This segment of the thesis presents and discusses the recommendations which are made, based on the research questions, findings and the lessons of the study.
9.4.1 Participants’ conceptualisation of ethical leadership
This study has established that school principals have considerable understanding of ethics and ethical leadership. It became clear that there is a close link between the two, as ethics are the building blocks of ethical leadership and knowledge of ethics shapes the leader’s ability to differentiate between right and wrong. Knowledge of ethics forms the essential toolkit for
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ethical leadership, which is underpinned by credibility, honesty, integrity, trustworthiness, compassion, justice and fairness to mention a few. Thus, ethics and ethical leadership are recommended to be the guiding compass for school principals and for the creation of an ethical climate in schools. Further, township school principals need to understand that, through their credible leadership, they directly influence the behaviour of the educators and other employees at school, while at the same time setting a tone for the expected kind of behaviour they wish to inform the school culture (Heres & Lasthuizen, 2010; Engelbrecht, Heine, & Mahembe, 2016).
Therefore, township school principals are recommended to demonstrate integrity to be trusted and to gain confidence of their subordinates. An ethically credible and caring leader is essential in order to be able to influence educators and other employees through ethical forces, which are honesty, trust, consideration and fairness (Ul-Aabdeen, Khan, Khan, Farooq, Salman, &
Rizwan, 2016). The advantage of ethics is that it inculcates trust amongst employees in the organisation, thus creating a positive work climate.
School principals’ “fair and caring treatment and open communication signal trust that subordinates are likely to reciprocate” (Engelbrecht, Heine & Mahembe, 2017, p. 370.) The foregoing is realised because school principals conform to moral principles, which is about understanding the difference between right and wrong. Further, Eranil and Ӧzbilen (2017) state that the creation of a positive working environment harnesses the quality of work done, as it increases employees’ job satisfaction levels. Moreover, the morale and organisational commitment get rekindled due to the positive organisational climate. The significance of fairness in leadership is that employees feel valued and appreciated. When the leader is fair, is also transparent because, when taking decisions, other members need to know how the decision was taken. Fairness and transparency cement the positive relationship between the leader and the follower. In addition, fairness and transparency eliminate the room for unnecessary conflicts and employees avoid infractions that could dilute a positive work climate.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, ethical leadership calls for the school principals to craft codes of ethics and ensure that they communicate them well to the staff members. In the crafting process, they need to involve their subordinates. Eranil and Ӧzbilen (2017) posit that ethical school principals provide the creation of a productive learning environment and are in constant communication with their subordinates, with the view to exchange ideas. They further (Eranil
& Ӧzbilen, 2017) posit that, based on ethical principles in their conduct, ethical school principals treat their staff members with respect and fairly. The only best way through which
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school principals can thwart the risk of unethical behaviours is by providing ethical leadership, safeguarding and promoting moral values. This is significant, as without ethical leadership school’s success and its survival are at stake (Mihelič, Lipičnik, & Tekavčič, 2010).
Likewise, the literature presented in this study showed that it is essential for the leaders to be ethical and demonstrate through their actions the need for the followers to emulate ethical leadership. The literature revealed that the cooperation of employees towards the realisation of the organisational goals is dependent on the leader’s conduct. Eranil and Ӧzbilen (2017) posit that the leader has to make the decisions that are morally right. They further posit that moral decisions strengthen organisational commitment by contributing to the development of ethical values that support truth, honesty, and loyalty within the organisation. This calls for school principals and educators to have a deeper understanding of ethics to be able to appropriately practise ethical leadership. Brown, Trevino and Harrison (2005) posit that school principals need to conduct themselves in an appropriate manner through their actions, interpersonal relationships and promotion of ethical conduct to staff members through communication. Good communication creates solid links between the leaders and subordinates, thus enabling a pleasurable work climate. Effective communication nourishes individual inspiration.
9.4.2 Participants’ promotion of ethical leadership
One of the findings was that most of the participants view ethical leadership as essential and they feel that they have role to play in the promotion of ethical leadership. The post level one educators indicated that they include essential conversations with their learners on ethical conduct and even ensure that their behaviours were worth emulation by their learners. This study supports the notion of spreading ethical standards amongst the learners. It is common knowledge that learned behaviour at a young age is difficult to dislodge. Therefore, it is suggested that ethical leadership is taught to learners while still young so that they grow up having a full understanding of ethics. Mihelič, Lipičnik, and Tekavčič (2010) support the suggestion that ethical leadership values are learnt from watching leaders in action.
However, due to fear of victimisation when pointing out the unethical behaviour that are happening at school their role ends up being limited to promotion of ethical leaders among their learners, mainly by those who are class teachers. Therefore the Department of Education has to create proper platforms where ethical leadership cannot be viewed as the province not only
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for school principals and departmental officials, but all employees of the Department of Education should be afforded with education where they are made aware that not acting against unethical practices is tantamount to being an accomplice.
9.4.3 Promotion of collaborative culture amongst schools
One of the findings of this study was that most participants were excited about the impact of the collaboration among staff members as it cements teamwork, which leads to school effectiveness and to unity among staff members. However, they felt that the scale of collaboration was confined to individual schools. Instead of schools working together, they viewed their neighbouring schools as their competitors and always wanted to out-perform them.
