Working back in Africa, I am exposed to corrupt management practices now that the Chinese have taken control of mining operations. I ask myself, does self interest corrupt ethics? Studying ethics at tertiary education, we learnt about the theory of ethics and how to apply ethical practices in the workplace.

Ok, so do businesses apply social responsibility in practice? In business, based on my workplace experiences, is ethics mandatory? The answer is a resounding yes. Corporate social responsibility is not just a buzzword, this is a values derived philosophy that underpins all facets of business operations. A values driven organisation is mandatory in the current business environment, a business does have a ## to maintain strong relationships in their community.

So why don’t government departments embrace business principles? Well, it is their recruitment practices for starters, they do not recruit managers, not mates. Whilst an employment standard is required, this requirement is frequently circumvented by cronies appointing their stooges in influential positions to prop up their little empires. Instead they promote the schemers, the empire builders and networkers – they do not promote competent and ethical people.

Next, recruit leaders, this is the disconnect. You need managers to plan, coordinate, organise and control – management is measurement. Leadership is developing a vision, creating motivation through inspiration for team members – this is not the domain of the public sector. Now, leadership is more than hanging a few leadership pictures on the wall, some quotes here and there, genuine leadership is embedded in everyday activities.

With no values, no direction and no ethics displayed, this is where the disconnect is seeded. A select few receive all the benefits whilst the rest toil away for poor conditions and little to no benefits. This mistrust occurs, this is not teamwork that gets the job done, this leads to inferior performance, increased absentees and the rest of the team emulating the behaviours they are witnessing.