Business practices influencing ethical conduct of small and medium-sized enterprises in Uganda

Abstract

Although the significant economic contributions of small and medium‑sized enterprises (SMEs) are globally acknowledged, many Ugandan SMEs have not fully integrated ethics into their business strategies. We explored the business practices that influence ethical conduct in SMEs in Uganda. A newly developed self‑administered questionnaire was used to collect data from a non‑probability convenience sample of 384 SME owners or managers. Management practices of Ugandan SMEs and their employees’ knowledge significantly influence their ethical business conduct. SME owners and managers should brief their employees on acceptable ethical business behaviour and develop management practices to reflect their intended ethical business reputation.