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Most trusted name in ethics
Part – I
ETHICS, INTEGRITY & APTITUDE
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Syllabus : General Studies-IV - Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude
This paper will include questions to test the candidates’ attitude and approach to issues relating to integrity, probity in public life and his problem solving approach to various issues and conflicts faced by him in dealing with society. Questions may utilise the case study approach to determine these aspects. The following broad areas will be covered.
u Ethics and Human Interface: Essence, determinants and consequences of Ethics in - human actions; dimensions of ethics; ethics - in private and public relationships. Human Values - lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers and administrators; role of family, society and educational institutions in inculcating values.
u Attitude: content, structure, function; its influence and relation with thought and behaviour; moral and political attitudes; social influence and persuasion.
u Aptitude and foundational values for Civil Service, integrity, impartiality and non-partisanship, objectivity, dedication to public service, empathy, tolerance and compassion towards the weaker-sections.
u Emotional intelligence: concepts, and their utilities and application in administration and governance.
u Contributions of moral thinkers and philosophers from India and world.
u Public/Civil service values and Ethics in Public administration: Status and problems; ethical concerns and dilemmas in government and private institutions; laws, rules, regulations and conscience as sources of ethical guidance; accountability and ethical governance; strengthening of ethical and moral values in governance; ethical issues in international relations and funding; corporate governance.
u Probity in Governance: Concept of public service; Philosophical basis of governance and probity; Information sharing and transparency in government, Right to Information, Codes of Ethics, Codes of Conduct, Citizen’s Charters, Work culture, Quality of service delivery, Utilization of public funds, challenges of corruption.
u Case Studies on above issues.
GENERAL STUDIES-IV : ETHICS, INTEGRITY, AND APTITUDE
Syllabus
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Unit – I : EthicsandHumanInterface .................................................................................... 1-37 r Ethics, Morality, Values, Ethical reasoning ............................................................ r Ethics & religion / law .............................................................................................7 r Essence, determinants, consequences, dimension ............................................17 r Ethics - in private and public relationships ........................................................29
Unit –II : Values ......................................................................................................................... 37-68 r What are values? ....................................................................................................38 r Human values .........................................................................................................40 r Classification of values ..........................................................................................41 r Building values : Family, Society, Institutions ...................................................44 r Crisis of values........................................................................................................52 r Gandhian values & success stories ......................................................................62
Unit – III : SourcesofEthicalGuidance ................................................................................ 69-118 r Laws, Rules, Regulations ......................................................................................70 r Conscience ...............................................................................................................75 r Utilitarianism, Rights, Justice, Common Good, Virtues...................................77 r Leaders / Reformers / Administrators .................................................................85 r Moral thinkers / Philosophers ..............................................................................98
Unit – IV : Attitude;PersuasionStrategiesandEI ............................................................ 119-170 r Attitude ..................................................................................................................120 r Persuasion .............................................................................................................128 r Persuasion & Ethics .............................................................................................135 r Persuasion & Governance ...................................................................................145 r Emotional Intelligence .........................................................................................156
Unit – V : BusinessEthics ..................................................................................................... 171-196 r Corporate Governance ........................................................................................172 r CSR .........................................................................................................................188 r Bhagvat Gita & CSR .............................................................................................191
INDEX
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Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude
Refer to Part-II
Unit – VI : EthicalissuesinIR r International Ethics r Role of Traditions r Ethical Strategies r Ethics of War r Ethics of Foreign Intervention r Morality of Economic Sanctions r Foreign Aid r Ethics of Climate Change
Unit – VII : EthicalGovernance r Foundational Values of Public Service r Ethics in Public Administration r Philosophical Roots of Good Governance r Hurdles r Strengthening Values in Governance r Probity in Governance r Accountability and ethical governance r Work Culture r Citizen Charter r Code of Ethics / Conduct r Quality of Service Delivery r Utilization of Public Funds r Information Sharing & Transparency
Unit – VIII : CaseStudyManual r Ethical Concerns & Dilemmas r Ethical Competencies r Importance of Case Studies r Ethical Reasoning Questions r Guidelines r Understanding Ethical Decision Model
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Introduction
Ethics is all about choice. To make choice one need not to have any specialized training or degree. All the time we all, irrespective of our educational background (with or without), make choices. But, yes, if we practice ethical reasoning or get acquainted with some moral theories, definitely we will be in better position to make sensible choices.
