Ubuntu and the Perceptions of Unethical Leader Conduct: A Case Study of Public Secondary School Leaders in Kenya

Abstract

<p style="text-align: justify;">This paper extends and complements previous research on unethical leader behavior by examining the social and cultural perspectives that inform the understanding of objectional conduct among secondary school leaders in Kenya. The study used a social constructivist theoretical framework, and qualitative case study, and semi-structured interviews with school boards of governors, principals, and heads of department and school bursars. The findings revealed that cultural beliefs underpinned by the ubuntu ethic informed the school leaders' perceptions of unethical leadership behavior in the Kenyan secondary school contexts. Four sub-themes highlight acts that contradict the ubuntu values of altruism, humanness, care, and solidarity. They include disregard for community interests, neglect of care for one's kin, disregard for harmony, and elders' respect. The study concluded that western universal perspectives and definitions could not solely be relied upon to describe unethical leadership behavior in schools in non-Euro western contexts. The study contributes to the literature on unethical and ethical leadership by proposing a potential benefit in recognizing and incorporating non-western perspectives in exploring and defining the unethical leadership construct.</p>

Unethical leadership behaviour in Algerian public organizations: unravelling social and organizational factors

“…In spite of the importance of the social and organizational factors in moulding the behaviour of leaders (Oduol, 2021), there is a paucity of evidence on their role in countries where the rule of law is fragile, corruption ratios are high and the cultural settings are unmapped. Although several studies have been carried out on factors that elicit unethical leadership behaviour (Braun et al, 2018;Eisenbeiß and Brodbeck, 2014;Hassan, 2019; Laš akov a and Remišov a, 2017), research has largely been restricted to Western contexts.…”

“…Previous research findings on the antecedents of unethical leadership behaviour can be boiled down into three types: individuals characteristics and traits of leaders, characteristics of followers and situational characteristics that are related to the organizational environment. However, most conceptual and empirical evidence on the factors that elicit unethical leadership behaviour are predominantly based on findings from Western countries; knowledge on the different accounts of unethical leadership in the African context is still preliminary (Oduol, 2021). Previous research on the issue of unethical leadership behaviour points out to the interplay between the characteristics of leaders, followers and the situational environment in understanding the antecedents of leaders' unethical and immoral practices.…”

School principals’ experiences of ethical leadership during times of accountability : complexities, dilemmas and dynamics.

“…Further, the article suggests that in media circles in Botswana, there are many stories of moral decay and the erosion of ethical leadership practices by school principals. Such damning evidence is also supported by the findings from Kenyan secondary schools which reveal that ethical malpractices were common among school leaders (Oduol, 2021). Also, correlational research conducted from a sample of 120 school principals drawn from a population of 275 by Karen and Udemeh (2021) in Rivers…”

“…As earlier echoed by Mohale (2018) in the excerpt in the introduction, the absence of ethical leadership paralyses many aspects of school leadership, including accountability. I believe that such a premise is possible because unethical leadership practices by a school principal adversely affect educators, School Management Team (SMT), School Governing Body (SGB), learners, and other stakeholders in education because it creates an environment that is not conducive for school functionality (Oduol, 2021).…”

“…In agreement with these narratives from Botswana, an article from Zambia by Mwela and Mulenga-Hagane (2020) mentions a number of reported cases of unprofessional conduct by educators as being rife, and as a result, some educators including school principals, end up being dismissed due their unethical conduct. Also, findings by Oduol (2021), obtained from Kenyan schools, suggest that unethical behaviour is common among school principals, which ultimately, harms individual relationships with other stakeholders, and organisations. In Uganda, Mugizi et al (2019) proclaim that poor performance by teachers, including school principals, as well as late reporting for duty and not executing their professional duties, are common ethical lapses among teachers and school principals.…”