Browsing by Author "Mbago, Musa"

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Compliance to Acts, Rules and Regulations: Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa
    (Journal of Public Procurement, 2016) Mbago, Musa; Ntayi, Joseph M.; Muhwezi, Moses
    The purpose of the study is to develop and test an integrated compliance model using constructs derived from the legitimacy, deterrence, institutional and stewardship theories. A Cross-sectional survey design was used to collect data from a sample of 97 out of the population of 129 Procuring and Disposing Entities which are regulated by the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Authority Act (PPDA). Measurement items were derived from a critical review of literature and found to be both valid and reliable with Cronbach Alpha coefficient of 0.7. The findings reveal that legitimacy and stewardship behavior are significant predictors of compliance to the PPDA Act, Rules and Regulations. We therefore recommend that Procuring and Disposing Entities should continue legitimizing the procurement law through involvement of all stakeholders and promote stewardship behaviors among public employees.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Does legitimacy matter in whistleblowing intentions?
    (International Journal of Law and Management, 2018) Mbago, Musa; Ntayi, Joseph; Mutebi, Henry
    Despite the introduction of Whistleblowers Act in 2010 to create an enabling environment for Ugandan citizens to freely disclose information on unethical practices or improper conduct in the public and private sectors, the percentage of people reporting unethical practices continue to be small. The Afro Barometer survey of 2015 reveals that out of the 2400 respondents surveyed in the public sector, only 6% reported unethical incidents in the public sector to government officials or people in authority while the remaining 94% remained morally mute. This is consistent with the results of the Economic Policy Research Center (2009) which rated Uganda low on the reporting of unethical practices. This finding is corroborated by the Inspectorate of Government which reports having received only 1,000 complaints from the public in 2014 (The Observer, 2014). These revelations could be attributed to legitimacy challenges which often result in retaliatory actions such as firing, blacklisting, threats, harassment, physical violence and verbal abuse, transfer, dismissal and humiliation of whistleblowers. There are a number of reports which support retaliatory practices in public procurement. According to “The 3rd Public Procurement Integrity Survey Report of (2016), 9.9% of the respondents indicated that they chose to keep quiet about the misdeeds of the public officials because of fear of victimization as the wrongdoers command high social status in the public sector. Cases supporting this conduct include; a whistleblower who lost his job in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) after reporting a procurement related scam. The identity of the whistleblower was revealed resulting in malice and personal vendetta.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Gender, family background, cynicism and ethical sensitivity of future procurement professionals in a developing country context: evidence from Ugandan universities
    (International Journal of Ethics and Systems, 2023) Tukamuhabwa, Benjamin R.; Mbago, Musa; Mutebi, Henry; Kyoshabire, Mercy
    Some scholars argue that ethical awareness increases alongside work experience,whereas others agree that ethics education shapes ethical awareness and that cheating in college predicts unethical behaviour in subsequent professional environment. The purpose of this paper is therefore to investigate the level and antecedents of ethical sensitivity of future procurement professionals. Design/methodology/approach – An exploratory descriptive survey of a sample of 303 final year procurement students from the two largest public Universities in Uganda was conducted. Using Statistical Package for (SPSS) and Amos Version 27, data were analysed by using means, standard deviations, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses and correlation analysis. Findings – The study revealed that future procurement professionals exhibit low levels of ethical sensitivity. However, contrary to the general observations from the extant literature, gender and family background of students do not determine both ethical sensitivity and cynicism. Moreover, this study establishes that cynicism is positively associated with instances that depict low ethical sensitivity. Research limitations/implications – This paper contributes to providing an empirical understanding of the derivation of unethical behaviour in procurement practice. Grounded in Aristotle’s organic theory of state and moral habituation, this argues that future procurement professionals posses natural proclivities that trigger their social instincts and membership to multiple associations in actualising their innate potential for ethical behaviour. This supports the notion that humans are potentially virtuous, whereby morality is learned, imitated, emerges and perfects through repetitive actions and is therefore incremental. Practical implications – The findings mirror what prevails in practice in Uganda, where procurement practitioners have been implicated in unethical practices regardless of their gender and family background. This signals that managers should not recruit or deploy procurement personnel based on gender or family background. Originality/value – While research on ethical sensitivity of students has been focussed on other disciplines such as accounting, nursing and other business studies, this paper focusses on ethical sensitivity of procurement students aspiring to join a professional environment that is severely marred with unethical practices. Further, Aristotle’s moral habituation and organic theory of state invoked in this study underline the synergies of both nature and nurturing in inculcating ethicality in procurement professionals.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Implementing reverse logistics practices in the supply chain: a case study analysis of recycling firms
