International Journal of Strategic Management and

Procurement (IJSMP) ISSN: 2664-049x 1 (1) 12-

26, May, 2019 www.oircjournals.org

Staff Adherence to Procurement Professional

Ethics; an Analysis of the Influence of Staff
Training in North Rift Counties, Kenya
1Chepkoech Ruth- 2Yussuf Kibet
1
MSc. -Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and
Technology
2
Lecturer-Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and
Technology

Type of the Paper: Research Paper.

Type of Review: Peer Reviewed.
Indexed in: worldwide web.
Google Scholar Citation: IJSMP

How to Cite this Paper:

Chepkoech, R. and Kibet, Y. (2019). Staff Adherence to Procurement
Professional Ethics; an Analysis of the Influence of Staff Training in North Rift
Counties, Kenya. International Journal of Strategic Management and Procurement
(IJSMP), 1 (1) 12-26.
International Journal of Strategic Management and Procurement (IJSMP)
A Refereed International Journal of OIRC JOURNALS.
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 International Journal of Strategic Management and
Procurement (IJSMP) ISSN: 2664-049x 1 (1) 12-
26 May, 2019 www.oircjournals.org

Staff Adherence to Procurement Professional Ethics; an

Analysis of the Influence of Staff Training in North Rift
Counties, Kenya
1Chepkoech
Ruth- 2Yussuf Kibet
1
MSc. -Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and
Technology
2
Lecturer-Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and
Technology

ARTICLE INFO Abstract

Ethics means being in accordance with rules or
Received 28th April, 2019 standards for right conduct or practice.
Procurement codes of ethics in public
Received in Revised Form 10th May, 2019 institutions in Kenya, is associated with fairness
Accepted on 12 May, 2019
th and unbiased treatment to suppliers, integrity,
due diligence, confidentiality of information and
Published online 13th May, 2019 declaration of interest among other codes.
Key Words: Staff, Adherence, Procurement, Adherence to these ethical practices in
procurement has been a major challenge facing
Professional Ethics and Training many institutions in Kenya. This study therefore,
sought to determine influence of staff training to
adherence of procurement professional ethics in county government of North Rift Counties, Kenya. This study was
guided by stewardship theory, upper echelon theory and Game Theory. This research used cross-sectional survey
design. The target population for this study consisted of staffs working in North Rift Counties and their suppliers. The
accessible population was 1592 participants. The researcher obtained the sample size of 310 respondents using
Yamane formulae. Proportionate random sampling was utilized for the study. The research instrument was face-to-
face structured questionnaire and interview schedule. Data collected was analyzed by use of descriptive and
inferential statistics. Data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS). Data was presented in
form of tables. The study found out that staff training has a positive significant influence on staff adherence to
procurement professional ethics (p<0.05). The study concluded that training of staff presents a prime opportunity to
expand the knowledge base of all the staff thus making it more effective for adherence of code of ethics. The study
recommends that staff training, be done to ensure that staff adherence to procurement ethics ensuring quality service
delivery. The study recommends the use of Stewardship theory by the county governments because county governments
are governed by members who are the stakeholders and managers, elected by citizens.

