Title: Institutional Dynamics and Moral Disengagement among Employees of Tertiary Institutions
Authors: Kingsley Omorogbe, Ifeanyi Seyi Ebunu, Caroline Uluse Ejoh
Volume: 9
Issue: 10
Pages: 354-360
Publication Date: 2025/10/28
Abstract:
: This study examines how employee behaviour and moral disengagement in tertiary institutions are impacted by institutional dynamics, particularly feedback culture, workplace politics, and institutional trust. Based on institutional theory and Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory of Moral Disengagement, the study views moral disengagement as a sociocognitive process influenced by power dynamics and organisational structures. Data were gathered from 273 academic and non-academic staff members of Nigerian higher education institutions using a quantitative, cross-sectional survey design. SPSS and SmartPLS were used for analysis. Strong relationships were found to exist between institutional factors such as workplace politics and institutional trust had a negative correlation (r = -0.625), but trust had a positive correlation (r = 0.649) with feedback culture and a positive correlation (r = 0.557) with institutional commitment. These findings suggest that the establishment of moral and dedicated institutional environments depends heavily on trust and transparent feedback mechanisms. However, it was discovered that there was a complicated and indirect relationship between moral disengagement and institutional variables. This suggests that disengagement serves as a mediating cognitive mechanism that connects institutional conditions to behaviours like employee withdrawal and knowledge hiding. Significantly, a moderately positive correlation (r = 0.326) between moral disengagement and feedback culture draws attention to a paradoxical effect indicating that employees may unintentionally engage in defensive moral justifications as a result of politicised or poorly run feedback systems. The study suggests that workplace politics, weak feedback culture, and poor institutional trust all contribute to the institutional reinforcement of moral disengagement in tertiary institutions. In order to promote moral accountability and long-term employee engagement, it suggests improving feedback systems, depoliticising management procedures, and fortifying transparent governance. The mediating and moderating effects of institutional ownership and other contextual factors in influencing moral cognition and ethical behaviour are to be investigated in future studies using PLS-SEM and longitudinal methodologies.