Ethical Self-formation Practices: A Case Study of a South African University Faculty Manager

There is a lack of academic studies on faculty managers in South African universities. This study explores one faculty manager's thinking and work practices. The faculty manager was purposively chosen since his case was exemplary of how ethics can undergird exemplary performance. Semi-structured face-to-face interviews were the method of data collection. Foucault's ethical framework was employed to analyse the data. Through thematic data analysis, the researchers explored the ways in which one faculty manager engaged in ethical self-formation practices. Despite hegemonic discursive constraints, the research participant drew on alternative resources to fashion himself. He drew on the discourse of systems thinking to shape himself. The research participant achieved the balance between his aspirations for an ethical life and the demands of his occupational and personal life. This case study presents empirical evidence of how a faculty manager in a South African university engaged in ethical self-formation practices.