Introduction
It is hard to disagree that, in most cases, adherence to the universal and one’s moral values is the key to positive social interactions and the promotion of the good. The code of ethics and moral principles should guide professionals who aim to earn society’s trust and meet people’s needs. The field of public administration is not an exception – its workers and members need to ensure that their actions and decisions are ethical, but this, in turn, may result in some additional issues. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the connection between ethics and public administrators and explore the role of reform in the context of ethics.
Discussion
To begin with, it is vital to prove the essence of morale in the identified field. According to researchers, public service is “a calling or vocation that embodies selfless service and prosocial behavior” with “a general intent to do good for others and society” (Williams, 2015, p. 583). As a result, precisely ethical values, norms, and principles should guide public administrators and be the indicators of whether their decisions and actions are for society’s wellness. Ethics is a special connection between the administration and the public, ensuring responsibility and accountability, transparency, trust, fairness, good decision-making, and readiness to admit and correct one’s mistakes. Without adherence to the code of ethics, public administrators will not be able to adequately introduce change to their course of action following the community’s needs (Williams, 2015). Finally, ethics is a basis for the standards of professionalism and procedures that are crucial for good service.
At the same time, it is possible to say that some challenges may appear due to the need to follow the morale. Thus, “the ethic of neutrality and the ethic of structure suppresses the independent moral judgment and the individual moral agency of public servants” (Williams, 2015, p. 586). In other words, the code of ethics can prevent public administrators from following their moral judgment even if they know for sure that the latter is more correct in a particular situation. Sometimes, public administration workers are obliged to sacrifice people’s interests and follow the law and other guidelines because the code of ethics orders them to do so.
Further, it is possible to suggest that, in the context of ethics, reform is an unavoidable need to introduce new substantial changes to solve an identified issue and change the situation for the better. However, since the context is ethical, this reform should be brought through the advancement of the old system instead of its destruction. Williams (2015) is certain that the dilemma that the code of ethics brings to the sector of public administration can be solved by a proper combination of leader-centric and follower-centric methods. This mixture can foster public trust and confidence and allow for the reduction of cases when administrators have to choose between their morale and the law.
Conclusion
To conclude, one may say that ethics makes the public administration field and its members more accountable, responsible, and trustworthy. At the same time, a balance should be found between adhering to the code of ethics and following one’s morale. In some cases, precisely the latter is correct, but the dominance of the leader-centric approach in public administration obliges employees to act following the law. Reform is needed to solve this issue and make the approach more follower-centric.
Reference
Williams, B. N. (2015). Embracing ethical principles for public action. In R. K. Christensen & J. L. Perry (Eds.), Handbook of public administration (pp. 583-597). John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated.