Awareness of Employees in Financial Departments of Governance Principles in Saudi Government Institutions

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the level of awareness among financial department employees in Saudi government institutions regarding the principles of governance, and to examine how such awareness—alongside departmental interest in implementation—impacts institutional financial performance. Employing a descriptive-analytical methodology, the researchers distributed an electronic questionnaire to 67 employees and conducted statistical analysis using T-tests and linear regression via SPSS. Findings revealed varying levels of governance awareness, coupled with clear institutional interest in applying governance, particularly in internal control and transparency practices, which contributed to enhanced financial performance. Regression results showed that 77.8% of the variance in governance implementation could be attributed to employee awareness and departmental commitment, with the latter having a stronger effect. The study recommended fostering a unified understanding of governance principles, organizing specialized training programs, reinforcing internal control systematically, and conducting organizational restructuring to reduce task overlap. Limitations included the study’s confinement to government institutions in 2024 and reliance on electronic data collection. Future research was encouraged to explore additional variables such as organizational culture and leadership style, and to expand sample size for broader generalizability.