Introduction Procurement also extends to the ultimate disposal of

Procurement is the wholesome process of acquiring
goods and/or services. It starts when a buyer or buying
organization has identified a need and decided on its
procurement requirement. It continues through the
processes of risk assessment, seeking and evaluating
alternative solutions, contract award, delivery of and
payment for the property and/or services and, where
relevant, the ongoing management of a contract.
Chepkoech and Kibet (2019)
property at the end of its useful life (Waters, 2004).
Ethics is all about what is morally right and morally
wrong, so procurement ethics is concerned with what
is morally right in procurement as profession, (Wood,
1995). This is very important in procurement
management because procurement staffs deal with
suppliers represents the whole organization and that
will determine the face of the organization towards the
suppliers which may create goodwill or destroy it.
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Adherence to the code of ethics is requirements by
officers involved in procurement for the public
entities. These ethics should be attached to the tender
during submission to act as the reference in case one
is engaged in unethical behavior (Bashuna, 2013).
Ethical behavior in procurement is characterized by
honesty, integrity, due diligence, fairness, and respect.
It also includes avoiding conflicts of interest, and
abuse of an individual’s position or office. Supply
chain (SC) ethics, like professional ethics in any
function, are created to oversee the conduct of SC
practitioners (Amemba, 2013).
Adherence to ethics can improve the amount of
accountability in ethical decision making as SC has the
potential to compartmentalize various activities due to
a dense network of relationships. Ethics is an integral
part of the supply chain process which helps overcome
the tendency to compartmentalize ethics issues.
Policy-makers may try hard, but they will never
specify in law or any other written directive all that a
procurement officer requires understanding regarding
what is right or wrong. Practitioners need to
understand what the law or rule is intended to
accomplish (Caeiro, Ramos & Huisingh, 2012).
Organizations and professions often seek to address
adherence through the adoption of codes of conduct.
Professional codes of conduct are generally written
and in broad conceptual terms. They sometimes seem
ambiguous and leave room for misinterpretation.
Procurement practitioners cannot abide only by codes
and regulations, but rather, by the spirit of the law or
the broader concept that the system is intended to
express. One reason why many procuring
organizations avoid detailed and specific codes is that
they may give the impression that anything not
prohibited is permitted or that anything not explicitly
addressed is not essential. People in other professions
who have not been trained in or are not appreciative of
procurement ethics may not realize that a situation not
explicitly identified in the code may still be vitally
important. Those who do not understand the
foundation of a general requirement may not be able
to apply the law to a specific situation (Priest & Gass,
2017).
Globally, the European Union (EU) and European
Economic Area (EEA) countries map out ethical
public procurement initiatives. There are specific
pressure points, strategies, and ethical public
procurement initiatives implemented across Europe,
as well as challenges arising from within the practices.
It is recommended for improving working conditions
Chepkoech and Kibet (2019)
in public procurement supply chains. Various
stakeholders define the ethical public procurement in
several ways. It appears that this term is not so widely
used and is more commonly known as Socially
Responsible Public Procurement (SRPP). Others use
the word to refer to the conduct of contracting
authorities, covering issues such as corruption and
non-discrimination. There is evidence that multiple
terms serve only to confuse and that using the term
ethical public procurement can be misleading as the
word ethical is so broad. It may be preferable to refer
to supply chain risk or labor rights due to diligence as
the pillar of SRPP (Maliganya, 2015).
Embedding compliance with labor rights in global
supply chains under the SRPP umbrella also has the
advantage of this not being a peripheral or standalone
issue. Ethical adherence provides insight into the
extent to which EU and EEA member states have
transposed 2014/24/EU Article 18.2 into national law.
The deadline for implementing the directive was April
2016, and by November 2016 the majority of states
had developed new statutes or revised existing laws to
align them with Article 18.2. Some countries have
copied the text from the Article and changed member
states to contracting authorities, whereas others have
developed a legal version that gives a more significant
indication of the intentions of the Article. The former
approach may be due to experience, or it may indicate
a lack of awareness that the latter approach illustrates
(Pelc, 2014).
In Sub Saharan African Countries, developing
countries are struggling to adhere to the ethical codes
of conduct practices. Studies have shown that out of
the total public resources, procurement of goods,
works and services account for about 70 percent of the
total public expenditures. In Ethiopia, the total public
spending is more than 60 percent used for procurement
of goods and services. Adherence to codes of conduct
will improve the public procurement system and
impact substantially on the growing economy of
Ethiopia which will result in budgetary savings and
efficiency in government expenditures, thereby
creating wealth and reducing poverty. The
Government enacted the financial regulations
no.17/1997 which deals with procurement principles
and Ministry of Finance directives about procurement
codes of conduct and contracts in 1997. In 1999 as a
part of Civil Service Reform in Ethiopia, Ministry of
Finance prepared the draft procurement manual (De
Mariz, Ménard & Abeillé, 2014). According to World
Bank CPAR (2002), successive review of the public
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procurement regimes in Ethiopia reveal a lot of
shortcomings such as procurement laws and
regulations are not based on recognized international
models, absence of clearly defined central oversight
and public bodies at all level, shortage of experienced
management and procurement staffs, lack of
transparency in the procurement processes, absence of
procedures for modern form of procurement activities
and unclear institutional and organizational
arrangement required in the management of the public
procurement process (Chekol & Tehulu, 2014).
In Kenya, the effective application of procurement
ethics is a major challenge facing many organizations
around. Given the impact of procurement on the
effectiveness of public sectors in Kenya, it is essential
that these activities be performed by qualified staff
with high professional and ethical standards and using
sound procedures anchored inappropriate policies and
regulations. The level of adherence to procurement
professional ethics has been used as a measure of the
state of organization or corporate image. Ethics is
nowadays considered a core factor for business
success. Low level of procurement regulations
compliance by government ministries and lack of
effective enforcement of rules implementation by the
government encourages cases of unethical
procurement practices in Kenya. The rise of supply
chain management and procurement in Kenya is
associated with many unethical business practices that
violate codes of conduct. For instance, when tendering
processes are not executed transparently, then
suppliers may have chances and vintages to solicit for
consideration by advancing bribes and other forms of
corruption. Transparency, fair treatment in bidding
