Towards Cheating Before and After ChatGPT. Annual Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education, ITiCSE, https://doi.org/10.1145/3724363.3729108

Li, D., Mach, L. T., & Cornelis, G. (2025). Aligning Scientific Values and Research Integrity: A Study of Researchers’ Perceptions and Practices in Four Countries. Science and Engineering Ethics, 31(3), Article 15. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11948-025-00539-y

Li, L., Li, D., Yu, Q., & Liu, X. (2025). Peer ESG controversies and enterprise earnings management. Energy Economics, 149, Article 108736. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eneco.2025.108736

Li, Z., Xue, R., Yong, F., & Zhou, Q. (2025). Does green credit regulation induce managerial opportunistic Behaviour in heavily polluting enterprises? A quasi-natural experiment from China. International Review of Economics and Finance, 103, Article 104520. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iref.2025.104520

Nasho Ah-Pine, E., & Awuye, I. S. (2025). Exploring the trustworthiness of ChatGPT: how students perceive AI reliability in a business school context. Journal of International Education in Business. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIEB-09-2024-0123

Prabhavathy, R., Senthilkumar, S., Paul Arun Kumar, P. A. J., Subathra, K., Ajith, L., Wang, W., & Jinu, R. T. (2025). The Influence of Performance Expectancy, Hedonic Motivation, and Effort Expectancy on Mobile Augmented Reality Habits. Innovative Marketing, 21(2), 156-169. https://doi.org/10.21511/im.21(2).2025.13