Abstract

Ethical behaviour if not practiced has the ability of reducing organization performance; it may cause disagreements, lawsuits, client dissatisfaction, poor service delivery, poor time management, and corruption among others. Some of the unethical behaviours observable that may affect organizational performance include arrogance, ignorance, neglect, absenteeism, alcohol consumption, smoking, and neglect among others. An organization's ability to bring forth ethical behaviour that goes above and beyond the call of duty can be a key asset and one that is difficult for competitors to imitate. The main objective of the study was to assess the influence of ethical behaviour on organizational performance in the Kenyan Public Health Sector. This was for the purpose of proposing appropriate strategies that could cultivate commitment and compliance among health workers in the sector. The study was based on the Social Learning Theory by Albert Bandura (1977). It posits that people learn from one another, by way of observation, imitation, and modeling. The study was carried out in Baringo District Hospital-Kabarnet, Rift-Valley Province. A mixed approach method was used with a survey research design. It applied a census inquiry on all the staff in the facility and 174 returned their questionnaires. Questionnaires were used for primary data collection. Data analysis was carried out using descriptive statistics and content analysis for ordinal and nominal data, respectively. Data presentation was done using tables, frequencies and percentages. The results showed that neglect, absenteeism, poor time management, corruption, disputes, and dishonest were rife in the sector. It was recommended that training of staff, government support and strict enforcement of the Public Officer Ethics Act (2003) be duly implemented to curb these vices. The office of the Ombudsman should put in place mechanisms that enable clients or patients to report any act of malpractice either via social media or text messages for prompt action.

Key words: Behaviour, ethics, performance, corruption.

Abbreviation

KMTC, Kenya Medical Training College; KACC, Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission; TI, Transparency International.