Today global concern is not merely ethics. Rather it is the inculcation of values because just by knowing what is good or bad does not make us to do right things. In this regard following statement of Duryodhana in conversation with lord Krishna in the Mahabharata holds special significance :
“ I know Dharma but it fails to inspire me. I know Adharma also but I fail to withdraw from it.”
Ethics can ensure outer desired behaviour. It can impose certain rules, regulations, laws or code of conduct superficially only. All these would be followed under given compulsion. But they might be broken the moment these compulsions are no more.
Real transformation in the system and society can come only if values are imbibed. That is, if sound values are inculcated within, the action becomes voluntary, spontaneous and self motivated. Naturally such actions will be effective, humane and wholesome in nature.
In present times there is crisis of values. It get reflected in the decline of public trust in governance. Corruption, low morale, favouritism, inefficiency, poor deliverance of goods & services, etc. have become order of the day. Today, we find lot of gap between theory and practice, belief and action. This gap leads to hypocrisy. This contradiction leads to tensions and stress in the society. It has been widely acknowledged that corruption and power abuse weaken the nation.
The obvious solution is better, more transparent and accountable administration. Such an administration can be trustworthy only when it is based on deeply felt human values.
Panacea of all problems is HOLISTICCOMPETENCE. It is multidimensional concept and works at inculcation of various skills as well as values at various levels. It bridges the gap between theory and practice. On one hand it works on inculcations and on the other hand it makes person to bring those skills & values in practice. During the course you will get to know that HC itself is composite of ETHICAL COMPETENCY,EMOTIONALCOMPETENCY&INTELLIGENCECOMPETENCY/IQ.
In this book throughout we have focused, implicitly & explicitly, not only on its various dimensions but also its need as well as ways & means to nurture it. We have emphatically maintained that real transformation can be made only if sound values are imbibed.
In this regard PSYCHO-PHILOSOPHICAL doctrines can play an instrumental role. These Indian concepts gives intellectual clarity & insights and at the same time leads to purification of heart & mind. All these brings coherency in our thoughts, words & deeds. Contradictions between theory and practice, values and action vanishes.
INTRODUCTION
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Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude
Hence, throughout the book conscious emphasis has been put on value based and thought provoking articles. Whole theme of the book is on inculcation of values, reformation from within and thereby developing holistic competency.
Book, compiled in two small volumes, is divided in total 8 units. Apart from syllabus topics we have also included peripheral issues so as that we can have comprehensive view. We have strictly kept examination trend in our mind.
Unit I starts with a small story of “joy of giving” which underlines the fact that ethics is all about one’s conscience. It is based on the philosophy of giving back to the society just as flowers gives fragrance without expecting anything from outside. Further, we have attempted to discuss different dimensions of ethics including it’s definition. We have attempted to ponder on the question that why we need to be ethical at all ?
Unit II deals with the concept of values. Values are the invisible wealth of the society. With the rise and fall of values societies rise & fall. Hence, for the sustenance of the system it is very necessary to inculcate human values. However, when there is crisis of values then the very sustainability is threatened .All these aspects including the role of various building blocks of values have been discussed in various chapters. In the end there is chapter on Gandhian values and some success stories based on Gandhian philosophy.
Unit III is devoted to the sources of ethical guidance such as laws, rules, conscience. Sources are not only confined to these only. Rather, we tried to treat in broad way so as to include various moral thinkers & their theories, great leaders/reformers/administrators & their value standards. We have included personalities from diverse areas. All these great leaders have inspired us, motivated us and have become our role models. All these great personalities have some common character traits and value system from which we can learn lessons of wisdom, will, integrity, compassion, tolerance, fortitude, etc.
