IMPACT OF WORKPLACE SAFETY ON PROFESSIONAL ETHICS OF OFFICE TECHNOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT GRADUATES IN TWO SELECTED ORGANIZATIONS IN KWARA STATE, NIGERIA

ABSTRACT This study investigated the influence of workplace safety on the professional ethics of Office Technology and Management (OTM) graduates in selected public organizations in Kwara State, Nigeria. The research was grounded in the recognized nexus between a safe work environment and ethical conduct. A descriptive survey design was adopted, with data collected from 120 OTM graduates and secretaries via a structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics. The analysis revealed a critical dissonance: while foundational workplace safety practices like periodic inspections exist, their perceived integration as a core organizational value is low. This suggests that safety is often treated as a procedural formality rather than an ethical imperative. Consequently, the professional ethics of OTM graduates display a parallel dichotomy; they exhibit strong, rule-based adherence to specific protocols like confidentiality, yet demonstrate a significant deficiency in consistently embodying broader ethical virtues such as integrity and responsibility. This pattern indicates that in environments where safety is not deeply culturally embedded, ethical conduct may become compartmentalized. The study identified a strong consensus that rectifying this requires proactive, management-led strategies, including continuous training, rewarding ethical behavior, and clear role-modelling. The study concludes that workplace safety is not merely a physical concern but a fundamental determinant of ethical professional culture, and recommends integrated interventions for organizations, educational institutions, and policymakers to foster environments where both safety and holistic ethics can thrive. Keywords: Workplace Safety, Professional Ethics, OTM Graduates, Ethical Culture, Management Strategies, Kwara State.