This is evident in some township schools which are separated by a fence, yet their grade 12 academic performance /achievement is so vastly apart. In addition, the learners leave school A, which is not academically well performing, for school B, where learner academic achievements are cherished. It is suggested that to curb competition amongst schools in the same vicinity, the Department of Education has to foster compulsory partnerships or collaboration amongst schools, where those school principals who demonstrate high ethical leadership skills are utilised to mentor school principals of dysfunctional schools.
Furthermore, the Department of Education needs to put emphasis on collaboration among schools, in order to support those school principals who are not performing well and lack ethical culture. PLCs are symptomatic of ubuntu (Department of Education, 2001). Nzimakwe (2014) states that ubuntu is about collectivism and relationships rather than about material things; it thus includes the ownership of opportunities, responsibilities and challenges. In addition, Nzimakwe (2014) states that, in the sphere of work, individual creativity and solidarity of co- operation and common ownership go hand in hand. So, it is suggested that, in schools where dearth of ethical culture appears to be the order of the day, collaboration should be enforced with the view to empower the school principal. In this manner the occurrence of unethical practices in township schools can be reduced significantly.
9.4.4 Inculcate role modelling
Good school principals play a significant role in promoting ethics in their schools though their actions. Ethical school principals know their responsibility for promoting ethical values, fully understand their core values and are courageous to live according to their values in their
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workplaces, in service of the common good. Tyler (2014) states that school leadership has become a daunting challenge for most talented school principals, who are under continuous pressure to achieve high expectations for improved academic improvements, regardless of the contextual factors. Despite multiple challenges in the contexts that principals find themselves in, they are expected to demonstrate leadership that embraces a plethora of moral qualities, including honesty, integrity, reliability, modesty, trustworthiness, respect, conscientiousness and fairness, amongst others (Mohiuddin & Hossain, 2016). In addition, school principals are expected to provide their staff members vision, motivation, inspiration, transparency, trust, ethical standards and intellectual stimulation to realise organisational goals (Yozgat &
Mesekiran, 2016).Yet school principals have to deal with a substantial decrease in resources and funding that hinders their focus in meeting the expectations of the community they are serving. Therefore, there should be incentives for quality performance to motivate ethical leaders and infractions should be sanctioned severely.
When the pressure of soliciting funds and replenishing the school resources are lifted from the school principals, they can make a meaningful focus on the promotion of ethical standards through modelling the behaviour. It suggests that the Department of Education needs to support school principals with the provision of adequate resources, as they are faced with new challenges of balancing local, national, and global norms and moral as well as ethical values in the process of education (Gluchmanova, 2015). The literature explored in Chapter Two revealed that there is a clear indication that ethical standards in schools are compromised by unethical role modelling of some school principals, as educators often emulate the behaviour of their principal at school (Sing & Twalo, 2015). Weaver (2007) correctly states that there is a need for the role modelling of ethical behaviour by school principals, since most lessons are learnt by observing and imitating role models (Kreitner & Kinicki, 2008). It is also worth noting Bandura’s (1977) claim that leaders influence their subordinates through modelling and that employees learn their ways by observing their leader’s behaviour and its consequences. Sadly, even unethical behaviour of the leader can be emulated, resulting in unethical workplace. This study has established that ethical leaders allow their subordinates to contribute their idea in the decision-making processes and listen to their ideas and concerns. The study further suggests that, when employees are included in the decision making, they respect and trust their leader and such behaviour is reciprocated.
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9.4.5 Foster partnerships with universities for ethics training
This study has noted the dearth or inadequacy of in-service training with respect to ethical leadership. Most participants felt that there was not enough effort dedicated to enhancing ethical leadership amongst school principals, in particular. Despite the view that the human species is not naturally unethical, but temptation engulfs them, therefore there is a need to provide intense in-service training for those who are already in the trenches. Pushpa (2012) stresses the significance of creating leaders for an organisation’s sustainable future by providing ethics education to future leaders (in this case, students). Some scholars are in agreement that in-service training sometimes cannot change the behaviour of unethical person.
Kocabas and Karakose (2009) posit that training and code of ethics, on their own, cannot guarantee ethical practice for the challenges faced by township schools. However, they note that in-service training can have some positive impact since it can stop people from doing something unethical, since it is then known by everyone that an act is unethical. Moreover, fear of being caught and the consequences thereof can positively turn around behaviour.
Based on the foregoing, the study recommends that in-service training should be prioritised and be done continuously so that is internalised by all employees. Another concern that the literature revealed regarding ethics training was the question of whose ethics should be thought at the universities or institutions of higher learning (African or Western values, for example). Since the majority of scholars agree on what constitutes ethics or moral principles, curriculum on ethics training should be crafted on the bases of those principles which I have highlighted in the previous discussion. The literature reviewed also established that sometimes employees engage in unethical activities because they could not see anything wrong with their actions.
Gilson (2005) acknowledges that the average person is not grossly unethical, but often tempted and sometimes confused by what appears to be a virtuous path. Therefore, this study suggests that, if ethical leadership is to be promoted and any unnecessary infractions in the school thwarted, all the employees are bound to clearly know those ethical standards of an organisation that can make them recognise the wrongdoing and act on it.
In order to mitigate the risk of employees engaging in unethical practices and claiming that the issues are blurred, making unclear where there was misconduct in their action, ethics education can become the best solution, as all key elements of unethical behaviours will be unpacked.
Ethics training/ education needs to encompass a code of ethics and formulation of the school vision. Some township school principals, instead of formulating their own codes of ethics and