and awards of tenders, accountability and responsible
purchasing and supply have a positive implication on
procurement processes in any organization and could
thus result into increased performance and delivery
(Epstein, 2014).
The enacting of the Public Procurement and Asset
Disposal Act (PDDA) (2015) and subsequent
regulations and presidential directives are efforts by
the government of Kenya to bring reforms in public
funds management. Almost 70% of all corruption
cases brought forth by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption
Commission (EACC) and the Directorate of Public
Prosecution (DPP) are procurement related. The
Kenya Institute of Supplies Management (KISM) has
not been left behind in the reforms. KISM has been
carrying out Professional training and developing
practitioner manuals. The PADDA requires that all are
Chepkoech and Kibet (2019)
practitioners in the supply chain, are members of
KISM and should hold a practicing license to give
professional opinions to accounting officers in matters
procurement. All these laws, regulations, directives,
manuals and institution are meant to provide a
comprehensive framework of administrative powers to
regulate the activities and adherence of procurement
within the public sector efficiently and effectively
(McCue, 2015).
The importance of public organizations as an entity
designed to serve the public, along with the imperative
for public accountability, makes studying the
problems associated with the public sector essential
(Trionfetti, 2000). Although public procurement is
perceived as a primary function of government, and
although governmental entities, policymakers, and
public procurement professionals have paid a great
deal of attention to procurement improvements or
reforms, public procurement has been a neglected area
of academic education and research. Thus, this study
sought to establish the staff training to of procurement
professional ethics in North Rift Counties, Kenya.
Statement of the Problem
Ideally sound public procurement policies and
practices are among the essential elements of good
governance (KIPPRA, 2006). Otieno (2004) notes the
irregular procurement activities in public institutions
in most countries provide the biggest loophole through
which public resources are misappropriated. In line to
this, several studies have been conducted which seek
to establish the impact of ethical practices on supply
chain management. The current situation in Kenya is
that adherence to procurement professional ethics is a
major challenge facing many institutions (Philly, Were
& Nkirina, 2017). For instance, tendering processes
are not executed in a transparent manner, and then
suppliers may have chances and vintages to solicit for
consideration by advancing bribes and other forms of
corruption. Transparency, fair treatment in bidding
and awards of tenders, accountability and responsible
purchasing and supply have been violated despite the
fact that it has an on procurement processes in any
organization and could thus result into increased
performance and delivery. Levin (2008) studied the
ethics problem in the supply chain to build an ethical
supply chain and identified that most Global
companies have no enough infrastructure to contact
the members of their supply chain quickly, and
communicate with their suppliers on critical issues of
ethics and compliance. In Uasin Gishu, county reports
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show that there is mismanagement of the County
funds, the theft cases, odd procedural ways of
managing funds, buying un-budged equipment and
lack of a clear plan on the use of the public funds
(Omwega, Ng’etich & Murenga, 2017). This study,
therefore, seeks to establish influence staff training on
staff adherence to procurement professional ethics in
North Rift Counties.
Objective of the Study
To examine influence staff training on staff adherence
to procurement professional ethics in North Rift
Counties
Research Hypothesis
H01; Staff training has no significant influence on
staff adherence to procurement on staff
adherence to procurement professional ethics
in North Rift Counties
LITERATURE REVIEW
Theoretical Review
This study was guided by stewardship theory.
Stewardship Theory
Donaldson and Davis developed stewardship Theory
in 1991. Stewardship Theory arises as an essential
counterweight to Agency Theory; it suffers from being
static, as it considers the relationship of Principal-
Agent at a single point in time. Stewardship Theory is
framed as the organizational behavior counterweight
to rational action theories of management (Donaldson
and Davis, 1991). This theory holds that there is no
conflict of interest between managers and owners and
that the goal of governance is, precisely, to find the
mechanisms and structure that facilitate the most
effective coordination between the two parties
(Donaldson, 1991). Stewardship Theory holds that
there is no inherent problem of executive control,
meaning that organizational managers tend to be
benign in their actions (Donaldson, 2008). The
essential assumption underlying the prescriptions of
Stewardship Theory is that the behaviors of the
manager are aligned with the interests of the
principals. Stewardship Theory places a higher value
on goal convergence among the parties involved in
corporate governance than on the agent’s self-interest.
Adherence to Procurement Ethics
 Transparency
 Accountability
 Due diligence
Chepkoech and Kibet (2019)
The economic benefit for the principal in a principal-
steward relationship results from lower transaction
costs associated with the lesser need for financial
incentives and monitoring. The purpose of this study
is to determine the factors influencing adherence to
procurement professional ethics in county government
of North Rift Counties, Kenya.
The assumption that stewardship relationships rely
heavily on the trust and reciprocity developed between
the principal and the manager through a history of
interactions. It argues that when the principal’s
relationship with the manager is characterized by
honesty and uprightness, he is helping the manager to
learn how to value the consequences of his decisions
in others’ welfare, and they may help to change his
preferences and develop identification with the
company. Up to now, the debate of stewardship
formation has been dominated by rationality; however,
they argued that there are elements that transcend
rationality, such as evaluative learning and
transcendent motives, and that they are crucial to
understanding why individuals are disposed to move
beyond an opportunistic position. Criticisms of
Stewardship theory is that there is no evident
underlying the mechanisms that make an individual
opt for one position or the other, what sort of
situational factors - if any - can influence the person to
transcend his self-interest, and how the individual
resolves his internal inter-motivational conflict.
This theory is relevant to this study because the county
government is governed by members who are the
stakeholders and managers, elected by citizens. When
the two interact together, neither of them should feel
the other is opportunistic or feels betrayed, but when
this arises, it results in a situation where the two parties
end up adopting an agent position.
Conceptual Framework
Conceptual framework shows the relationship
between independent variables and dependent
variable. The dependent variable of the study is the
adherence to procurement professional ethics while
the independent variable is the staff training and
procurement communication.
Staff Training
 level of compliance
 Organizational Commitment
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Independent Variable
Figure 2.1 Conceptual Framework
Empirical Review
This section covered review of literature related to
staff training to adherence to procurement professional
ethics.
Staff Training and Adherence to Procurement
Professional Ethics
