ABSTRACT
The public administration profession is mainly about values, policies, and people. It is about public servants promoting and fulfilling the public interests. The challenges for the public administration profession are in keeping up with and exemplifying ethical behavior in society. The ethical directionality model predicts that: the less intrinsic evil, the more likely ethical egoism or utilitarianism is appropriately preferred in ethical decision making or actions; the fewer consequences, the more likely ethical egoism or deontology are appropriately preferred in ethical decision-making or actions; the more consequences, the more likely utilitarianism or virtue are appropriately preferred in ethical decision making or actions; and the more intrinsic evil, the more likely deontology or virtue are appropriately preferred in ethical decision making or actions. This model may help to illustrate the four overlapping quadrants of ethical theories, as well as help to predict and give guidance and direction on appropriate emphasis between the ethical theories and perspectives for public administrators.