Unit IV deals with the attitude,persuasionandemotionalintelligence. Persuasion part has been dealt in the most comprehensive manner. Based on the analysis of previous year’s question papers we can say that every year at least two case studies are based on the persuasion skills. Even otherwise persuasion skills are required in all the aspects of governance, for example, in recent times government is appealing to switch to less cash, appeal to leave LPG subsidy, drive for clean India, etc. Hence, a separate chapter is included on Persuasion and Governance. One of the chapter underlines the importance of ethical persuasion i.e respecting others dignity, concern for others welfare, good intentions, conscious awareness of all parties, etc.
Unit V focuses on ethics in business. Apart from dealing with corporate governance it also throws light on corporate social responsibility and role of Bhagavat Gita in corporate governance. Ethical leadership is good for business because unethical conduct and decisions might ruin business itself as we will see this with the help of some examples. However, moral reputation cannot come automatically, it has to be cultivated by corporate culture of respecting ethical values in management and at the same time safeguarding interests of various stakeholders.
Unit VI deals with ethics in international relations. We have treated it in most comprehensive way and content would be able handle all probable types of questions. We have first differentiated international ethics from domestic/national ethics and then we have outlined various moral traditions and moral strategies which govern decisions at international level. We have also included discussions on contemporary issues and their moral dimensions such as doctrine of just war, ethics of pre-emptive & preventive war, ethics of
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Introduction
drone attacks, ethics of moral sanctions, ethics of foreign interventions, foreign aid and also on climatic change efforts.
Unit VII deals with the ethical governance, problems & concern, ways & means to ensure good / ethical administration including topics as mentioned in the syllabus. First we dealt with roots of good governance tracing from ancient times and tried to emphasis that ethical administration is not new. Rather we have rich traditions. As far as strengthening of moral values in administration is concerned we have relied more on inculcation of values then talking about various laws, rules, recommendations of various committees. Rather we have importance of reforming within and hence we focused on PSYCHO-PHILOSOPHICAL DOCTRINES for imbibing values.
Finally Unit VIII is devoted to case studies manual. In this unit we have discussed not only various types of ethical concerns & dilemmas but also various competencies required to handle ethical dilemmas. We have down laid certain guidelines to solve case studies. As an initial step in solving cases we must have a framework for understanding ethics in dynamic rather than static terms. In a broad sense ethics has to do with concepts such as good, right and ought but in everyday life practical meanings of these abstract concepts causes us to deal with them at various levels of seriousness and systematic reflection. From this perspective we can identify, as discussed in the chapter Understanding Ethical Decision, four distinctive levels at which we deal with ethical concerns.
Exam Oriented Factsu Ever since this paper has been introduced it has been proved to be a crucial factor in the success. On
an average candidates are getting 90-100 marks. However, many candidates have even crossed 130. It is the only paper where aspirants are getting such marks as compared to other GS papers.
u Right strategy for this paper is to focus on :
l Peripheral areas
On analysis of syllabus it is found that direct questions from syllabus are very few. Rather, majority of the questions are from peripheral areas.
l Organic approach
One need to understand an ecosystem of philosophy, psychology and governance and interlinkages among topics mentioned in the syllabus & with contemporary context
l Organicrelationbetweencasestudies&theory
Treating case studies and theory portion as separate section is a strategic mistake. Rather, both are complementary to each other. More stronger you become in theory, more stronger you naturally become in case studies.
Many times a long case is given and then very general questions are asked. These questions can be answered even without reading case ! Candidates fell in this trap. If it is the case then what’s the point of giving case.
Point is, case study is not merely question answer session, rather it is given to check your various skills, such as – l moral sensitivity, l moral compass,
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Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude
l ethical reasoning,l the way in which you reach some decision, awareness of various stakeholders, roots of
the problem, implications of the issue and your decision, l your attitude & persuasion skills, l aptitude of servicel various competencies
It is,in fact, a way to map you. The best way to inculcate proper skills is to practice case studies. While solving/practicing one should do exhaustive brainstorming, try to see all dimensions of the case, values/problems/dilemmas hidden. Try to read in between lines. We have dealt all these issues together with examples in the chapter understanding ethical decision.
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Question Analysis/Trend : Previous Years
There is wide variety of questions which have been asked in previous years. But we classify them under some broad themes. Some questions are from directly syllabus, however, majority of them have been from peripheral areas.
Each of the following questions is worth 10 marks and 150 words.
