THE IMPACT OF ORGANIZATIONAL DEPARTMENT AND WORK EXPERIENCE ON UNETHICAL BEHAVIOR: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF NIGERIAN WORKPLACES
Keywords:
Business ethics, Nigerian workplaces, Organizational departments, Quantitative analysis, Unethical behavior.Abstract
Unethical behavior, including actions that violate organizational ethics and legal standards,
poses significant risks to organizational performance and reputation and needs to be well
managed. This study investigates how organizational departments influence unethical behavior
among employees in Nigerian workplaces. It also examines the moderating effect of work
experience on these relationships. Data were collected from 2,623 employees across various
departments in organizations, and the analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics, oneway ANOVA, and regression analysis. The findings reveal a significant difference in unethical
behavior across departments, with employees in Medical Services, finance, sales, and Academics
reporting higher levels of unethical behavior than those in General Administration and Others. It
also revealed that employees with more work experience exhibited stronger resistance to
unethical pressures, particularly in departments like Finance and Medical Services. ANOVA and
regression analyses confirmed significant differences in unethical behavior across departments
with work experience as a significant moderator. The results suggest that certain departments
may face more ethical challenges than others, necessitating targeted ethics training and
intervention programs. It also emphasizes the importance of tailoring ethical policies and
training to department-specific needs and challenges. This study offers actionable insights for
policymakers and managers aiming to foster ethical practices tailored to specific departmental
and experiential contexts.
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