Ethics and Professionalism in Lesotho’s Public Sector: An Empirical Perspective

Abstract

Unethical behaviour in the workplace is a persistent global challenge, and Lesotho’s public sector is no exception. While conventional tools such as codes of ethics, legislative frameworks, and self-regulation mechanisms exist, they have not curbed the prevalence of misconduct. This study investigates the underlying economic and institutional factors that may increase susceptibility to unethical behaviour among public service professionals in Lesotho. A descriptive quantitative approach was employed, drawing on secondary data from reputable sources for the period 2005–2023. The Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) served as the dependent variable, with six macroeconomic indicators analysed for their potential influence on ethical outcomes: income per capita, inflation, foreign direct investment (FDI), unemployment rate, vulnerable employment, and dependency ratio. Time series estimation was conducted using Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) after ensuring all variables met stationarity requirements. The findings indicate that among the variables examined, only income per capita had a statistically significant association with CPI trends. This suggests that economic pressures linked to income levels may affect the ethical orientation of professionals under institutional stress. While limited to the context of Lesotho, the results highlight the importance of addressing structural economic vulnerabilities in public service reform. Broader and more inclusive studies across African contexts are recommended to validate these findings and support regional strategies for strengthening ethics and professionalism in governance.