A SNAPSHOT VIEW ON ORGANISATIONAL ETHICAL CULTURE: EVIDENCE FROM THE MALAYSIAN PUBLIC SECTOR
Dr Ahmad Fadzli Ahmad Tajuddin
Mohd. Rezaidi Ishak
Mazilan Musa
DOI:
Keywords:
organisational ethical culture, statutory bodies, local authority
Abstract
Ethics is the foundation for an effective and responsible organisation. However, it is significantly noted that only a limited number of literature highlights on the ethical aspect of organisational culture. Thus, the main objective of the paper is to discuss a snapshot view on the organisational ethical culture from the perspective of the Malaysian public sector. Specifically, the research focuses on the organisational differences in commitment to ethical values, practiced values, as well as esteem values. The study employs data gathered using the Integrity Assessment Tool (IAT), an instrument developed by the Malaysian Institute of Integrity to assess the integrity eco-system of an organisation. The sample comprises of 610 respondents from two statutory bodies and one local authority. The methodology uses simple SPSS analyses such as factor analysis, one-way ANOVA procedure, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression. The results suggest that (i) Government agencies differ in their levels of organisational ethical culture, (ii) local authority exhibits highest level of practiced values, commitment and esteem values, and (iii) while organisations are committed to inculcate ethical culture, the practice level does not match the degree of commitment. Finally, the paper concludes by suggesting an effective cultural framework to face the challenges in promoting organisational ethical culture.
References
Abdul Rashid, M.Z., Sambasivam, M., & Johari, J. (2003). The influence of corporate culture and organisational commitment on performantce. Journal of Management Development, 22(8), 708-728.
Adnan. H., Hashim, N., Yusuwan, N.M., & Ahmad, N. (2012). Ethical issues in the construction industry: Contractors’ perspective. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, 35, 719-729.
Ahmad Tajuddin, A.F. & Musa, M. (2018). The relationship between sociodemographic factors and corruption knowledge among Malaysian public servants: An exploratory study. Journal of Governance and Integrity, 1(2), 150-174.
Armstrong, E. (2005). Integrity, Transparency and Accountability in Public Administration: Recent Trends, Regional and International Developments and Emerging Issues. United Nations. Retrieved from http://www.unpan1.un.org.
Coleman, G. (2013). Coding freedom: The ethics and aesthetics of hacking. New Jersey: Princeton University Press.
Filabi, A. & Bulgarella, C. (2018). Organizational culture drives ethical behaviour: Evidence from pilot studies. 2018 OECD Global Anti-Corruption & Integrity Forum. Retrieved from http://www.oecd.org/corruption/integrity-forum/academic-papers/Filabi.pdf.
Szpiro, G.G. (1997). A search for hidden relationship: Data mining with genetic algorithms. Computational Economics, 10, 267-277.
Tabachnick, B.G. & Fidell, L.S. (2007). Using Multivariate Statistics (5th ed.). New York: Allyn and Bacon
Tavakol, M. & Dennick, R. (2011). Making sense of Cronbach’s alpha. International Journal of Medical Education, 2, 53-55.
Toor, S-u-R. & Ofori, G. (2009). Ethical leadership: Examining the relationship with full range leadership model, employee outcome, and organisational culture. Journal of Business Ethics, 90(4), 533-547.
Truxillo, D.M., Bauer, T.N., & Erdogan, B. (2015). Psychology and Work: Perspectives On Industrial and Organizational Psychology. New York: Routledge.
Turilli, M. & Floridi, L. (2009). The ethics of information transparency. Ethics and Information Technology, 11, 105-112.
Vitell, S.J. & Hidalgo, E.R. (2006). The impacts of corporate ethical values and enforcement of their ethical codes on the perceived importance of ethics in business: A comparison of U.S. and Spanish managers. Journal of Business Ethics, 64, 31-43.
