ABSTRACT

This chapter begins with a discussion on why ethics are important for public administration. It also discusses several different philosophical approaches to the subject. The chapter examines the role codes of ethics in setting high standards for public servants, and the utility of laws that impose constraints on administrators' behavior. It describes several important issues in administrative ethics: the difference between responsibility and accountability; external versus internal controls; ethical obligations of administrators; ethical decision-making; leadership and ethics; and future impact. The chapter then looks at some recent developments in administrative ethics and investigates the whistle blowing and the moral responsibility of administrators to report administrative wrongdoing. It also examines the theory of administrative evil, or the concept that modern organizations provide an environment in which immoral or unethical actions can sometimes take root and implicate ordinary employees in wrongdoing.