Whistle-blowing intentions and behaviour in Ugandan public procurement
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Date
2018
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Journal of Public Procurement
Abstract
This study aims to investigate the whistle-blowing behaviour in Ugandan public procurement
by using whistle-blowing supporting institutions, procuring and disposing entity (PDE) ethical climate and
whistle-blowing expectancy.
Design/methodology/approach – A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted using a sample
of 118 drawn from a population of 179 central government (PDEs). Data were collected using selfadministered
questionnaires, resulting in 222 usable questionnaires from 70 PDEs, representing a response
rate of 62.71 per cent.
Findings – The results reveal that the whistle-blowing supporting institutions and PDE ethical climate are
significant predictors of whistle-blowing intentions and behaviour, accounting for 30.2 per cent of the
variance. The authors therefore recommend that whistle-blowing supporting institutions, like the Whistle
Blowers Protection Act, should be reviewed and strengthened to promote whistle-blowing intentions and
behaviour. This could be done through reviewing the Act to make it enforceable, giving power to the whistleblowers,
strengthening policies, developing safeguards against retaliation by making every chief executive
officer in the public sector accountable, increasing whistle-blowing incentives and providing whistle-blowing
hotlines for anonymous whistle-blowers. PDEs should also create conducive ethical climates that encourage
people to voice their concerns internally or externally, and ethical committees should be established within
PDEs and other bodies such as the Inspector General of Government for ensuring that whistle-blowing
systems are in place and promoted. There is a need to increase whistle-blowing expectancy through the
effective handling of reported cases to their conclusion and the use of role models.
Description
Keywords
Whistle blowing
Citation
Tumuramye, B., Ntayi, J. M., & Muhwezi, M. (2018). Whistle-blowing intentions and behaviour in Ugandan public procurement. Journal of Public Procurement.