Ndumbi and Okello (2015) examined effect of staff
training on level of compliance to public procurement
system in parastatals. The study found that public
procurement is increasingly recognized as a central
instrument to ensure efficient and corruption - free
management of public resources. The Public
Procurement and Disposal Act (PPDA) 2005 were
introduced in Kenya to streamline the anomalies in
public procurement. It’s implementation of the Public
Procurement and Disposal Act 2005 has been quiet
challenging coupled with a number of inefficiencies.
The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of
staff training on compliance to PPDA 2005.
Descriptive research design and Correlation research
design were used. The target population for this study
was all staff members at KenGen’s procurement
department and other heads of departments who had
information on compliance levels within KenGen
procurement function where a census was used to
collect data. Data for this study was obtained using
structured questionnaires. Data was subjected to both
descriptive and inferential analysis using Statistical
Package for Social Sciences Version 20. The study
established a positive significant relationship between
staff training and the level of compliance to PPDA.
The researcher concluded that staff training influences
compliance to PPDA. It was recommended that the
staff need to be exposed to further training and be
given incentives to carry out procurement projects.
Debero (2017) evaluated that staff training influence
on compliance to the public procurement and disposal
act 2005 at Kenya Electricity Generating Company,
the study indicated that staff training actually
influenced it to a great extent (62.5%). Majority
(65.6%) of the respondents also indicated that ICT and
Information Systems greatly influenced compliance to
the public procurement and disposal act 2005 at Kenya
Electricity Generating Company. It is also evident that
Chepkoech and Kibet (2019)
Dependent Variable
commitment of top management support influenced
the level of compliance to PPDA 2005 at KenGen to a
great extent (34.4%). Thus, it is quite evident from
these findings that the compliance to the PPDA 2005
at KenGen required strong leadership, staff
competence and technological support.
Denhardt and Denhardt (2015) concluded that
professionalism depends on the staffing, knowledge,
skills and capabilities of the human resources and on
controls in the system that influences human behavior.
According to Lyson and Farrington (2012),
procurement as a profession, is skilled based on
theoretical knowledge, prolonged training and
education, competence based on tests and
examinations and adherence of professional code of
ethics. Procurement is the activity of assessing, buying
and receiving goods, works and services. It is public
whenever this process is performed by public
organizations or whenever it is performed on their
behalf or again funded by public organizations. In
order to ensure public accountability and value for
money through procurement transactions, there is a
need for professional training and education of those
personnel responsible for the procurement process and
management.
Mutinda and Paul (2016) found that professionalism in
public procurement relates not only to the Levels of
education and qualifications of the workforce but also
to the professional approach in the conduct of business
activities. If the workforce is not adequately educated
in procurement matters, serious consequences;
including, breaches of codes of conduct occur. There
are approximately 500,000 professional purchasing
people in the United States and only 10 per cent of
these have been members of a professional body and
the rest are not even aware that there are ethical and
legal standards involved in procurement. The study
also linked lack of a high degree of professionalism in
public procurement to corruption, which ultimately
impedes compliance.
Chogo (2018) assessed factors affecting procurement
law compliance. The study found that procurement
officers must be trained and aware about all
regulations in relation to procurement and related
procedures. Further ethical code is not only a deterrent
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of incorrect behavior but also an enabler for all
members of the organization to safeguard the ethical
legacy of the firm. In Uganda, the PPDA Audit Report
(2008) revealed that lack of professionalism was high
amongst public procurement officers.
This position is further confirmed by Basheka and
Mugabira (2008) who state that the level of
professionalism in public procurement in Uganda is
low or non–existent. The study also attributed non-
compliance in public procurement to lack of
purchasing professionalism in the public sector.
Another cause of non-compliance is lack of proper
staff training. The PPOA Audit Report (2008)
revealed that inadequate training was high amongst
public procurement officers in Kenya and this can still
be attributed to the fact that the profession is still
young in Kenya. The requirements to educate
professionals and equip them with new and higher-
level skills have consequently become urgent. A skill
is the ability either to perform some specific
behavioral task or the ability to perform some specific
cognitive process that is related to some particular
task.
Research Methodology
Research Design
A research design refers to the way or plan to be
followed when conducting the study (Babbie, 2007).
The research design used was cross-sectional survey
design. The study design enabled the researcher to
obtain information about the situation at hand at one
specific time.
Target Population
Population means all elements and people who share
one or some common quality in a special geographical
scale (Oso and Onen, 2005). Therefore, the target
population for this study consisted of staffs working in
North Rift Counties and their suppliers. The accessible
population was 1592 participants consisting of 16
county administration, 120 finance officers, 240
procurement officers, 80 audit officers, 96 human
resource officers, 120 ICT officers and 920 suppliers
within North Rift Counties.
Table 3.1 Sample Size
Target Population
County administration 2*8
Finance Officers 15*8
Procurement officers 30*8
Chepkoech and Kibet (2019)
Jibrin et al., (2014) asserted that compliance with the
formal elements gives an indication of knowledge of
the rules. Study maintained that public purchasers will
comply with the rules if they perceive them as clear. It
is further argued that Lack of clarity is believed to
increase the possibilities for deliberate non-
compliance. Educating and training public purchasers
was an effective tool for increasing the compliance
with the directives.
Bor et al., (2015) stated that lack of familiarity with
procurement rules results into poor compliance levels.
They also found out that in the Kenyan context,
familiarity with procurement regulations significantly
predicted compliance with procurement regulations.
Further the high levels of non-compliance were partly
attributable to the complex legislative requirements of
the procurement laws. The compulsory compliance is
the result of among other factors clarity or lack of
vagueness of provisions. Thus increasing knowledge
of the law can possibly improve compliance. One of
the factors causing non–compliance with procurement
regulations is the level of familiarity with the
procurement regulations.
Sample Size and Sampling Procedure
According to Kothari (2003) sample size refers to the
number of observations or replicates to include in a
statistical sample. The researcher obtained the sample
size using Yamane formulae (1967).
Where n is the sample size required
N is the population size =1592
e is the level of precision = 0.05
n= 1592
1+1592(0.05)2
n=310
Proportions Sample size
16/1592*310 3
120/1592*310 23
240/1592*310 47
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Audit Officers 10*8 80/1592*310 16

