Moral intensity, moral competence and compliance with the Ugandan Public Procurement Law by procurement personnel: A case of Ugandan Central government PDE’s.

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between moral intensity and moral competence in enhancing compliance with the Ugandan public procurement law by procurement personnel among central government Procuring and Disposing Entities. The study adopted a cross sectional survey design and used correlation and regression analysis to achieve its purpose. The objectives of the study were to; examine the level of moral intensity and moral competence of the Ugandan public procurement personnel, examining the relationship between moral intensity and moral competence of the Ugandan public procurement personnel and examining the predictive potential of moral intensity, moral competence and compliance with the Ugandan public procurement personnel. The study adopted a descriptive and correlation research design. Questionnaires were given out and data was collected from particular respondents from the various Procuring and Disposing Entities at a particular point to provide a description of the various constructs under study. Structured questionnaires served as a primary tool for data collection. The study was both analytical and descriptive and employed correlation and regression analysis to address the objectives of the study and answer the research questions. The study revealed that moral intensity and moral competence were significant predictors of procurement personnel compliance with the Ugandan public procurement law in central government Procuring and Disposing Entities. The study therefore recommends that, Procuring and Disposing Entities need to build moral intensity and moral competence programmes for the existing procurement personnel. Development of moral competence programmes will also go a long way in increasing public procurement personnel moral intensity thus enhancing procurement compliance. Lastly Procurement and Disposing Entities should also recruit procurement personnel who display appropriate moral intensity and moral competence elements.