Ethical leadership and dilemmas of School Administrators

 JOSHUA M. RANGCAPAN, MBA

Abstract 

This paper explores the moral pillars that guide School Administrators in School-Based Management in the Philippines. It also presents ethical dilemmas faced by School Administrators in the public sector. It contemplates morality, considering the challenges schools encounter in cultivating justice and fairness in dealing with various stakeholders and resource management.

Keywords: Accountability, Leadership and Governance, Moral Responsibility, Ethical Leadership 

Introduction

Schools play a crucial role in shaping the future of the Philippines by providing quality education to millions of students. However, the Department of Education, like any organization, faces various moral challenges that affect the education system’s integrity, effectiveness, and fairness. With this, Republic Act No. 6713 establishes a code of conduct and ethical standards for public officials and employees to uphold the time-honoured principle of public office being a public trust,  granting incentives and rewards for exemplary service, enumerating prohibited acts and transactions, and providing penalties for violations thereof and for other purposes.

Ethical Dilemmas Faced by School Administrators

Republic Act No. 9155 (Governance of Basic Education Act of 2001) directed School Administrators to a decentralized school management system. This law provided them the autonomy to manage administrative and instructional supervision within their school of governance. School Administrators in the public sector are comprised of a School Head and one (or more) Administrative Officers.

School Administrators perform a pivotal function in the management of educational institutions. As an Administrative Officer, we often encounter ethical dilemmas – situations where we must choose between conflicting moral principles. These dilemmas can involve decision–making on issues related to fairness, accountability, discipline, and resource allocation.

According to Baron, J. V. & Bello, B. T. (2022), moral issues can be faced in decision-making, conflicting interests, and engagement in inappropriate behaviour. Mortari, L. & Tomba, B. (2019) identified three essential perspectives – psychological, political, and ethical. Republic Act No. 6713 also enumerated prohibited acts and transactions.

·         Financial and material interest. Suppose school administrators deliberately use government funds for their benefit, resulting in mismanaged projects or unimplemented procurement plans. In that case, this kind of act ends up as a serious ethical and moral issue. RA 6713 strictly mandates that public officials and employees shall not, directly or indirectly, have any financial or material interest in any transaction requiring the approval of their office. Schools are meant to be institutions of learning and character formation. When this kind of corruption is exposed, it damages the school’s reputation, eroding trust among students, parents, and the community. Corruption among School Administrators is an immoral act that harms the welfare of students, teachers, and society. Schools should be a place of character development, not centres of dishonesty and greed. Ethical Leadership, transparency, and strict reinforcement of anti-corruption laws are necessary to restore integrity in the education system. By eliminating corruption, schools can fulfil their true purpose: providing quality education and shaping responsible, morally upright citizens.

·         Solicitation or acceptance of gifts. While resources (financial and non-monetary) that were provided voluntarily by stakeholders, e.g., Private Corporations, Alumni, Balik-Bayans, Private Individuals, etc., for school improvement and raising funds do not pose a moral concern as long as it does not violate the provision of Section 7(d) of RA 6713, “Public officials and employees shall not solicit or accept, directly or indirectly, any gift, gratuity, favour, entertainment, loan or anything of monetary value from any person in the course of their official duties or in connection with any operation being regulated by, or any transaction which may be affected by the functions of their office.”

An ethical issue arises if School Administrators accept gifts, cash or in-kind, solely for their benefit, which compromises the integrity of the organization. Bribery in schools can take many forms, such as accepting gifts in exchange for admissions, grades, promotions, or contracts. This unethical practice is a betrayal of public trust and has serious moral, legal, and social implications. When bribery influences decisions in school management, e.g., hiring unqualified teachers, admitting students who do not meet academic standards, and awarding contracts to incompetent suppliers – education quality suffers. Students may graduate without the necessary skills and knowledge, leading to long-term negative consequences for society. Sub-standard supplies or materials, e.g., learners’ chairs and desks, ICT equipment, etc., provided by incompetent suppliers may directly or indirectly affect the overall productivity of the school operations.

·         Disclosure and/or misuse of confidential information. In the field of education, the most important foundation is trust in building a safe and nurturing environment. School Administrators as Leaders are expected to uphold the highest standards of ethics and professionalism. The protection of confidentiality of information entrusted to them is one of their key responsibilities. Any misuse of such information is not only unprofessional but it is immoral. Confidential information in schools may include medical and student records, disciplinary reports, personal matters involving learners and/or teachers, and sensitive communications. This data is shared with administrators under the assumption that it will be handled with utmost due diligence and integrity. When administrators breach this trust – whether through carelessness, gossip, or intentional misuse, a moral dilemma arises.

