Whistle-Blowing and Organisational Accountability of Selected Bayelsa State-Owned Universities.

Abstract:

This study focused on examining the nature of whistle blowing as a tool to improve ethical conduct among academic staff at the Selected Bayelsa State owned universities. The act of fraud, corrupt practices, sexual harassment and other negative vices in the human society can be found in the civil service, manufacturing industry, and even in the education sector. Universities have recorded different kinds of fraud at the management level and from lecturers. Two objectives was drawn in this study; 1, to analyze the relationship between internal whistle blowing and organizational accountability at the Selected Bayelsa State owned universities and 2, to identify the relationship between external whistle blowing and organizational accountability at the Selected Bayelsa State owned universities. The population of this study is 296 teaching staff of two selected Bayelsa state owned universities. With the use of Taro Yemane formula, the sample size of this study was calculated as 131 staff of the selected Bayelsa State owned universities. , the descriptive analyses presents that the respondents have a positive view on the importance of whistle blowing to organizational accountability yet they have reservations on the need to engage in it. It was deduced that the internal act of whistle blowing is best for an organization in comparison to external act due to the damage it can cause an organization. One of the recommendations given by the researchers is that, the management of universities should continually stress that the act of whistleblowing should not be for personal gains and interests but to uphold a high level ethical principle that is expected of every staff in an important sector such as the education sector.