Journal of Management & Corporate Sustainablity

It is highly vulnerable to systemic corruption and ethical compromises with the public sector project management set in a background of the high degree of politicism, lack of resources and multiple stakeholders. This paper deals with a structural conception of corruption, and addresses moral and accountability issues of public works, health and civil projects. It is grounded in the Principal-Agent Theory and Public Choice Theory that focuses on the dynamics between information asymmetry, misaligned incentives, political pressure, and project governance and public trust. It uncovers and examines the pathologies in the public procurement system – rent seeking, collusive bidding, and strategic misrepresentation. Moreover, we explore how state-of-the-art integrity practices, such as Open Contracting Data Standards (OCDS), independent oversight bodies and efficient and effective whistleblower protection provisions apply. We feel a change should be made from the compliance-based metrics to a digital, transparent, objective and institutionalised system of accountability to address ethical challenges. Finally, the paper presents a framework of public integrity of public sector projects and suggests that the success of an institutional project cannot be solely measured by the financial or physical outcome, but also by the preservation of institutional legitimacy and public trust. 

This study examined the relationship between adaptive capacity and operational performance in electricity distribution companies in the South-South Region of Nigeria. A cross-sectional survey design was adopted, targeting Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company and Benin Electricity Distribution Company, with a population of 442 employees. A sample size of 205 respondents was determined using the Yamane formula, and data were collected via structured questionnaires. The independent variable, adaptive capacity was measured, while operational performance was measured using service quality and service flexibility. Findings revealed a significant and positive relationship between adaptive capacity and service quality (β = 0.524, p < 0.05), as well as between adaptive capacity and service flexibility (β = 0.496, p < 0.05). The coefficients of determination (R²) were 0.275 and 0.246, respectively, indicating that adaptive capacity accounts for 27.5% and 24.6% of the variations in service quality and service flexibility. These results underscore the critical role of adaptive capacity in enhancing operational performance within electricity distribution firms. The study concludes that companies with higher adaptive capabilities are better positioned to improve service delivery and respond flexibly to customer needs. The study recommended the implementation of predictive maintenance using data analytics to minimize equipment failure and the deployment of Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) to facilitate real-time energy monitoring and management. Overall, strengthening adaptive capacity can significantly boost the efficiency, responsiveness, and reliability of electricity distribution companies in the South-South region of Nigeria.