I. PersonalExperienceorOpinionBasedl No specialized reading is requiredl Based on your logical thinkingl Basically meant to check your ethical sensitivity, moral compass, mental calibre & constructive
thinking and ability to correlate things . l Thoughtful reading of newspaper will be sufficient
Q. Some people feel that values keep changing with time and situation, while others stronglybelieve that there are certain universal and eternal human values. Give your perception in this regardwithduejustification.(2013)
l Values are those which have worth
l Hierarchy of values is more important than talking Absolute or relative values
l Values changes with time. Precisely it means depending on situation we need to make hierarchy of values according to their priority. In some situation truth is the most important while in some human life becomes most precious.
Q. Whatdoyouunderstandbytheterm‘voiceofconscience’?Howdoyouprepareyourselftoheedtothevoiceofconscience?(2013)
Q. Whatismeantby‘crisisofconscience’?Narrateoneincidentinyourlifewhenyouwerefacedwithsuchacrisisandhowyouresolvedthesame.(2013)
l Peripheral area
Q. Allhumanbeingsaspireforhappiness.Doyouagree?Whatdoeshappinessmeantoyou?Explainwithexamples.(2014)
l Not directly from syllabus, mainly from peripheral areas
l ethics deals with summum bonum of human life i.e supreme aim of life, for example, Indian philosophy aims at Moksh. For that science of morality comes into the picture.
QUESTIONANALYSIS/TREND: PREVIOUS YEARS
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Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude
For some happiness is that summum bonum
l Aristotle equates with Eudemonia i.e happiness, flourishing human life, self contentment, doing things with perseverance
l Your personal understanding about happiness ; it could be anything
l Supporting with examples
Q. Inthecontextofdefenceservices, ‘patriotism’demandsreadinesstoevenlaydownone’slifeinprotectingthenation.Accordingtoyou,whatdoespatriotismimplyineverydaycivil life?Explainwithillustrationsandjustifyyouranswer.(2014)
l Newspaper will suffice
l Constructive contribution to the nation building
l Playing one’s part/role in the society
l Absence of free rider problem
l Trustee but not owners of resources
l Different examples
Q. Whicheminentpersonalityhasinspiredyouthemostinthecontextofethicalconductinlife?Givethegistofhis/herteachingsgivingspecificexamples,describehowyouhavebeenabletoapplytheseteachingsforyourownethicaldevelopment.(2014)
Q. Thecurrentsocietyisplaguedwithwidespreadtrust-deficit.Whataretheconsequencesofthissituationforpersonalwell-beingandforsocietalwell-being?Whatcanyoudoatthepersonalleveltomakeyourselftrustworthy?(2014)
l Again not directly mentioned in the syllabus
l But if one had analysed syllabus properly then one can easily catch that without understanding importance of public trust and it’s decline in present times you can cannot appreciate this paper
II. Terminology basedl Such questions can be prepared over period of time by making list of terminologies
l Along with definition these terms should be seen holistically and more in terms of their applied part
l Your answer will be hollow if it is not supported by appropriate examples
Q. Whatdoyouunderstandby‘values’and‘ethics’?Inwhatwayisitimportanttobeethicalalongwithbeingprofessionallycompetent?(2013)
l First part of the question can be best captured by statement of Duryodhan to Krishna in Mahabharat — “I know dharma but it fails to inspire me, I know adharam also but I fail to withdraw from it.”
l That is, it not merely enough to know what is right & what is wrong
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Question Analysis/Trend : Previous Years
Q. Whatdoyouunderstandbythefollowingtermsinthecontextofpublicservice?(2013)
l Integrity
l Perseverance
l Spirit of service
l Commitment
l Courage of conviction
Q. Whatis ’emotionalintelligence’andhowcanitbedevelopedinpeople?Howdoesithelpanindividualintakingethicaldecisions?(2013)
l Direct from syllabus
Q. Whatdoes ethics seek topromote inhuman life?Why is it all themore important inpublicadministration?(2014)
l Summum bonum
l For some it is happiness, while some says pleasure, some says it is “greatest good of greatest number”
l In public administration it seeks ethical governance. It is not merely good governance.
