FACTORS INFLUENCING THE ETHICAL BEHAVIORS OF THE MUNICIPALITY-LEVEL LOCAL GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION ADMINISTRATORS IN PATHUM THANI PROVINCE

Abstract

The objectives of the study were 1) to study the level of factors influencing the ethical behaviors of the municipality-level local government organization administrators in Pathum Thani province; 2) to study the level of ethical behaviors of the municipality-level local government organization administrators in Pathum Thani province; 3) to study the relationship between the influencing factors and the ethical behaviors of the municipality-level local government organization administrators in Pathum Thani province; 4) to study the factors influencing the ethical behaviors of the municipality-level local government organization administrators in Pathum Thani province; and 5) to find out guidelines to promote the ethical behaviors of the municipality-level local government organization administrators in Pathum Thani province. The study was a quantitative research. The population used in the study were the personnel from 9 municipalities in Pathum Thani province, 3,507 people in total. The sample size was determined using Taro Yamane (Yamane, 1973) formula, with the numbers of sample of 359 people. Researchers had increased sample size to 400 people for suitability in the study. The sample was selected using purposive sampling. The instrument used in research was questionnaires. The statistics used in data analysis were frequency distribution, percentage, mean, standard deviation, correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis.

     The findings of the study were as follows:

     1. The majority of respondents were female, 264 people or 66.0 percent, followed by male, 136 people or 34.0 percent. The majority of the respondents; were between 31 - 40 years old, 152 people or 38.0 percent; had a bachelor's degree, 213 people or 53.3 percent; were casual employees, 152 people or 38.0 percent; had work experience in between 6 - 10 years, 154 people or 38.4 percent; and have earned income not exceeding 15,000 Baht, 179 people or 44.7 percent.

     2. The results of the analysis of the factors influencing ethical behaviors of the municipality-level local government organization administrators in Pathum Thani province as a whole were at a high level. Considering in individual aspect, it was found that all aspects were at the high level of average. The situation factor had the highest average, followed by the good governance-focused organizational culture factor, the leadership factor, and the organizational climate factor had the lowest average, respectively.

     3. The results of the ethical behaviors of the municipality-level local government organization administrators in Pathum Thani province analysis as a whole were at a high level. Considering in individual aspect, it was found that all aspects were at the high level of average. The aspect of adhering to the democratic form of government with the King as Head of State had the highest average, followed by the aspect of rapid, hospitable and non-discriminate providing services to people, the aspect of good consciousness, honesty and responsibility, the aspect of adhering to professional ethics, the aspect of goal-oriented, standardized, quality, transparent, and verifiable working, the aspect of standing up for rightness, justice, and legality, the aspect of adhering to the national interest rather than the private interest and without conflict of interest.  the aspect of providing complete and accurate information to the public without distortion of facts, and the aspect of adhering to moral and ethics, respectively.

     4. The results of the intraclass correlation coefficient analysis among the variables of factors influencing the ethical behaviors of the municipality-level local government organization administrators in Pathum Thani province showed that all variables have a positive correlation to each other with statistical significance at the level of 0.01. The correlation values ​​ranged between 0.636 - 0.927. The study revealed that the good governance-focused organizational culture factor and the ethical behaviors of the local government organization administrators had a very high level of relationship with the correlation value of 0.927. For other factors, it was found that there was a high to very high level of positive relationship.

     5. The results of the multiple regression analysis indicated that all 4 variables; the leadership factor (X1), the situation factor (X2), the organizational climate factor (X3), and the good governance-focused organizational culture factor (X4) affected to the ethical behaviors of the municipality-level local government organization administrators in Pathum Thani province. There was a linear relationship with statistical significance at the level of 0.01 with the correlation coefficient of 0.877. And enabled to forecast factors influencing the ethical behaviors of the municipality-level local government organization administrators in Pathum Thani province by 77.0 percent. The forecasting equation could be written in standard-score form as ZY = -.007 (X2) + .039 (X3) + .177 (X1) + .694 (X4).

     6. For the guideline to promote the ethical behaviors of the municipal-level local government organization administrators in Pathum Thani province, the study suggested that 1) the administrators have to recognize and understand the problems from actual situations under leadership characteristics by listening to opinions from the organization’s personnel and the public. 2) the administrators should adhere to the utilitarianism principle or the greatest benefit of the people in considering morality. 3) the administrators have to apparently define the desirable behaviors or the behaviors need to be improved in self-control. 4) the administrators should behave as an ethical paradigm to personnel in the organization and people. 5) the administrators should give importance to the public administration integrity and transparency policy. 6) the administrators have to adhere to the core values ​​according to ethical standards by supporting the behaviors under Code of Ethics for Municipal Employees, Permanent Employees and Casual Employees 2015 and maintain the ethics of the local government organization employees.