Human Resource 12*8 96/1592*310 19
Officers
ICT officers 15*8 120/1592*310 23
Suppliers 115*8 920/1592*310 179
Total 199*8 1592/1592*310 310

Purposive sampling was used to select the departments
to participate in the study. Proportionate random
sampling was used to select the respondents in each
department. This means that the sample size to be used
in each department was proportional to its numerical
strength in the population.
Suppliers who have received the services in
procurement department and heading home were
approached to participate in the study by the
researcher. The researcher was located in a position
where she could see the suppliers coming from the
county procurement offices heading to the gate where
she approached and explain to them about the study.
Data Collection Instruments
Research instrument is a tool used to collect, measure,
and analyses data related to study subject (Brislin,
2014). The research instruments were face-to face
structured questionnaire and interview schedule. This
face-to-face visit was conducted by primary
researcher. The questionnaire contained questions on
procurement staff training, public participation in
procurement, and information technology use and
procurement communication on adherence to
procurement professional ethics.
Data Processing and Analysis
Before processing the responses, the completed
questionnaires was sorted, checked and edited for
completeness and consistency. Quantitative data
collected was analyzed by use of descriptive statistics
to generate percentages, means, standard deviations
and frequencies. This was done by tallying up
responses, computing percentages of variations in
response as well as describing and interpreting the data
in line with the study objectives and the assumptions.
Tables and other graphical presentations as
appropriate was used to present the data collected for
ease of understanding and analysis. Data was analyzed
using Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS)
at a 0.05 significance level. A regression was done and
the results obtained were interpreted using tables and
figures for ease of understanding. The following
regression model was used:
Y=β0+β1x1+ɛ ……………………….…Equation 3.1
Where: Y represents staff adherence to procurement
professional ethics
β0 represent the intercept when x is zero
X1 represent staff training
ɛ represents error term
RESEARCH FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
Response Rate
Three hundred and ten questionnaires were issued to
the study subjects, out of 310 questionnaires issued
283 were received back, representing (91.3%)
response rate and 27 were not received back
representing (8.7%) non-response rate. Hagger et al
(2003) proposed that researcher should strive to
achieve a response rate of 50%, 60% or 75%
Table 4.1 Response Rate
Frequency Percentage
Questionnaires 283 91.3
received back
Questionnaires 27 8.7
not received back
Total 310 100
Pilot Study Results
The validation of the research instruments was done
through approval by the supervisor who verified the
face validity. Face validity is the extent to which a test
measures subjectively purports to measure. To
establish content validity of the measuring instrument,
the researcher identified the overall content to be
represented for the instrument. For proper validity
checkup experts was involved in preparing the
research questions in the instruments through pointing
out ambiguity.
The study used Cronbach coefficient alpha to measure
the internal consistency reliability of the instruments
used in the study. The strategy is used when the
research carried out has multiple-item measures of a

