Download Ethics and Accountability

Ethics and Accountability
 Ethics in public administration:
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definitions
the concept of responsibility
moral guidance
ethical organizations
 Accountability in public administration
Ethics: Definitions
 Ethics is concerned about WHAT IS RIGHT,
just, fair, or good, about what we ought to do
 Ethics is the DISCOVERY AND
APPLICATION OF MORAL STANDARDS
to the conduct of officials
 The normative standards of conduct derived
from the PHILOSOPHICAL AND
RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS of society
Ethics and Public
Administration
 The politics-administration DICHOTOMY
 Public administrators are/should be neutral,
efficient implementers of laws and policies
adopted by elected officials
According to Max Weber:
 when a public administrator is confronted
with a demand by their political superiors
they personally disagree with, the
administrator should first confront his
superior with objections. If this does not
result in a change of policy, it is not only the
duty, but even the HONOR of the
administrator to act in accordance with his
superiors’ demands.
Cont’d
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7naaukdnik&feature=related
Cont’d
 Guerilla Employees
 Employees who act against the wishes of
their superiors
 See Rosemary O’Leary article in Public
Administration Review.
Administrative Discretion
 The statement fails to address the role of
DISCRETION in public administration
 Administrative discretion raises the question
of RESPONSIBILITY
 how to make sure that they will use their
discretion responsibly?
Responsibility as the
foundation for ethics
 Responsible to whom?
 Citizens, laws, Constitution, family, future
generations, political supervisors, employees,
peers, organizational superiors, the poor, the
profession, etc.
 Conflict of responsibilities, possible in
particular situations
Cont’d
 Ethical dilemmas emerge when public
administrators encounter situations in which
there are no clear-cut solutions
 There is a conflict of responsibilities
 They need a decision-making framework,
which will help them to address and resolve
ethical dilemmas
We need moral guidance, so
where is that?
 Constitution (read the US Constitution, read
the Supreme Court decisions, understand
regime values)
 Religion (e.g., Christianity, Islam, Judaism,
Hinduism, Buddhism, and more)
 Philosophy (study philosophical traditions)
Cont’d
 Intuitionism
 Deontology (principles)
 Utilitarianism (consequentialism)
 Virtue theory
Ethical Decision Framework
 The Descriptive Task
 Defining the Ethical Issue
 Identifying Alternative Courses of Action
 Projecting the Probable Consequences of
each alternative
 Finding A Solution
Purpose:
 Finding a solution that will strike a balance
between principled reasoning and emotional
comfort
 Should be based on sound reasons (rational)
and give emotional satisfaction to the person
who makes the decision
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URvMdpjSMc&feature=related
How to create ethical
organizations?
 Codes of Ethics
 http://www.aspanet.org/public/ASPA/Resour
ces/Code_of_Ethics/ASPA/Resources/Code
%20of%20Ethics1.aspx?hkey=acd40318a945-4ffc-ba7b-18e037b1a858
Cont’d
 Ethics training
 Financial disclosure requirement for public
employees
 Creating ethics boards or commissions
 Encouraging whistle blowing
 Creating role models for employees (ethics
leadership, ethics enforcement)
When it comes to
organizational ethics
 There are three factors important in order to
promote ethical behavior in organizations
 The two are under our control
 INCENTIVES (inducements for ethical
behavior) and RISK (the risk of being caught
on unethical behavior)
One factor that is not under our
control is
 HONESTY
 In the end, it is the PEOPLE who will make a real
difference
 By studying and learning ethics, we develop
awareness and skills in dealing with ethical
dilemmas
 Yet, it is, in the end, up to us to behave ethically or
unethically.
Accountability in public
administration?
 Legislative oversight (hearings, casework)
 Clear, detailed legislation that limits public
administrators’ discretion
 Judicial review process to check on
administrative discretion
 Increasing transparency, and citizen
involvement in public administration