Download Administrative_Principles_and_Ethics_Course_Outline

UNIVERSITY OF ZIMBABWE
DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE STUDIES
2016/2017 ACADEMIC YEAR
COURSE:
LECTURER:
OFFICE:
CONSULTATION TIMES:
Administrative Principles and Ethics
H. Zvoushe
219 New Commerce Building
Tuesday 11-12; Thursday 10-11.
PURPOSE OF THE COURSE
This course seeks to expose students to the guiding principles and core values in the
administration of public affairs, and to the ethical standards of behavior expected in the
public sector. This endeavour comes against the background of the realisation that
corruption and unethical behaviour have become a common cancer in the public sector,
with very adverse effects on public service delivery, public finances, resource distribution,
government image, and on public confidence in public institutions which serve them. A
great mismatch often exists between generally accepted ethical and value premises, and
the day-to-day behaviours of administrators in the public sector. It is therefore imperative
that students, as future administrators, are adequately trained to handle ethical issues at
the workplace. To this end, students will be taught the normative values, administrative
principles and public sector ethics that are critical for sound institutional administration
and governance. They will be equipped with the skills and tools for making ethical
decisions, even in contexts of uncertainty and complexity. Practical case experiences as
well as simulations will be used as part of the training on ethics and principles of
administration. It is expected that the training in this course will help students develop
moral cognitive capacities, moral judgment and an alertness to moral obligations.
AIMS OF THE COURSE
 The course attempts to introduce the subject of ethics, values and administrative
principles as they apply to public administration;
 It also aims to shed light on the operationalization of ethics and administrative
principles in the practice of public administration.
OBJECTIVES OF THE COURSE
The course seeks to:
 familiarize students with the discourse of ethics and administrative principles in public
administration;
 map the boundaries of administrative conduct in the public sector;
 discuss the various pitfalls, dilemmas and constraints in upholding ethical standards
and professionalism; and
 examine the international best practices with the application of ethical standards and
administrative principles.
COURSE CONTENT
1.
Overview of Ethics in Public Administration
 Conceptual clarifications
 Dimensions of ethics
 Foundations of ethics in public administration

Context of application
2.
Core Administrative Principles
 Authority
 Accountability
 Transparency
 Efficiency
 Neutrality
 Integrity
 Public interest
 Discretion
3.
Administrative Responsibility
 Key issues in administrative responsibility
 The Friedrich – Finer debate
 Criticism
4.
Accountability in the Public Sector
 Key issues in accountability
 Dimensions of accountability
 Challenges and problems
5.
Ethical Dilemmas and Conflict of Interest
 Defining ethical dilemmas
 Types of ethical dilemmas
 Conflict of interest
 Normative approaches to ethical decision making
6.
Bureaucratic Corruption and Unethical Behaviour
 Defining bureaucratic corruption
 Types of corruption
 Manifestations of corruption
 Causes of unethical conduct
 Combating unethical conduct in the public sector
7.
Public Sector Regulatory Instruments for Ethics
 Constitutional provisions
 Acts of parliament
 Statutory instruments
 Codes of conduct
8.
National Integrity Systems
 Parliament
 Executive
 Judiciary
 Comptroller and auditor-general
 Anti-corruption commissions
 Law enforcement agencies
 Office of the public protector
 Media
9.
Simulations and Case Studies
REFERENCES
ACBF. 2007. Institutional Frameworks for Addressing Public Sector Corruption in Africa:
Mandate, Performance, Challenges and Capacity Needs. Harare: ACBF.
Adeyinka, O. A. 2014. Ethical issues in public service. International Journal of Social
Science and Humanity, 4(5): 410 – 412.
Appleby, P. H. 1952. Morality and Administration in American Government. Louisiana:
Louisiana State University Press.
Beard, E.and H. Stephen. 1975. Congressional Ethics: The View from the House.
Washington, D.C.: Brookings.
Bowman, J. B. and R. L. Williams. 1997. Ethics in government: from a winter of despair to
a spring of hope. Public Administration Review, 57(6),
Brandsma, G. J. and T. Schillemans. 2012. The accountability cube: measuring
accountability. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 23: 953 – 975.
Bruce, W. 2001. Classics of Administrative Ethics. Westview Press.
Commonwealth Association for Public Administration and Management (CAPAM). 2010.
Ethical Dilemmas in the Public Service. Ottawa: CAPAM.
Denhardt, K. G. 1988. The Ethics of Public Service: Resolving Moral Dilemmas in Public
Organizations. Greenwood Press.
Douglas, P. H. 1957. Ethics in Government. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Gortner, H. F. 1991. Ethics for Public Managers. Santa Barbara: Praeger Publishers.
Goss, R. P. 1996. A distinct public administration ethics? Journal of Public Administration
Research and Theory, 6(4): 573 – 597.
Hutton, W. L. and A. Massey. 2006. Professional ethics and public service: can
professionals serve two masters. Public Money and Management, 26(1): 23 – 30.
Koven, S. G. 2015. Public Sector Ethics: Theory and Applications. Boca Raton: CRC
Press.
Kunaka, C. and N. Mashumba. (eds). 2002. Strategies Against Corruption in Southern
Africa. Harare: SAHRIT.
Kuye, J. O. and M. J. Mafunisa. 2003. Responsibility, Accountability and Ethics: The
Case for Public Service Leadership. Journal of Public Administration, 38(4), 421 – 437.
Kyarimpa, G. E. and J. C. Garcia-Zamor. 2006. The quest for public service ethics:
individual conscience and organisational constraints. Public Money and Management,
26(1): 31 – 38.
Ladd, J. (ed). 1973. Ethical Relativism. Belmont: Wadsworth.
Lewis, C. W. and S. C. Gilman. 2005. The Ethics Challenge in Public Service: A Problemsolving Guide. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Maesschalck, J. 2004. Approaches to ethics management in the public sector: a
proposed extension of the compliance-integrity continuum. Public Integrity, 7(1), 21 – 41.
Martinez, M. J. 2009. Public Administration Ethics for the 21st Century. Santa Barbara:
Praeger.
Means, R. L. 1970. The Ethical Imperative: The Crisis in American Values. Garden City:
Doubleday.
Nigro, F. A. and Nigro, L. G. 1984. Modern Public Administration. Cambridge: Harper and
Low Publishers.
Peters, B. G. and J. Pierre. (eds). 2012. Handbook of Public Administration. London:
Sage.
Rohr, J. A. 1978. Ethics for Bureaucrats: An Essay on Law and Values. New York:
Marcel Dekker.
Schillemans, T. and M. Busuioc. 2014. Predicting public sector accountability: from
agency drift to forum drift. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 25: 191
– 215.
Steinberg, S. S. and D. T. Austern. 1990. Government, Ethics, and Managers: A Guide to
Solving Ethical Dilemmas in the Public Sector. Praeger Publishers.
Thaler, J. and B. Helmig. 2016. Do codes of conduct and ethical leadership influence
public employees’ attitudes and behaviours? An experimental analysis. Public
Management Review, 18(9): 1365 – 1399.
Therkldsen, O. 2001. Efficiency, Accountability and Implementation: Public Sector
Reform in Eastern and Southern Africa, Democracy, Governance and Human Rights.
Geneva: UNRISD.
Thornhill, C. 2011. The role of the public protector: case studies in public accountability.
African Journal of Public Affairs, 4(2): 79 – 88.
United Nations. 2000. Promoting Ethics in the Public Service. Washington D.C.: United
Nations.
United Nations. 1997. Ethics, Professionalism and the Image of the Public Service.
Washington D. C.: United Nations.
TUTORIAL QUESTIONS 2017
1. Discuss the concept of administrative ethics in the context of public
administration.
 Cox III, R. W. (ed). 2015. Ethics and Integrity in Public Administration: Concepts and
Cases. New York: M. E. Sharpe.
 Koven, S. G. 2015. Public Sector Ethics: Theory and Applications. Boca Raton: CRC
Press.
 Martinez, M. J. 2009. Public Administration Ethics for the 21st Century. Santa


Barbara: Praeger.
Shafritz, J. M., E. W. Russell, and Christopher P. Borick. (eds) 2011. “Chapter 5:
Honor, Ethics and Accountability” in Introducing Public Administration. 7th Edition.
New York: Longman.
United Nations. 2000. Promoting Ethics in the Public Service. Washington D.C.:
United Nations.
2. Discuss the concept of accountability and evaluate its application in the public
sector.
 Brandsma, G. J. and T. Schillemans. 2012. The accountability cube: measuring
accountability. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 23: 953 – 975.
 Schillemans, T. and M. Busuioc. 2014. Predicting public sector accountability: from
agency drift to forum drift. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 25:
191 – 215.
3. Using relevant practical examples, discuss the various ethical dilemmas in the
public sector. What are the possible solutions?
 Commonwealth Association for Public Administration and Management (CAPAM).
2010. Ethical Dilemmas in the Public Service. Ottawa: CAPAM.
 Shafritz, J. M., E. W. Russell, and C. P. Borick. (eds) 2011. “Chapter 5: Honor, Ethics
and Accountability” in Introducing Public Administration. 7th Edition. New York:
Longman.
4. What are the various forms of unethical behaviour in the public sector? Your
answer must be empirically grounded.
 Adeyinka, O. A. 2014. Ethical issues in public service. International Journal of Social
Science and Humanity, 4(5): 410 – 412.
5. Discuss the various measures for curbing corruption and unethical behaviour in
the public sector.
 Kunaka, C. and N. Mashumba. (eds). 2002. Strategies Against Corruption in Southern
Africa. Harare: SAHRIT.
6. Evaluate the utility of codes of conduct as a standard for ethical behaviour in
public sector organisations.


Kyarimpa, G. E. and J. C. Garcia-Zamor. 2006. The quest for public service ethics:
individual conscience and organisational constraints. Public Money and Management,
26(1): 31 – 38.
Thaler, J. and B. Helmig. 2016. Do codes of conduct and ethical leadership influence
public employees’ attitudes and behaviours? An experimental analysis. Public
Management Review, 18(9): 1365 – 1399.
7. Critically discuss the role of the following institutions in upholding ethical
conduct in the public sector:
(a) Anti-Corruption Commissions
(b) Law Enforcement Agencies
(c) Parliament
(d) Comptroller and Auditor-General
(e) Media
 Zhou, G. 2012. Fiscal management in Zimbabwe. International Journal of Economics
and Business Modelling, 3(1): 152 – 161.
 ACBF. 2007. Institutional Frameworks for Addressing Public Sector Corruption in
Africa: Mandate, Performance, Challenges and Capacity Needs. Harare: ACBF.