Q. What in meant by ‘environmental ethics? Why is it important to study? Discuss any oneenvironmental issue from the viewpoint of environmental ethics.
l Based on basic understanding of ethics
l Rest can be dealt with current environmental issues and sustainable development
Q. Differentiatebetweenthefollowing(2015)
l Law and Ethics
l Ethical management and Management of ethics
l Discrimination and Preferential treatment
l Personal ethics and Professional ethics
Q. Two different kinds of attitudes exhibited by public servants towards theirwork have beenidentifiedasbureaucraticattitudeandthedemocraticattitude.Distinguishbetweenthesetwotermsandwrite theirmeritsanddemerits.Is itpossible tobalance the two toocreateabetteradministrationforthefasterdevelopmentofourcountry?(2015)
Q. “Amerecompliancewithlawisnotenough,thepublicservantalsohavetohaveawelldevelopedsensibilitytoethicalissuesforeffectivedischargeofduties”Doyouagree?Explainwiththehelpoftwoexampleswhere(i)anactisethicallyright,butnotlegallyand(ii)anactislegallyright,butnotethically.(2015)
l This question is based on “ethical illiteracy”
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Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude
Q. Howdothevirtuesoftrustworthinessandfortitudegetmanifestedinpublicservice?Explainwithexamples.(2015)
III. ProverbsorQuotesl Though they are thinker based but one should not just confine to thinker only
l One should be able understand the real significance, reading in between lines
l No need to prepare separately, answer lies in the quote only
l Must be substantiated with examples
Q. Given below are three quotations of great moral thinkers/philosophers. For each of thesequotations,bringoutwhatitmeanstoyouinthepresentcontext:(2013)
1. “There is enough on this earth for every one’s needbut for no one’s greed.”MahatmaGandhi.
l Can be correlated with Plato’s theory of justice & appetite problem
l Can also be related with “Golden Mean” of Aristotle
2. “Nearlyallmencanwithstandadversity,butifyouwanttotestaman’scharacter,givehimpower.”—Abraham Lincoln
3. “I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who overcomes his enemies.”—Aristotle
4. “The good of an individual is contained in the good of all.” What do you understand by this statement? How can this principle be implemented in public life? (2013)
5. It is often said that ‘politics’ and ‘ethics’ do not go together. What is your opinion in this regard? Justify your answer with illustrations. (2013)
Q. “Integrity without knowledge is weak and useless, but knowledge without integrity is dangerousanddreadful.”Whatdoyouunderstandbythisstatement?Explainyourstandwithillustrationsfromthemoderncontext.(2014)
Can be illustrated with the help of 4 themes –
1. High values & low skills
2. High values & high skills
3. Low values & low skills
4. Low skills & low values
Q. “Humanbeingsshouldalwaysbetreatedas‘ends’inthemselvesandneverasmerely`means’.”Explainthemeaningandsignificanceof thisstatement,givingits implicationsinthemoderntechno-economicsociety.(2014)
l It is based on Humanism philosophy
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Question Analysis/Trend : Previous Years
l In fact humanism is the core of this paper. Many questions including case studies can be well attempted if you have proper understanding of humanism
Q. Givenaretwoquotationsofmoralthinkers/philosophers.Foreachofthese,bringoutwhatitmeanstoyouinthepresentcontext(2015)
1. “The weak can never forgive; forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.’
2. ‘We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.’
IV. Economy and Environment RelatedQ. Socialvaluesaremoreimportantthaneconomicvalues.Discusstheabovestatementwith
examplesinthecontextofinclusivegrowthofanation.(2015,canbefitintoSocialIssuesaswell)
V. Corruption RelatedQ. Itisoftensaidthatpovertyleadstocorruption.However,thereisnodearthofinstances
whereaffluentandpowerfulpeopleindulgeincorruptioninabigway.Whatarethebasiccausesofcorruptionamongpeople?Supportyouranswerwithexamples.(2014)
l Need based & Greed based
l Appetite / grabbing mentality
Q. Todaywefindthat in-spiteofvariousmeasuresofprescribingcodesofconduct,settingup vigilance cells/commissions, RTI, active media and strengthening of legal mechanism, corruptpracticesarenotcomingundercontrol.Evaluatetheeffectivenessofthesemeasureswithjustifications.
