Conceptualisation of an ethical risk assessment for higher education institutions

Abstract

This article examines an ethical risk assessment conducted in one of South African largest higher education institutions, with the purpose to provide a confirmed structure and conceptualisation of ethical risks to be used within the Higher Education sector. A statistical analysis of 1 687 respondents participating in the original ethical risk assessment survey was conducted. Confirmatory factor analyses supported a higher order, multidimensional model of three main factors, namely institutional ethical leadership orientation, individual\employee ethical orientation and institutional student-centeredness\orientation. Based on this examination and analysis this three-factor structure provides sufficient evidence of a conceptual ethical framework to be used as basis of ethical risk assessments by higher education institutions.