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concept. Therefore the research used this technique
since it had many variables. The acceptable range is
between 0.70 and 0.90 or higher depending on the type
of research (Howstatsc, 2015). 0.70 is acceptable to
basic research while 0.80 and 0.90 are preferable for
basic research and applied scenarios respectively. A
low value (e.g. <0.5) could be as low number of
questions or poor interrelated between items, while a
high value of alpha (e.g. >90) may be as a result of
some redundant items in the instrument. The Cronbach
results of the study are shown in the following table
4.2.
Table 4.2 Reliability Statistics
Cronbach N of
Alpha Items
Staff training .783 4
Staff adherence to procurement .743 3 education up to bachelor’s degree level, 12(9.8%) of
professional ethics
Demographic Information
Gender of the Respondents
The study sought to establish the gender of the
respondents, the results from the tables 4.3 showed
that majority of the staff respondents were female at
80(65.7%) while males were 42(34.4%). The study
findings on the suppliers respondents also showed that
majority of the subjects were female at 94(58.4%) and
males at 67(41.6%). The subjects were asked to show
their gender, this was expected to guide the researcher
on the conclusions regarding the degree of congruence
of responses with the gender characteristics on the
topic under the study. This indicates that majority of
the staff were female.
Table 4.3 Gender of the Staff
Frequency Percent
Valid Male 42 34.4
Female 80 65.6
Total 122 100.0
Level of Education of the Respondents
The respondents were asked to show their highest
attained education level. The study on the level of
education of the staff revealed that majority of the staff
38(31.1%) had attained their education up to degree
and diploma levels, while 27(22.1%) had attained their
the respondents had achieved masters level and
4(3.3%) were of certificate level. Further, the study on
the level of education of the suppliers revealed that
majority of the respondents 69(42.9%) had attained
their education up to certificate level, while
46(28.6%) had attained their education up to primary
level, 27(16.8%) of the respondents had achieved
diploma level and 12(7.5%) had attained a degree.
This means that majority of those working in the
organization had attained education up to university
level and had gained rich information and they were
conversant with the process, therefore they were
appropriate for responding to our study questions.

Table 4.4 Level of Education of the Staff

Frequency Percent
Valid Certificate 4 3.3
Diploma 38 31.1
Degree 38 31.1
Bachelor’s degree 27 22.1
Masters 12 9.8
PhD 3 2.5
Total 122 100.0

Age Bracket of the Subjects

The study sought to establish the age of the
respondents. The studies were presented in table 4.5.
The study results on the staff age brackets revealed
that 16(13.1%) of the respondents were aged between
20 and 29 years, 39(32%) of the respondents indicated
that they were aged between 30 and 39 years while
67(54.9%) of the respondents indicated that were aged
between 40 and 49 years. These findings indicate that
majority of the respondents are middle aged and
elderly. This implies that these are experienced

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employees who could have given the relevant Findings of the Descriptive Statistics
information to the study area. In this section descriptive analysis of study objectives
was done and presented. A scale was used to show the
Table 4.5 Age Bracket extent to which the respondent thought the statement
Frequency Percent of staff training on adherence to procurement
Valid 20-29 16 13.1 professional ethics in North Rift Counties, Kenya.
years
30-39 39 32.0 With 5=strongly Agree 4= Agree 3= Undecided
years 2=Disagree 1=Strongly Disagree. Therefore the
40-49 67 54.9 results of the study are as shown below.
years
Total 122 100.0 Staff Training and Staff Adherence to
Procurement Professional Ethics
Years of Operation of the Subjects The study sought to examine effects of staff training
The study sought to establish the years of operation of on staff adherence to procurement professional ethics
the respondents. The study findings on the years of in North Rift Counties. The study results were
operation of the staff revealed that majority of the presented in table 4.7. The study found out that most
respondents 78(63.9%) had worked for 5-10 years, respondents agreed with the statement that
40(32.8%) had worked for 1-5 years and 4(3.3%) had Procurement staff have been effectively trained on
worked for less than 1 year. The study findings on the ethics compliance (M=4.38, SD= 1.101). The subjects
years of operation of the suppliers revealed that also agreed with the statement that the county
majority of the respondents 78(48.4%) had worked for government is committed in training the procurement
5-10 years, 71(44.1%) had worked for 1-5 years and staff on adherence to procurement ethics (M=3.89,
12(7.5%) had worked for less than one year. The study SD=.805). On whether there has been effective
results indicates that majority of the respondents had training on professionalism and code of ethics in the
worked for 5-10 years an implication that both the staff county, the subjects agreed (M=4.22, SD= 1.327) and
and the suppliers had experience on the topic under the on that Staff have been trained on policies governing
study. code of the ethics in procurement activities (M=4.30,
SD=1.239), the subjects also agreed. The research
Table 4.6 Operation years of the staff results also showed that majority of the subjects
Frequency Percent strongly believe that staff training greatly influence
Less than 4 3.3 staff adherence to procurement professional ethics in
Valid
1 year North Rift Counties. The study thus concludes that
to 5 40 32.8 training of staff presents a prime opportunity to
5years
to 10 78 63.9 expand the knowledge base of all the staff thus making
years
Total 122 100.0 it more effective for adherence of code of ethics.