Suggest more effective strategies to tackle this menace.
Q. Whatdoyouunderstandby‘probity’inpubliclife?Whatarethedifficultiesinpracticingitinthepresenttimes?Howcanthesedifficultiesbeovercome?(2014)
l Direct from syllabus
l Can be prepared in advance
l Should be supported by current examples
Q. Public servants are likely to confrontwith the issuesof “Conflict of Interest”.Whatdoyouunderstandbytheterm“ConflictofInterest”andhowdoesitmanifestinthedecisionmakingbypublicservants?Iffacedwiththeconflictofinterestsituationhowwouldyouresolveit?Explainwiththehelpofexamples.(2015)
VI. Social IssuesQ. What factorsaffect the formationofaperson’sattitude towardssocialproblems? Inour
society,contrastingattitudesareprevalentaboutmanysocialproblems.Whatcontrastingattitudes do younotice about the caste system in our society?Howdo you explain theexistenceofthesecontrastingattitudes?(2014)
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Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude
Q. Wearewitnessingincreasinginstancesofsexualviolenceagainstwomeninthecountry.Despite existing legal provisions against it, the number of such incidences is on the rise. Suggestsomeinnovativemeasurestotacklethismenace.(2014)
VII. CurrentGovernancePattern/InternationalethicsQ. SomerecentdevelopmentssuchasintroductionofRTIAct,mediaandjudicialactivism,
etc. are proving helpful in bringing about greater transparency and accountability in the functioning of the government. However, it is also being observed that at times the mechanismsaremisused.Anothernegativeeffectisthattheofficersarenowafraidtotakeprompt decisions. Analyse the situation in detail and suggest how the dichotomy can be resolved.Suggesthowthesenegativeimpactscanbeminimised.(2015)
Q. At the international level, bilateral relationsbetweenmostnations are governedon thepolicy of promoting one’s own national interest without any regard for the interest ofother nations. This lead to conflicts and tension between the nations. How can ethicalconsiderationhelpresolvesuchtensions?Discusswithspecificexamples.(2015)
Broadly three moral traditions prevail in international ethics --
1. Realism
l based on power; solely concerned with one’s own interest e.g US interference in Grenede
2. Idealism
l based on values e.g Human Rights, US help to former USSR during famine
3. Principled Realism
l combination of both power politics & values e.g post 9/11 : war on terror
Q. Thereisaheavyethicalresponsibilityonthepublicservantsbecausetheyoccupypositionsof power, handle huge amounts of public funds, and their decisions have wide-ranging impactonsocietyandenvironment.Whatstepshaveyou taken to improveyourethicalcompetencetohandlesuchresponsibility?(2014)
l Need to develop holistic competence
Q. Whatdoes‘accountability’meaninthecontextofpublicservice?Whatmeasurescanbeadoptedtoensureindividualandcollectiveaccountabilityofpublicservants?(2014)
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A Small Story : Joy of Giving
“A few years ago, when I was teaching, I asked them abruptly in my class as to how many of them remembered the name of their grandfather. They appeared quite surprised. Nevertheless they all responded cheerfully by raising their hands.
Then I continued with another question, ‘Now tell me how many of you remember the name of your great,great,grandfather?’ This was becoming more interesting for them. They looked more surprised and curious not knowing where I was heading. I was shocked to see that nota single hand went up.
‘I am truly surprised that none of you remember the name of your grandfather’s grandfather. Why is that?’
After a little pause, a girl stood up and answered a little rudely, but I thought there was truth in what she said. She said, ‘Notworthremembering,sir.’ There was a burst of laughter in the class. She continued, ‘I do not think he did something great for me to remember.’ Another bout of laughter followed.
‘That is fine dear. Hundredyearsfromnowyourgreat,great,granddaughterwouldbesittinginthe class and a teacher like me would ask her whether she remembers the name of her great, great, grandmotherand if sheanswers“notworth remembering”howdoyoufeel?’ She looked distinctly puzzled.
