THE WORK ETHICS OF PUBLIC SERVANTS IN CHOLE WOREDA HEALTH OFFICE, EAST ARSI ZONE, OROMIA NATIONAL REGIONAL STATE

Abstract

Ethics is identified by the Ethiopian government as one of the areas requiring attention and is made an integral part of the ongoing Civil Service Reform Program. Work ethics is a necessary point in the proper and ethical way of implementing the responsibilities and services to be given as expected to satisfy customers in the work place. This study aims to assess the Work Ethics of Public Servants in Chole woreda Health Office, East Arsi Zone. The study used qualitative research method and purposive sampling technique. Primary qualitative data were collected by employing in-depth interviews, observation, document reviews and focus group discussions to generate data from participants of the study that comprised Chole woreda health office head, work process owners in the sector, public servants of chole woreda health office, experts, public servants and service takers in the Chole Woreda Health Office. The qualitative data were analyzed using thematic data analysis. The major findings of the study show that leadership, organizational structure, controlling system, recruitment selection problem and training were factors affecting employee work ethics. That is, factors related to leadership attitude towards employee work ethics, lack of attention and lack of commitment towards its support and follow up. The other factors are related to public servants that comprised lack of willingness towards following work and professional ethics, lack of full commitment for work and profession, being late to come and go out early even called locally as (4:9) entering at four o’clock and going out of office at nine o’clock. Most of the time, public servants in the interview complained the mismatch between salary and working hours, there existed clearly lack of work ethics in which fundamental changes were not yet realized. It is also found out that there were problems in the weak implementation and enforcement of the work ethics in the work place followed by absence of strong institutions, poor accountability system, poor remuneration and politicization of the public service. The other findings of the study revealed that the issue of work ethics in the Chole Woreda Health Office lack sound practice in which there were public servants including professionals of health that were unpunctual in their work place and time. As a result, customers that came for health services were complaining for the absence of good governance and lack of control and responsibilities. For instance, it was difficult to get sector head himself and work process owners at his office at the regular time to tell their grievance than occupied by meeting by woreda administration and its sector heads. Likewise, as far as work ethics of public servants and even professionals were concerned, there existed lack of fully discharging their responsibilities or than committing corruption or misuse of public power in taking bribes, nepotism and embezzlement in the employment and career development. The problems for all these were lack of strict rules and regulations to be applied in the sector. The consequences were acting unethically in using public power for private purpose and as a result, still the people of the Woreda were keeping the unethical records of each public sector servants and professionals by naming and shaming. By the same token, the issues of ethical public service principles were not more than written on the paper than being implemented practically by experts and public servants that starts from punctuality to commitment for the public based service delivery. The study recommends the Chole Woreda Administration and Health Office should give due attention to implement the true nature of work ethos or ethics practically and take corrective measures on those who act unethically. Therefore, the study recommends organization administrator be supposed to involve employees in key decision making and create a relationship where employees can be open and free, management should support the employees and work together with employees in ensuring the procedures, code of conduct and processes are well understood and followed.