Bayat, M.S.Sibanda, MMakayi, Zandile2026-06-102026-06-102024-05http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11837/4039This study set to investigate the views of level 4-9 employees on ethics and integrity of their line managers within a public sector institution, the Eastern Cape Department of Education (ECDOE). The study is largely premised on the prevalent conditions of lack of ethical and integrity in several government departments signified by issues such as corruption, nepotism, bribery and cronyism. The ECDOE like other government departments has been severely affected by the acts of unethical conduct which are undermining the department’s performance. The ethics and integrity of leadership and management plays a significant role in the delivery of service within South African public institutions. Employees as the executors of duties and responsibilities within the departments depend on how management uphold ethics and integrity. Line managers as the first line of management plays a major role in enforcing ethics and integrity as they shape organisational culture within an organisation. However, line managers’ capacity to enforce ethics and integrity comes from how the subordinates perceive their line managers’ ethical and integrity practices. It is in this context that this study sought to understand perceptions that level 4-9 employees have on the ethics and integrity of line managers at the ECDOE, effect the ethical and integrity practices depicted by line managers has on the level 4-9 employees at the ECDOE, and determine what needs to be done to promote positive ethical and integrity practices at the ECDOE. Using a qualitative research methodology, the study utilised a sample of 20 participants who were purposively selected to participate in semi-structured interviews thereby providing insightful qualitative data. Thematically analysed, some of the data revealed that ECDOE employees perceive the application of ethics and integrity by their line managers as inconsistent. Data also shows that there is notable reduction in employee morale, employee engagement, job satisfaction and employee confidence due to incongruent and inconsistent ethical and integrity practices displayed by line managers. Therefore, the study recommends the use of ethics and integrity assessment and audit, ethics and integrity training, role modelling activities and structures, restructuring ethics and integrity guidelines and infrastructure as well as the prioritisation of ethics and integrity management.enBusiness ethicsPublic administration Moral and ethical aspects.