Then I said, ‘It is all right. Now, I would like to ask you one more question. Do you know the name of Buddha, Mahavira, Jesus Christ, Prophet Mohammed, Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Vivekananda, Gandhiji?’. The whole class shouted an emphatic,
‘Yes, sir!’
Then I told them, ‘I have a problem here. But you are not the great, great, grandchild of any one of the persons I mentioned just now, but still you remember all their names.
Why is that?
Suddenly one student came & said, today I learnt the lesson of my life, sir.’
I learnt now that anyone who lives for himself shall not be remembered by the world and anyone who lives for others shall not be forgotten by the world.
Thissmallstoryanswersallourquestions–whatisethics?Whatarevalues&theirsignificance?WhyIneedtobeethicalatall?Whatisthejoyofgiving?
u Ethics is involved in all manner of public activities, such as protecting us from criminals, ensuring that confidential information does not get in the wrong hands, keeping us safe from man-made and environmental hazards, and much more.
JOY OF GIVING
A Small Story
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Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude
Ethical behaviour, which includes respect for citizens, the promotion of democratic values such as citizen participation in governance, and commitment to the rule of law, is of paramount importance. Weexpectthosewhooccupyelectedandappointedofficesinourgovernmentstobeethicalincarrying out their duties.
In many countries governments have created ethics oversight commissions and adopted laws, ordinances, rules, and ethics codes to encourage ethical behaviour. Although these measures are useful and have a proper place, they are frequently insufficient.
Following rules, regulations, and the law to stay out of trouble is important, but it is the moral minimum. For ethical decision we need to transcends our lower self and hear voice of conscience.
u Service, ethics, and trust are interrelated values that inform the nomenclature for public administration. These values constitute prime components of the social construct underpinning all government activity, including prescriptions for high standards of behaviour. The “ideal” for public service ethics with a reciprocal link to the “public trust” is one of these prescriptions.
u The behaviour of those who deliver public services is an important factor for citizens’ trust, support, and participation in government. Ethical,effective,andequitablepublicserviceshavebeenshownto inspire public trust. This trust facilitates the collaborative partnership that must exist between public servants and citizens to achieve good governance.
u Citizens expect public servants to pursue the public interest. They also expect them to manage public resources for the common good. Failure to live up to these expectations affects public trust and support for public service. Moreover, the relationships between ethics, service, and trust are mutually reinforcing: ethical behaviour engenders trust in government, which in turn engenders and strengthens support for public service.
u Living up to the public trust, however, is much more than just an act of compliance.
l It also involves perceiving, preventing, avoiding, and resolving accusations of illegal or unethical behaviour, including appearances of inappropriate behaviour.
l That is, a system of public service ethics must prevail that empowers public servants with theprudencetonotonlydomorethanwhatispubliclyrequiredbutalsodolessthanwhatmight be privately permissible.
l Professional codes of ethics, ethics laws, ethics surveys, ethics seminars, and numerous other programs have been put forth to help achieve this type of behaviour.
l Some focus on helping organizations develop ethical initiatives that are meaningful, obtainable, measurable, and sustainable.
l Others promote the alignment of actual behaviours, beliefs, and attitudes with statedorganizational values to help achieve a culture of integrity and trust.
l Also prevalent are enforcement practices that rely on internal control systems and other instruments that create a preventive environment to thwart misconduct.
u Research suggests that progress has been made. Leaders/managers are becoming more aware of what constitutes ethical and unethical behaviour. More mechanisms have been put in place to prevent and discover fraud, waste and abuse.
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A Small Story : Joy of Giving
u But numerous ethical situations can exist that are not easily resolved or addressed by professional, legal, or institutionally based initiatives. Rather, it is up to the individual to sort through the situation at hand and make a decision that results in an ethical outcome.
u One should be introduced to the essential elements of ethical reasoning which could strengthen his decision making. The cases and controversies, if carefully and thoughtfully considered, can enhance the skill and ability of both experienced and inexperienced administrators to resolve challenging ethical situations.
u Do public service ethics matter? Absolutely! They have significant implications for the idea and ideal of public service that enhances public trust and promotes higher standards and norms of behaviour in other sectors of society. Efforts to make ethical behaviour more practical and operationally relevant to decisions that face public servants every day is a very big step in this direction.