Table 4.7 Staff Training

Statement SA A N D SD N Mean Std.
Dev
Procurement staffs have been F 83 17 14 1 7 122 4.38 1.101
effectively trained on ethics
% 68.0 13.9 11.5 .8 5.7
compliance
The county government is F 17 89 2 13 1 122 3.89 0.805
committed in training the
% 13.9 73.0 1.6 10.7 0.8
procurement staffs on
adherence to procurement
ethics
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 International Journal of Strategic Management and
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There has been effective F 82 15 6 8 11 122 4.22 1.327

training on professionalism
% 67.2 12.3 4.9 6.6 9.0
and code of ethics in the
county
Staffs have been trained on F 87 9 8 12 6 122 4.3 1.239
policies governing code of the
% 71.3 7.4 6.6 9.8 4.9
ethics in procurement
activities

Staff Adherence to Procurement Professional Ethics

The research also sought to determine the determinants of staff adherence to procurement professional ethics in north
rift counties, Kenya. The findings are as shown in the tables 4.8. The findings as presented below show that the staff
were in agreement that the county institutions ensure that there is transparency in all the procurements procedures
which strengthens adherence to (M=4.05, SD=1.219); in case of there is accountability accorded to the procedures
followed when tendering in supplies (M=4.02, SD=1.135) and In case of Tenders are selected with due diligence in
respect to adherence to procurement professional ethics in all the county institutions (M=4.07, SD=1.312), the
respondents agreed. The study thus concludes that transparency, accountability and due diligence in procurement
procedures play a key role in ensuring staff adhere to procurement professional ethics.

Table 4.8 Staff Adherence to Procurement Professional Ethics

SA A N D SD N Mean Std.
Dev

The county institutions ensure that F 57 40 9 6 10 122 4.05 1.219

there is transparency in all the
% 46.7 32.8 7.4 4.9 8.2
procurements procedures which
strengthens adherence to
procurement professionalism
There is accountability accorded to F 52 40 17 6 7 122 4.02 1.135
the procedures followed when
% 42.6 32.8 13. 4.9 5.7
tendering in supplies
9
Tenders are selected with due F 67 28 7 9 11 122 4.07 1.312
diligence in respect to adherence to
% 54.9 23.0 5.7 7.4 9.0
procurement professional ethics in
all the county institutions

study findings established that there was a strong

Inferential Analysis
In this section results of multiple regression model
assumption, correlation analysis and multiple
regression analysis will be presented. It shows the
relationship between independent variables and
dependent variable. The independent variables are the
staff training. The dependent variable was staff
adherence to procurement professional ethics.
Correlation Analysis Results
Pearson’s product -moment (r) was used to establish
the influence of independent variables and dependent
variable in order to know their directions and strength.
The study findings were presented in table 4.9. The
positive and statistical significant influence of staff
training on staff adherence to procurement
professional ethics in North Rift Counties (r=.610;
p<0.01). The study also revealed that there was a
strong positive and statistical significant influence of
public participation on staff adherence to procurement
professional ethics in North Rift Counties (r=.636,
p=<0.01). The study further found out that there was a
strong positive and statistical significant influence of
information technology on staff adherence to
procurement professional ethics in North Rift
Counties (r=.614, p=0.000<0.01) and lastly the study
findings indicated that there was a strong positive and

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statistical significant influence of procurement implication that staff training have a positive strong
communication on staff adherence to procurement influence on staff adherence to procurement
professional ethics in North Rift Counties (r=.631, professional ethics in North Rift Counties.
p=0.000<0.01). The study findings gave an

Table 4.9 Correlation Analysis

Staff adherence Staff training
Staff adherence Pearson Correlation 1
Sig. (2-tailed)
Staff training Pearson Correlation .610** 1
Sig. (2-tailed) 0.000

Multiple Regression Analysis Results This was indicated by a multiple correlation

This section presents the results of linear regression
between the study variables
(Staff training) and staff adherence to procurement
professional ethics in North Rift Counties, Kenya. In
the model summary table correlation coefficients (R)
and determination (R2) was presented. The multiple
correlation coefficients (R) is positive indicating the
cumulative influence of staff training on staff
adherence to procurement professional ethics in this
cases were positive.
coefficient of 0.765. The coefficient
of determination (R Square) indicates the variance of
the staff adherence to procurement professional ethics
that is attributed to staff training aspect. In this study,
the coefficient of determination of 0.585 indicates that
staff training account for 58.5% of the variance in the
staff adherence to procurement professional ethics as
shown in Table 10.

