ABSTRACT

The study examined managerial ethics as correlates of corporate social responsibility in the administration of universities in South South, Nigeria. The research design of the study was a correlational design. Six research questions and six hypotheses guided the study. A sample of 591 administrators was randomly selected using multi-stage sampling techniques precisely stratified proportionate, purposive and simple random sampling techniques. Two sets of questionnaires were developed by the researcher for data collection for the study. The first questionnaire titled: University Administration Managerial Ethics Questionnaire (UAMEQ) with 48 items, was designed to collect information on Managerial Ethics of university administrators, while the second questionnaire titled: Corporate Social Responsibility Questionnaire (CSRQ) which contained 15 items, was designed to collect information on Corporate Social Responsibility. The data generated through the pilot testing of the instrument were analyzed using Cronbach Alpha reliability test to determine the internal consistency of the questionnaire items. Reliability coefficients of .79 and .91 were obtained for the approaches of managerial ethics and corporate social responsibility in the administration of universities respectively which indicated that the instruments were highly valid and reliable for the study. Data were analyzed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation to answer research questions and to test the hypotheses at .05 level of significance. Findings revealed that utilitarian approach to a significant negative moderate extent relates to corporate social responsibilities, individualism approach to a significant negative low extent relates to corporate social responsibilities, moral rights approach, to a significant positive low extent relates to corporate social responsibilities, justice approach, to a significant positive moderate extent relates to corporate social responsibilities, virtue approach, to a significant positive moderate extent relates to corporate social responsibilities and common good approach, to a positive low extent relates to corporate social responsibilities in the administration of universities in South South, Nigeria. Some of the recommendations made include; university administrators should employ appropriate managerial ethics while carrying out corporate social responsibilities to host communities, university administrators should perform their corporate social responsibilities adequately and regularly to their host communities without waiting for them to agitate for their right and universities should form a synergy with their host communities to ensure a peaceful co-existence and sustainable development.