Such immoral acts can have serious consequences, such as emotional harm to students, creating conflict among the staff, damage to the reputation of the organization, and even lead to legal action under RA 10173. The Data Privacy Act of 2012 protects the rights of individuals over their personal information. There will be administrative and legal penalties for School Administrators who misuse or disclose confidential data. The commission of this act is a grave ethical and moral offence, for it destroys trust, violates professional standards, and results in significant harm to individuals and to the organization as well. As educators and leaders, administrators must serve as models of confidentiality and integrity, ensuring that the school remains a place of respect, justice, and safety for all.

The Pivotal Role of Normative Morality in Ethical Leadership

Normative morality is a code of conduct that would be accepted by all rational people under certain idealized conditions. According to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (n.d.), normatively refers to a code of conduct that, given specified conditions, would be endorsed by all rational people. In the context of School Administration, normative morality plays a foundational role in shaping decisions, policies, and leadership practices. It ensures that school administrators act not only by rules but also in line with ethical standards that promote fairness, justice, and the well-being of all stakeholders – learners, teachers, parents, and the community.

·         Republic Act No. 6713. An act establishing a code of conduct and ethical standards for public officials and employees, to uphold the time-honoured principle of public office being a public trust,  granting incentives and rewards for exemplary service, enumerating prohibited acts and transactions and providing penalties for violations thereof, and for other purposes. School administrators regularly face decisions that impact people’s lives – from learners’ discipline to budget allocation.

·         The Department of Education’s Core Values. A morally upright school administrator integrates these values into every aspect of school governance. This includes ensuring inclusive education, respect for teachers’ rights, promoting environmental awareness, and nurturing students’ sense of patriotism & community responsibility. Normative morality closely aligns with DepEd core values: (1) Maka-Diyos – God-fearing; (2) Maka-Tao – Respect for others; (3) Makakalikasan – Respect for the environment; and (4) Makabansa – Love for the nation.

Relevant Laws and Memorandums/Orders in School Administration

·         Republic Act No. 3019. An act establishing anti-graft and corruption practices.

·         Republic Act No. 10173. An act protecting individual personal information in information and communications systems in the government and the private sector, creating for this purpose a national privacy commission, and for other purposes.

·         DepEd Order No. 83, s. 2012. Implementing Guidelines on the Revised School-Based Management (SBM) Framework, Assessment Process and Tool (APAT).

·         DepEd Order No. 77, s. 2022. Creation of Anti-Corruption Committees in the Central, Regional, and Schools Division Offices of the Department of Education.

·         DepEd Memorandum No. 061, s. 2024. Reiteration of fair and transparent bidding process and warning against corrupt practices.

Conclusion

Ethical leadership is at the core of effective School-based Administration. Leaders must have integrity, fairness, and a strong sense of moral responsibility. In schools, ethical leaders are not just managers – they are role models who shape values, inspire trust, and ensure that all decisions are aligned with the core purpose of education: to develop learners who are academically competent and morally upright. By leading with integrity and moral purpose, School Administrators can transform schools into pillars of both education and ethical-centered institutions.

References

Baron, J. V. & Bello, B. T. (2022). Ethical Dilemmas of School Administrators: The Case of Buayan District, Division of General Santos City. Global Scientific Journal. 10(4). Retrieved from https://www.globalscientificjournal.com/researchpaper/

Department of Education. (2012). DepEd Order No. 83, s. 2012. Implementing Guidelines on the Revised School-Based Management (SBM) Framework, Assessment Process and Tool (APAT). Retrieved from https://www.deped.gov.ph

Department of Education. (2022). DepEd Order No. 77, s. 2022. Creation of Anti-Corruption Committees in the Central, Regional, and Schools Division Offices of the Department of Education. Retrieved from https://www.deped.gov.ph

Department of Education. (2024). DepEd Memorandum No. 061, s. 2024. Reiteration of fair and transparent bidding process and warning against corrupt practices. Retrieved from https://www.deped.gov.ph

Mortari, L. & Tomba, B. (2019). The Moral Dilemma of Italian Principals. New Trends and Issues Proceedings on Humanities and Social Sciences. 6(7):12-18. https://doi.org/ 10.18844/prosoc.v6i7.4505

Republic Act No. 6713. (1989). Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees. Retrieved from https://elibrary.judiciary.gov.ph

