SHAPING INTEGRITY AND PERFORMANCE: EXPLORING EMPLOYEE BEHAVIOR, ETHICAL CLIMATE, INCENTIVES, AND ANTI-CORRUPTION MECHANISMS IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR

Abstract

Integrity and performance of public administration are vital for achieving effective, accountable and transparent governance. This research analyses the association between employee behavior, ethical climate, incentive structures and anti-corruption mechanisms influencing outcomes of organizations. Employing Institutional Theory and Ethical Climate Theory, the research uses a mixed-methods design that includes a cross-sectional survey of public sector employees and semi-structured interviews. Regression modelling of quantitative data is used to evaluate the impact of ethical climate and incentives on integrity and performance, together with qualitative insights about the effectiveness perceived in current policy strategies. The study results show that a strong ethical climate is associated with ethical decision-making and service quality; non-financial incentives devised functionally leads to increased motivation without compromising integrity. There are a number of mechanisms that can instill greater ethical behavior, including anti-corruption mechanisms (such as whistleblower protection and transparent monitoring systems) which have been shown to be beneficial. This study provides several contributions to the public administration scholarship by proposing a combinative approach/structure that combines ethics, incentives, and governance mechanisms anti-corruption interventions which permit testing pertaining to these theories in practice and is of direct relevance for policy-makers presenting specific guidelines on how to ensure non-corrupt behavior in order to further positive performance enhancing effects.

Keywords: Employee behavior; ethical climate; incentives; anti-corruption; public sector performance; integrity management.