    (Emerald, 2025-05-06) Mbago, Musa; Ntayi, Joseph M.; Mkansi, Marcia; Namagembe, Sheila; Tukamuhabwa, Benjamin R.; Mwelu, Noah
    Purpose The global focus on supply chain efficiency underscores the importance of frameworks like the Supply Chain Operations Reference model, which integrates reverse logistics (RL) into supply chain management. This study explores the understanding of RL among recycling firms, key drivers behind its practices, implementation effectiveness and RL success factors in developing economies. Design/methodology/approach Using a phenomenological philosophy and a qualitative multiple case study approach, the research examines leading recycling firms in East Africa, particularly in Uganda. Semi-structured interviews with practitioners yielded contextual insights analyzed through thematic and cross-case analysis to uncover key themes and patterns. Findings RL emerges as a multidimensional process and strategic initiative aimed at environmental and operational goals. Key drivers include environmental concerns, economic incentives, regulatory pressures and technological advancements. The implementation of RL necessitates a holistic approach that encompasses material collection, product recovery and discard. The findings emphasize that successful RL implementation relies on management commitment, strategic partnerships, technological investments, and collaboration with stakeholders. Moreover, community engagement and skilled personnel, continuous adaptation and cost management are crucial for sustaining RL operations. Research limitations/implications The study’s focus on Uganda’s plastics and paper recycling sectors may limit generalizability, warranting further research in diverse contexts. Originality/value This study enriches the limited knowledge of RL in developing economies, offering actionable insights for firms and policymakers to enhance reverse supply chains and foster a supportive regulatory environment for sustainable logistics practices such as RL.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Small and medium enterprise agro-processing firms supply chain performance: the role of owner-manager’s managerial competencies, information sharing and information quality
    (Emerald, 2023-11-15) Namagembe, Sheila; Mbago, Musa
    Purpose The study examined the influence of small and medium enterprise (SME) owner-managers' managerial competencies on supply chain performance, the mediation role of information quality on the SME owner-managers' managerial competencies and supply chain performance relationship, the mediating role of information quality on the information sharing and supply chain performance relationship and the mediating role of both information sharing and information quality on SME owner-managers' managerial competences and supply chain performance relationship. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from SME agro-processing firms. The determined sample size for the agro-processing firms was 200, while an effective sample size of 177 was obtained. The Covariance Structural Equation Modelling software was used to obtain results on the influence of SME owner-managers' managerial competencies on supply chain performance, the mediation role of information quality on the SME owner-managers' managerial competencies and supply chain performance relationship, the mediating role of information quality on the information sharing and supply chain performance relationship and the mediating role of both information sharing and information quality on SME owner-managers' managerial competences and supply chain performance relationship. Findings Findings indicated that a positive significant influence of SME owner-managers' managerial competencies on supply chain performance and the presence of partial mediation effects when the mediating role of information quality in the SME owner-managers' managerial competencies and supply chain performance relationship and the information sharing and supply chain performance relationship is tested. Also, a partial mediating role of information sharing and information quality is obtained in the SME owner-managers' managerial competencies and supply chain performance relationship. Research limitations/implications The study mainly focused on SME agro-processing firms eliminating other SME manufacturing firms. Also, the research employed a wholistic approach when studying the SME agro-processing firms without focusing on how SME owner-managers' managerial competencies would affect information sharing, information quality and supply chain performance based on the market type (local or foreign) and the source of raw materials (local or foreign) and the impact of information sharing on information quality hasn't been given significant attention in the existing literature. Originality/value The research focused on the mediation role of quality of information shared by SME owner-managers in the relationship between information sharing and supply chain performance, the mediating role of information quality in the SME owner-managers' managerial competencies and supply chain performance and the mediating role of both SME owner-manager's information sharing and quality of information shared in the relationship between SME owner-managers' managerial competences and supply chain performance. These mediation effects haven't been given significant attention in previous research. Further, while information sharing and information quality have been studied, they have been studied at a supply chain level, not at a managerial level.