Overview of misconduct influencing ethical culture in the Local Government Sector Education Training Authority, South Africa

Abstract

Misconduct, in any form, whether corruption, theft, mismanagement of funds, maladministration, non-compliance of rules, etc. may create unethical environment in an organisation. This situation, if not get corrected timely, may have a negative impact on organisational performance as employees may be more inclined to focus on personal gains than working towards realising orgaisational vision. Authors of this article have utilised various official reports to substantiate this statement, and hence avoid a biased approach. The study focuses on the Local Government Sector Education Training Authority (LGSETA), to assess whether there is misconduct that limits the organization’s ability to establish an ethical culture. The study is based on qualitative desktop analysis utilising literature and document reviews to gather information. The findings explore varied ethical challenges and thus discuss measures to combat misconduct in LGSETA. The study recommends the adoption of the Governance Operating Model, suggested by Deloitte (2013) that can assist LGSETA to minimise misconduct by implementing measures to institute and promote an ethical culture.