Republic Act No. 9155. (2001). Governance of Basic Education Act of 2001. Retrieved from https://elibrary.judiciary.gov.ph

Republic Act No. 10173. (2012). Data Privacy Act of 2012. Retrieved from https://privacy.gov.ph/data-privacy-act

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. (n.d.). The Definition of Morality. Retrieved from https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/morality-definition/

 

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Recruitment and Selection Issues in the Public Sector: A personal experience

 Diocell R. Togas

Department of Education-Schools Division of Ilocos Sur

ABSTRACT: This research sought to review and discuss to better understand the current discussion on recruitment and selection-related issues within the public sector. By addressing this topic, possible solutions and recommendations will be given as it may help in solving those issues. The purpose of this research is to further explore recruitment for a better selection of public servants. The significance of this paper is that government entities can benefit from the overall application of new recruitment methods suggested through previous research. Finally, this paper adds to the continuing discussion on recruitment as an important topic among researchers and those within public sector organizations, especially those within the human resource management field.

Keywords: Ethics, Public Sector, Recruitment and Selection Issues, unethical.

Introduction

According to Bratton and Gold (2007), recruitment is the process of generating a pool of capable people to apply to an organization for employment, while Selection is the process by which managers and others use specific instruments to choose from a pool of applicants the person(s) most likely to succeed in the job(s), given management and organizational goals and legal requirements. Recruitment and selection therefore primarily aim at attracting the maximum number of highly talented applicants to enable selection of the best candidates that will help the organization achieve competitiveness. According to Gommans and Musumbu (2014) in research on the role of ethical practice in recruitment in improving the performance of an institution, initiation to ethical or unethical conduct within an organization starts at the recruitment and selection stage and sets the stage for ethical or unethical conduct which finally affects an organization’s performance as witnessed by the police service. It is important to not only follow ethical practices during hiring but to also hire employees who are ethical and value-driven.

Who wants to work for the government? An article written by Lewis and Frank (2002), pointed out that in an era when everyone wants to be a millionaire, governments struggle to attract and retain highly qualified employees, making it more important than ever to understand what attracts people to public service. Job security may still be the strongest attraction of government jobs, but high income and an opportunity to be useful in society also attract. In addition, past recruitment strategies used in government were impediments towards attracting and retaining the "best and the brightest" (Lavigna & Hays, 2004). Some of these issues involved slow bureaucratic recruitment processes, non-competitive wages and narrow job descriptions (Lavigna & Hays, 2004). With an ever-changing society, the need for diversity, inclusivity and the hiring of the most talented people, the public sector needs to step and think of many ways that can benefit from reviewing and transforming its recruitment strategies to better service delivery and customer service practices.

     This article tries to put forward some issues of recruitment and selection in the public sector.      Many other authors have written about the current concern but lack of clarity on the issues that are encountered by many public government employees.  This article is written based more on personal experience than a literature review.

Recruitment and Selection Issues

            Recruitment and selection issues in the Philippine government are complex and complicated. It is hard to be hired and enter the public sector. There are various reasons why some are hesitant to enter and work for the government. Some reasons may be due to low salaries for entry-level, a lot of requirements, inconsistent recruitment and selection process, delays, politicization, nepotism and patronage, lengthy and bureaucratic processes, transparency and accountability.

Nepotism and patronage     

            Nepotism and patronage a practices in which positions are awarded based on connections rather than merit. Positions are given to relatives, normally in the form of employment opportunities, which is a pervasive problem in public sector employment around the world (OECD, 2014). It is extremely toxic in the public sector because people generally anticipate that public employees deserve their jobs, irrespective of whether they are hired through merit-based criteria or not (Fisman and Golden, 2017).  Favouring family members in the workplace has been a significant problem in the Philippines, particularly in government agencies where nepotism is prevalent. This goes against the Civil Service Commission's (CSC) rule that disapproves of political appointees of family members in GOCCs who are within a third degree of consanguinity or affinity in the national, provincial, city, and municipal civil service (Civil Service Commission, 2018).

            Nepotism allows more unqualified individuals than qualified ones. Selection policy which has been written in Civil Service Commission regulation are not being followed because decisions are left to individuals who are in the position. Those practices may influence people’s career choices and can have negative outcomes that deter talented people from entering the public sector. It is unfair for someone who is striving for career growth, education and training when the selection board selects someone they know. It appears that an application is useless when one does not have any connections or family members who are holding positions.

