The Effect of Ethical Practices in Project Management On the Quality of Non-Governmental Organization Projects in Rwanda: A Case Study of Inspire, Educate and Empower (IEE) Rwanda
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53819/81018102t2584Abstract
This study examined the influence of ethical practices on the quality of projects implemented by non-governmental organizations in Kigali, Rwanda, using Inspire Educate and Empower (IEE) Rwanda as a case study, with particular focus on accountability, integrity, and compliance with legal and regulatory frameworks. The research was guided by Stakeholder Theory, Social Contract Theory, and Ethical Leadership Theory, which collectively framed the ethical dimensions of organizational performance and governance. A mixed-methods case study design was employed, targeting 114 staff across five departments, with a sample of 88 respondents determined using Yamane’s formula and selected through simple random and convenience sampling to ensure inclusivity and representation. The ANOVA results showed that the overall regression model was statistically significant (F = 656.934, p < 0.001), indicating that the ethical practice variables jointly had a significant effect on the quality of NGO projects. The multiple regression analysis revealed positive coefficients for all three ethical practice variables, implying that improvements in accountability (β = 0.121), integrity (B = 0.487), and compliance with legal and regulatory frameworks (β = 0.145) were associated with improvements in project quality. Among the predictors, integrity recorded the highest standardized beta coefficient (β = 0.169), indicating that it contributed relatively more to project quality than accountability (β = 0.056) and compliance (β = 0.089). The Pearson correlation analysis demonstrated strong positive and statistically significant relationships between each ethical practice and project quality. Accountability had a strong positive correlation with project quality (r = 0.834, p < 0.001), integrity also exhibited a very strong positive relationship (r = 0.848, p < 0.001), while compliance with legal and regulatory frameworks showed the strongest positive correlation with project quality (r = 0.855, p < 0.001). These findings indicate that higher levels of ethical practices are consistently associated with higher levels of project quality.
Key Words: Accountability, Ethical Practices, Integrity, Compliance, Management and Quality of Projects
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