Revue internationale des sciences économiques et de gestion

ETHICAL SENSITIVITY, ACADEMIC DISHONESTY AND CAREER GROWTH OF ACADEMIC STAFF IN INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHERLEARNING IN UGANDA

Abstract

Sheila Namagembe , Joseph M. Ntayi

Career growth of academic staff in Uganda is influenced by a number of factors. Some of these factors include ethical sensitivity and academic dishonesty of academic staff. This study attempts to examine the relationship between ethical sensitivity, academic dishonesty and career growth of academic staff in Ugandan institutions of higher learning. Career growth is important because academic staff have to keep on learning in order to meet the demands for the market. The research was based on academic staff in institutions of higher learning in Uganda. A Sample of 300 was taken composed of academic staff in these institutions. Both private and public institutions were considered and priority was given to all the institutions of higher learning in all the regions that are the west, east, central, north and south. A survey questionnaire was used which was adopted from those used by previous scholars and was modified to suit the local setting. A response rate of 73% was achieved. The study established that ethical sensitivity and academic dishonesty explained 65 % of the variation in career growth of academic staff .The results show that ethical sensitivity affects their career growth more than academic dishonesty. According to the results, when academic dishonesty was introduced the beta coeffients for ethical sensitivity dropped from 0.48 to 0.44. These results raise implications to the managers in these institutions of higher learning. This is the first study to document the effect of ethical sensitivity and academic dishonesty on career growth of academic staff in institutions of higher learning in Uganda. Some the academic staff in these institutions have failed to potray good ethical behavior in their profession which has resulted into their dismissal from these institutions. Though some have been dismissed, this has been done on discretional basis because others have been left to stay in these institutions despite the unethical conduct they posses. Institutions have not communicated the ethical code of conduct for the profession and this has left the ball in the hands of the academic analyse the ethical issue and take a position whether ethical or not. Other academic staff have found it hard to analyze the ethical situation due to lack of enough information as regards the ethics of their profession. Academic staff in the institutions put more emphasis on accumulating wealth rather than focusing on career growth. This has made academic staff in the institutions lose or put less emphasis on career growth. Despite the increasing dismissals of academic staff and the increased resistances by academic staff to embark on career growth,, the staff concerned with the administrative issues in the institutions have put no focus on the issues of ethical sensitivity and academic dishonesty which have really acted as a stumbling block for career growth among the academic staff. The results show a correlation among the variables.