Table 4.10 Multiple Regression Model Summary

Model R R Square Adjusted R Std. Error of the Durbin-Watson
Square Estimate
1 .765a .585 .571 .53024 .829

Test for Model Fitness
The ANOVA test was used to examine on whether
staff training, was good fit for data hence qualifying
the undertaking of multiple linear regression model.
Since F= 41.277, p<0.000, it implied that there is a
0.000% probability that the model will give a wrong
prediction and therefore the model was found to be fit
to be used. This meant that the coefficients of the
regression could be examined. This means that the
independent variable is a significant predictor of the
dependent variable.

Table 4.11 ANOVA Results

Model Sum of Df Mean F Sig.
Squares Square
1 Regression 46.421 4 11.605 41.277 .000
Residual 32.895 117 .281
Total 79.316 121

In order to understand influence of staff training with
the other variable kept constant, unstandardized
Chepkoech and Kibet (2019)
coefficients were examined. In this study, the
regression model was constructed.
Y= 0.618+ 0.193(x1) + …………………equation 4.1
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 International Journal of Strategic Management and
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Where
Y represents Staff adherence to procurement
professional ethics
X1 represent staff training
Table 4.12 Overall Regression Analysis Coefficients
Model Unstandardized
Coefficients
B Std. Error
1 (Constant) .618 .289
Staff training .193 .081
The null hypothesis H01 stated that staff training has no
significant influence on staff adherence to
procurement professional ethics in North Rift
Counties. However the study findings indicated that
staff training has a positive significant influence on
staff adherence to procurement professional ethics in
North Rift Counties (β=0.193, P<0.05). Thus, the
study findings rejected the null hypothesis. This gives
an implication that when staffs are trained on
procurement ethics they can adhere these ethics.
These study findings concur with study done by Jibrin
et al. (2014) who asserted that compliance with the
formal elements gives an indication of knowledge of
the rules. Study maintained that public purchasers will
comply with the ethics rules if they have knowledge
about them. Educating and training public purchasers
was an effective tool for increasing the compliance
with the directives.
The study findings further concurred with Ndumbi and
Okello (2015) who established a positive significant
relationship between staff training and the level of
compliance to PPDA. The researcher concluded that
staff training influences compliance to PPDA. It was
recommended that the staff need to be exposed to
further training and be given incentives to carry out
procurement projects.
Summary, Conclusions and Recommendations
Summary of the Findings
There were four specific objectives in the study. So as
to attain the results the researcher conducted the
research by conducting a hypothesis test and the
following was obtained from the study;
The study found out staff training has a positive
significant influence on staff adherence to
procurement professional ethics in North Rift
Counties. The research results also showed that
majority of the subjects strongly believe that staff
training greatly influence staff adherence to
Chepkoech and Kibet (2019)
The regression equation coefficients indicated that a
unit increase in staff training would lead to 0. 193
increases in Staff adherence to procurement
professional ethics with other variables kept constant.
Standardized t Sig.
Coefficients
Beta
2.140 .034
.194 2.390 .018
procurement professional ethics in North Rift
Counties. The study thus indicated that training of staff
presents a prime opportunity to expand the knowledge
base of all the staff thus making it more effective for
adherence of code of ethics.
Conclusions
The study concluded that training of staff presents a
prime opportunity to expand the knowledge base of all
the staff thus making it more effective for adherence
of code of ethics. The study findings concur with
Upper Echelon Theory because it shows how county
government members’ characteristics and
personalities greatly influence their interpretations of
the situations they face and, in turn, affect their choices
in procurement professional ethics. The study concurs
with Stewardship theory because county governments
are governed by members who are the stakeholders
and managers, elected by citizens. When the two
interact together, neither of them should feel the other
is opportunistic or feels betrayed, but when this arises,
it results in a situation where the two parties end up
adopting an agent position.
Recommendations
The study recommends that the county governments
should always consider determinants of adherence of
procurement ethics. These are staff training, public
participations, and information technology use and
procurement communication. These will ensure that
staff adherence to procurement ethics ensuring quality
service delivery. The study recommends Kenyan
Government to check on procurement malpractices in
government departments anticipated by non-
adherence to procurement ethics. These will ensure
procurement malpractices are reduced and delivering
of services to the general population is improved.
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The study recommends the use of Stewardship theory
by the county governments because county
governments are governed by members who are the
stakeholders and managers, elected by citizens. When
the two interact together, neither of them should feel
the other is opportunistic or feels betrayed, but when
this arises, it results in a situation where the two parties
end up adopting an agent position.
Recommendation for further Studies
The researcher suggests the following further areas of
research. A research should be carried on in different
sectors in the country and to increase the sample size.
Also on effectiveness of procurement plan
implementation factors on staff adherence to
procurement professional ethics.
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