INFLUENCE OF ETHICAL LEADERSHIP PRACTICES ON GOVERNANCE IN UASIN GISHU COUNTY
Abstract
The creation of county governments under the Kenyan governments was a breakthrough, which was anticipated to water-down the bureaucratic bottlenecks of the central government in terms of resource allocation and utilization. However, reports by the office of the auditor general and EACC indicated that most county governments have not been efficient in terms of hiring of human resource, utilization of funds and observing of chapter six of the constitution on leadership and integrity. This study focused on relationship between ethical leadership practices and County governance in public institutions with specific reference to Uasin Gishu County. The study adopted descriptive survey research design, while the target population comprised of elected and nominated MCAs; Members of County Executive Committees (CECs); Chief Officers; opinion leaders, clergy/church leaders; and members of the public (N=728). For the purpose of key informants, the study targeted Governor, deputy governor, speaker of the county assembly, CECs and county secretary. The sample size was obtained through stratified sampling techniques, purposive sampling and random sampling to form 352 respondents, while Questionnaires were used for data collection. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics and presented using tables and figures. Analysis of data showed that respondents agreed ethical practices (civility, interpersonal role, decision role and informative role) play an essential part in ensuring that government policies and/or directives are implemented to the letter and spirit of the constitution. Moreover, the study established that ethical practices have a significant and positive linear relationship with governance. The study recommended that effective governance can be achieved when public servants are ready to exercise unparallel accountability and transparency standards. Similarly, public servants should prioritize ethical performance by entrenching workplace ethics that promote efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery.
Keywords: Governance, ethics, values, morals, institutions
CITATION: Kosgey, H. K., Ongera, A., & Thuo, M. (2020). Influence of ethical leadership practices on governance in Uasin Gishu County. The Strategic Journal of Business & Change Management, 7(1), 628 – 641.
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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.61426/sjbcm.v7i1.1556
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