TITLE:
Rethinking Ethical Conduct of Public Leaders in Tanzania
AUTHORS:
Ambiliasia Mosha, Emmanuel Osward, Denis Malele
KEYWORDS:
Ethics, Ethical Conduct, Accountability, Integrity, Public Service, Tanzania
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.13 No.10,
October
30,
2026
ABSTRACT: Ethical leadership is one of the necessary ingredients of good governance, particularly in public institutions where leaders exercise authority over public resources and decision-making. Despite efforts to improve governance, frameworks, and structures, public leaders’ ethical disposition continues to hamper accountability, public trust, and institutional performance in Tanzania. This study rethinks ethical leadership in relation to good governance by examining the implementation of ethical leadership practices and the effects of unethical conduct within Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs). The study adopted a constructivist philosophy and an exploratory qualitative case study design. The study adopted an institutional theory analytical framework and collected data via in-depth interviews with 15 purposively selected MDAs and documentary reviews. Thematic analysis of the findings revealed that Tanzania has established strong ethical leadership, regulatory, and normative frameworks as designated by the constitution. However, the implementation remains constrained by weak enforcement, organizational culture and behaviour patterns that limit accountability mechanisms. Unabated unethical conduct creates a contagion of laxity that escalates ‘business as usual’ mechanisms, dragging down efforts to promote ethical leadership. Thus, ethical lesadership and good governance are strenghterned by a triad of mutually reinforcing regulative, cultura-cognitve and normative pillars.