In chapter three of the book Responsible Administrator, Cooper (2012) looks at how administrative ethics, especially in public administration have transitioned with change in time and among others, modernity and post-modernity and how they have been affected by different aspects of the same.
Administrative roles can be interpreted differently in different locations and regions. In view of this, it is vital to point out and understand the context within which we describe ethical issues. The most important contexts that might directly describe the scope of ethics are social and cultural contexts.
It is with the transition of these contexts, which involve the aspects of thought, character and practice that has begotten the lifestyle we describe as modernism and postmodernism. To be more precise, modernism explains the behaviors of individuals who feel that the old customs, forms of skill, style, literature, religious faith, social organization, family and daily life were becoming obsolete in the new economic, social, and political conditions of a budding effusive industrialized world. Due to this, people tend to form their own ethical views and expectations of people with whom they directly interact.
In relation to administrative ethics, Cooper (2012) points out the characteristics of the modern world that affect ethics in administration. They concern the aspect of science being applied to many aspects of our lives, which has brought out issues such as inefficiencies in interaction, production, and application of these scientific principles. These three issues substitute our traditional source of stability, order and consistency of conduct.
Secondly, multiplicity and differentiation of roles that we undertake require that we exhibit different behaviors, and the all compete for our time, effort, and attention leaving us in a state of constant perplexity. Third, the separation of work and private lives is a growing trend as opposed to the traditional setting where work could easy fit in the private lives of people. The fourth is commonly termed as relativism. This mostly affects roles and ethics of individuals within the society. In view of this, there is no absolute definition of the boundaries of either of the two (Cooper, 2012). Lastly, many people from different cultural backgrounds coming to one place, mostly urban areas and developed regions, and mingling. This brings about “pluralization” of society, as Cooper (2012) puts it.
Cooper further argues on the implications that modernization has for public administration. The first issue is the political nature of public administration within the context of conflicts and their causative agents. He draws the difference between politics and administrative roles. Secondly, the separation of public administration and citizen roles and Cooper illustrates that measures should be devised to link the two roles.
In addition, due to the pool of diverse interest of citizens, Cooper indicates that modernization requires administrators who are able to manage diversity, and that they should be effective in this role. They should be able to serve the organizations and the citizens, and serve both of them with equal loyalty.
Another factor to consider is that with the arrival of modernization, there was developed an adapted way of leadership- democracy. This came about because of the forces of modernity. Finally, with the democratic public policy came about three aspects with ethical concerns, which are, representation, education and implementation. All these three as related to the public policy process caused a burst of ethical issues in explicitly identifying the administrative roles bearing in mind the impossibilities of avoidance of the political context.
Reference
Cooper, T. L. (2012). The Responsible Administrator, 6th Ed. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.