The Ethics Primer for Public Administrators in Government and Nonprofit Organizations, Second Edition / Edition 2

by James H. Svara

Overview

This concise text is a reader friendly primer to the fundamentals of administrative responsibility and ethics. Your students will come away with a clear understanding of why ethics are important to administrators in governmental and non-profit organizations, and how these administrators can relate their own personal values to the norms of the public sector. Since the publication of the first edition of The Ethics Primer, there has been significant change in the climate of public affairs that impacts the discussion of ethics for those who serve the public in governmental and nonprofit organizations. The new edition reflects those changes in three major areas: • Ethics in an era of increasing tension between political leaders and administrators over the role and size of government. • Ethical choices in making fiscal cuts or imposing new taxes in the face of the greatest economic crisis since the Depression. • Ethical challenges to established practices in public organizations. The Second Edition also offers thoroughly updated data and sources throughout, as well as examples that incorporate new research and new developments in government and politics. The Second Edition of The Ethics Primer for Public Administrators in Government and Nonprofit Organizations: • Introduces readers to the fundamentals of administrative responsibility and provides comprehensive coverage of the important elements of ethics. • Features an accessible and interactive approach to maximize understanding of the subject. • Includes information on the nature of public service and the ethical expectations of public administrators, as well factors that may lead to unethical behavior. • Written from a political perspective, the book addresses questions that are highly salient to persons working in government and nonprofits. • Offers helpful ways to link ethics and management in order to strengthen the ethical climate in a public organization.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781449619015
Publisher:	Jones & Bartlett Learning
Publication date:	02/21/2014
Edition description:	Older Edition
Pages:	260
Sales rank:	739,014
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

James Svara taught courses in politics and public administration over a forty-year career at UNC-Greensboro, North Carolina State University, and Arizona State University. His research has examined the roles and responsibilities of elected and administrative officials in local government, the complementary relationship of politics and administration, administrative ethics, innovation, citizen involvement, and sustainability. He co-chaired the Working Group that drafted the revised Code of Ethics of the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) approved in 2013, and he was appointed the inaugural chairperson of the ASPA Ethics and Standards Implementation Committee in 2015. He has lived in Durham since 2012 and has been involved in community issues related to affordable housing and transit.

Table of Contents

Preface ix

Acknowledgments xiii

Chapter 1 Introduction-and a Pop Quiz 1

Pop Quiz: Do You Have a Code of Ethics? 3

Understanding the Setting for Administrative Ethics 3

The Setting Continued: Differences Between Government and Nonprofit Organizations 6

Overview 8

Chapter 2 Administrative Ethics: Ideas, Sources, and Development 11

Definition and the Sources of Ethical Ideas 12

Your Code Compared to Others 15

Ethical Development 23

Basic Components of Administrative Ethics 28

Other Definitional Issues: Distinctions Between Ethics, Morality, and Law 30

Chapter 3 Refining the Sense of Duty: Responsibilities of Public Administrators and the Issue of Agency 33

The Responsibilities of Democratic Public

Administrators 34

Responsibilities to Elected Officials and to the Organization: The Question of Moral Agency 44

Do Role and Structure Allow Administrators to Be Responsible for Their Actions? 47

Are Public Administrators Accountable Agents? 51

Complementarity as Conceptual Foundation for Administrative Responsibilities 52

Building a Model of Administrative Ethics with Duty at the Core 55

Chapter 4 Reinforcing and Enlarging Duty: The Philosophical Bases of Ethical Behavior and the Ethics Triangle 59

Virtue and Intuition 61

Advantages of the Virtuous Approach 63

Disadvantages of the Virtuous Approach 64

Problems with Over- and Underutilization 65

Deontology and the Principle-Based Approach 66

Issues in the Principle-Based Approach 69

Advantages of the Principle-Based Approach 71

Disadvantages of the Principle-Based Approach 71

Problems of Over- and Underutilization 72

Consequences-Based Ethics: The Utilitarian Approach 72

Advantages of the Utilitarian Approach 73

Disadvantages of the Utilitarian Approach 74

Problems of Over- and Underutilization 76

Using the Approaches Together 78

Logic of Combining Approaches 79

Examples from Ethics Guidelines 80

The Ethics Triangle 81

Promoting Use of the Ethics Triangle 85

Chapter 5 Codifying Duty and Ethical Perspectives: Professional Codes of Ethics 87

Breadth and Purpose of Codes 91

Enforcement of Codes 98

Restating the Purpose of Codes of Ethics 101

Incorporating Codes into Your Own Professional Standards 102

Chapter 6 Undermining Duty: Challenges to the Ethical Behavior of Public Administrators 105

Explanations Based on Bad People/Bad Systems 108

Failings Due to Shortcomings by Normally Good and Decent Officials 112

Unethical Choices Shaped by Circumstances 120

Chapter 7 Deciding How to Meet Obligations and Act Responsibly: Ethical Analysis and Problem Solving 131

Advantages of Analysis 132

Stages and Steps in Problem Solving Model 134

Applying the Problem Solving Model 136

Problem Solving and Action 141

Chapter 8 Acting on Duty in the Face of Uncertainty and Risk: Responsible Whistleblowing 143

Conditions for Responsible Whistleblowing 145

Retaliatory Techniques 149

Steps to Protect Whistleblowers 153

Who Are Whistleblowers? 157

Chapter 9 Elevating Ethical Behavior in the Organization 161

Strengthening Organization and Management Culture 163

Clear Expectations, Effective Training and Advice, and Mechanisms for Control 167

Positive Management Practices 173

Adequate Channels for Complaints and Values That Encourage Dissent 174

Equity and Involvement in Dealings with the Public 175

Chapter 10 Mandating Duty: External Measures to Promote Ethics 181

Open Meetings Laws and Freedom of Information Requirements 181

Inspectors General and Auditors 184

State Ethics Laws 186

Those Covered by Provisions 186

Conflict of Interest 187

Disclosure 188

Prohibitions and Controls 188

Postemployment Restrictions 190

Whistleblower Protection 190

Administration and Enforcement 191

Assessment of Ethics Laws 192

Chapter 11 Conclusion: The Duties of Public Administrators 195

Appendix 1 Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch 201

Appendix 2 Code of Ethics for Government Service 203

Appendix 3 American Society for Public Administration's Code of Ethics with Practices 205

Appendix 4 International City/County Management Association Code of Ethics with Guidelines 211

Appendix 5 The Code of Ethics for Nonprofit and Philanthropic Organizations 219

Appendix 6 American Institute of Certified Planners Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct 225

Appendix 7 Organizational Ethical Climate Survey 231

Reference 235

Index 247