            The "padrino system," the Philippine equivalent of the patronage system, undermines merit and provides nepotism throughout the nation. In addition to undermining public trust, these long-standing practices give new hires a sense of insecurity as they enter the workforce and fear being shut out by incumbents. (Agaton, 2024).

Lengthy application process because of bureaucracy

            Silzer (2010) says that selection is a process of finding and hiring the best and most qualified candidate for a job opening in a timely and cost-effective manner. Devi and Comi (2018) define selection as a process of putting the right person on the right job. It is a procedure of matching organizational requirements with the skills and qualifications of people. That is the main purpose of selection, recruitment, and promotion of employees (Tucker (2010). Selection and promotion should be based on merit, fitness, and equality.

Based on personal experience, the hiring process is very slow, taking several months or even years to fill up a vacant position and this is common in the Philippines, particularly in the government sector. Long waiting times between job interviews and poor communication can make candidates lose their patience and opt for another offer. As a result, applicants are forced to search for other job opportunities while waiting.

            The environmental dynamics such as globalization, economic competition, social and political upheavals, technological change, the threat of terrorism, and a quickly changing labour market, force the government to respond effectively and one of the answers lies in the recruitment and retention abilities (Lavigna & Hays, 2004). Selecting competent applicants can make public sector employees effective and competent in performing their jobs which will have an impact on the progress and success of the organizations.

Low Salaries

            It cannot be denied that government positions often offer lower salaries compared to the private sector, making it challenging to attract top talent. This problem has been a major concern for decades, affecting not only the morale and productivity of government workers but also the overall efficiency of public services. They offer low salary but the workload is excessive. Such a situation leads high rate of turn-over and this is common to teachers and nurses. They choose to leave the country because better opportunities and salary are given outside the Philippines. Talented and skilled individuals are often lured away by companies offering high salaries and better benefits.

            The reasons behind the low salaries in the government is the limited budget allocated for personnel services. Additionally, the government’ s salary scale is often based on outdated standards, failing to keep pace with inflation and the increasing cost of living.

Lack of transparency

            Some positions are not publicly advertised and criteria for selection are not also clearly defined which may open the door to favoritism. This is a room where power is abused  accountability is ignored which is the main concern of corporate governance.  

            Transparency prevents corruption by reducing opportunities of secretive transactions. This is essential because it allows the access to information about activities policies and decisions. It promotes accountability by providing a clear record of government actions and decisions.

 

CONCLUSIONS

HR professionals and selection boards have a role in ensuring that they hire the right candidates. It is also their responsibility to promote ethical, and legal recruitment and selection processes to ensure applicants are hired on their merit. There is no form of discrimination or favouritism during the hiring process. It is a major challenge for them not to allow political interference or pressure where powerful individuals influence recruitment and selection decisions because nepotism and favouritism can lead to labour turnover.

REFERENCES

Agaton, S. I. G. (2024). The padrino system in Philippine politics and society. Social Ethics Society Journal of Applied Philosophy Special Issue, February 2024, 193-209.

Amstrong, M. (2000). Strategic human resources management: The key to improving business

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Civil Service Commission. (2018). Nepotism - CSC Forum. Retrieved from https://web.csc.gov.ph/forum/forum/questions-nepotism/421-nepotism 

Comi, M. & Devi, L. (2018) A study on recruitment and selection process in selected construction companies. International Journal for Research in Engineering Application & Management (IJREAM), 5(10). https://doi.org/10.18231/2454-9150.2019.0437 

Gommans, P, H. and Musumbu, J.M. (2014). The Role of Ethical Practice in Recruitment in Improving Performance of an Institution; A case study of ethics in recruitment of the police service in Kenya and resultant performance in stemming insecurity since 2010). International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, 4(10)

ICSC Secretariat. (2001). Framework for human resource management practices on turnover,

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Lavigna, R. J., & Hays, S. W. (2004). Recruitment and selection of public workers: An international compendium of modern trends and practices. Public Personnel Management, 33(3), 237-253.

Lewis, G. B., & Frank, S. A. (2002). Who wants to work for the government? Public Administration Review, 62(4). https://doi.org/10.1111/0033-3352.00193

Mabindis, V. (2003). Impact of staff turnover on organizational effectiveness among employees. Master Thesis submitted to the Department of Human Resource Management, Durban University of Technology

Silzer, L.  (2010). Theories of HRM. Chicago Press.

Tucker P. and Founder D. (2010) Supervision and personnel administration and management. Chicago United Press.