Ethics in Public Administration and Policy Study on Embezzlement Behavior among Public Administrators - Research Paper Example

? Ethics in Public Administration and Policy Study on Embezzlement Behavior among Public Administrators Mohammed Alfozan California Lutheran University Draft Evaluation Design: This evaluation will provide information on different types of corrupt practices found to affect the operations of both the public and private sector. This will help the administrators make necessary decisions on this issue. The vice of corruption associated with the embezzlement of public funds may be related to the low payment structures pattern presented to the public government officers. In Tanzania, it is found that the salary earned by the public officials was not adequate to meet their domestic expenditures. Public officials usually engage in embezzlement on an individual basis without third-party intervention (Myint, 2000). Embezzlement behavior of government officials bears a strong relationship to the low salary payments provided to them that, in turn, fails to support their living conditions in this cost-driven economy (Myint, 2000). Further, the embezzlement behavior of these government officials is found to create potential impacts on the economy of the emerging economies thereby increasing their internal and external debt and similarly deteriorating economic and social structure (Myint, 2000, p.35, 40, and 45). This is one of the factors that enhanced embezzlement. The research questions, for a research of this magnitude will focus on the following aspects: 1. Does the aspect of low salary contribute to the behavior of embezzlement of funds among public administrators? and 2. How can basic salary be structured to curb instances of embezzlement behavior among public administrators? Research design is primarily a structure of a research process, which can be used as a framework for the collection and interpretation of relevant data. Research design consists of what the investigator will do from determining the hypothesis to the process of investigation to collecting and analyzing data to drawing conclusions from the analysis of the data. The primary research method is a process through which an investigator collects data through primary sources. It enables the researcher to gather first -hand information from administrators or those who have experienced such behavior.. Experimental design is appropriate for this study to collect data to identify the aspect of low salary that contributes to the behavior of embezzlement of funds among public administrators. This research design provides a blueprint of the process that facilitates the investigator to maintain control over the entire factors that may influence the outcome of an experiment. Embezzlement of funds among public administrators is financial fraud and to derive intended outcomes, the study must adopt this method. Experimental Research is frequently used where there is priority in time in a causal relation or if there is reliability in a causal relation and the magnitude and extent of the correlation is significant. Indeed, ethical leadership is public administration, and policy has a mandate to uphold objectives and organizational culture for the need of improving performance. Primary research can be done either through interviews or by sending or handling out questionnaires to the intended audience. The current research envisages a research into a topic of public interest, and its findings are expected to be used as a remedial measure to address an issue of common interest. This will assist in curbing the tendency of embezzlement in the official and restore the trust of the public in them. Questionnaire: Collecting data through questionnaires is a common method in research. It encompasses a process of framing questions, the answers which can provide relevant information to the research questions. In this particular research, this design will help in obtaining direct information from public officials as well as those who have fell victims to any misappropriation by them. Interview Method: Conducting an interview with a sample population is the process through which a researcher finds answers to questions that are relevant to the investigation. Since this is a method of primary data collection from most relevant sources of information, this can be effective in obtaining the correct data relating to the particular research questions in a topic of this nature. When conducting research, it is usually impossible to consider the entire population under study. Representative portions, known as samples, are used to determine some parameters about the entire population under review. Sampling is a research technique applied, in social sciences, to obtain information about a population without the need to assess the entire population (Kothari, 2009). This paper focuses on selecting the most appropriate sampling technique for collecting data to determine the characteristic of low salary, which contributes to the behavior of embezzlement of funds among public administrators. Snowball sampling is the most appropriate sampling technique to collect data for this survey. This is because the population that represents public administrators, who embezzle funds, is difficult to locate. However, through this technique, a researcher will collect information from few members of the targeted population that he or she can identify, and then use identified members to locate other members (Kothari, 2009). This process will continue until a recommended number of interviewees is achieved. This technique is recommended, especially when a researcher wants to maintain the privacy of responses. Embezzlement of funds is a financial fraud that may lead the interviewees into problems such as lack of transparency and accountability; therefore, their privacies are essential when collecting data for this study. In addition, when compared to other sampling techniques, such as cluster and systematic sampling, which target persons in the population to be given equal chances of being selected, this technique does not intend to give interviewees equal chances of being selected (Kothari, 2009). This gives this technique, in the context of the research topic, advantages such as avoiding stereotyping, maintaining clarity, asking questions as they are written, and avoiding tape-recording of responses. In summary, this study must adopt this technique in order to achieve the intended outcomes. Government officials pertaining to the emerging or developing economies are often found to complain of insufficient compensation schemes and financial packages. The payment schemes of the government officials of such countries are formulated in terms of market rates owing to which the officials in public concerns of emerging economies are subjected to low pay scales. In Cambodia, Public Officials depend on rampant misappropriation of funds for their own private use. Again, ethical and legislative standards in such regions being weaker in nature like absence of proper laws to combat corruption contribute to the further escalation of the problem. References Kothari, C. R. (2011). Research Methodology: Methods and Techniques. New Delhi: New Age International Ltd. Brownfield, W.R. (2011). International Narcotics Control Strategy Report: Volume I: Drug and Chemical Control. United States: DIANE Publishing. Pan, M. L., & Lopez, M. (2008). Preparing literature reviews: Qualitative and quantitative approaches. Glendale, CA: Pyrczak Pub. Haertel, G. D., & Means, B. (2003). Evaluating educational technology: Effective research designs for improving learning. New York: Teachers College Press. Johnson, G. (2002). Research methods for public administrators. Westport, CT: Quorum Books. Myint, U. (2000). Corruption: Causes, Consequences And Cures. Asia-Pacific Development Journal, 7(2), 33-57. Retrieved from: http://www.unescap.org/drpad/publication/journal_7_2/myint.pdf Read More