Saudi Journal of Business and Management Studies (SJBMS)
Volume-2 | Issue-03 | 278-285
Review Article
Accountability and Integrity in Managing School Finance: A Study in Secondary Schools under Responsibility Center Status in One of Malaysian Districts
Syed Ismail Syed Mohamad, Noraini Ibrahim
Published : March 31, 2017
Abstract
This study investigated the relationship between the levels of accountability and integrity of school financial
management and the factors that affect levels of accountability and integrity. Selected respondents were among the top
and middle management leaders of national high schools. The schools selected were schools under Responsibility Centre
status in one of a Malaysian districts which comprised of 97 respondents. The instrument used forthis study was
questionnaire designed by the researchers based on observations and literature reviews. The reliability of the
questionnaire was α = 0.96. The data were collected and analysed using mean score, Pearson Correlation and Sample ttest which were the main quantitative methods. The results showed very high levels of accountability and integrity
among the schools’ financial managers in the district. The study revealed a significant relationship between the levels of
accountability and integrity in accordance to few factors namely; knowledge in financial management, financial
management of the individuality of the school and the school’s internal control. Finally, the results indicated that there
was no significant difference in the levelsof accountability and integrity in managing schools’ financial sources based on
genders. The findings of this study can be used by school principals and the Ministry of Education to improve the
efficiency of schoolfinancial management, to increase the number of schools that received the Certificate of Excellence
Audit and also can help the school managers to lay out the filling course or in-service training (INSET) in schools.