ABSTRACT

The current approaches to ethics training have been compared to the Eiffel Tower, which can best be understood from three perspectives. First, to grasp the intricate engineering of the tower, it must be viewed close up in order to study the “nuts and bolts” of its foundation. In terms of ethics training, this means that some advocates believe that public managers must understand the legal basis of their conduct and comply with binding regulations. Second, to comprehend the breadth and scope of the monument, the tower must be viewed from the top in order to appreciate its panoramic splendor. Similarly, some proponents believe that to be effective, ethics training must impart lofty ethical standards and a moral reasoning process that inspires administrators to do good (Block, 1991). Third, the tower needs to be viewed from a distance in order to gain a holistic view of how it fits into its surroundings. Some supporters assert that the entire organization must provide a context in which individual ethics are fostered. They claim without a holistic perspective, individual ethical conduct is otherwise problematical.