According to Lawtonet al (2013), ethical theory is a key theme presented by the authors in this piece of work. It is through this theory where right acts and wrong ones are determined. In determining this certain traits have to be considered. Actions done should be aimed towards the interest of the public but not personal interest. Every action should directed towards the public good. In public management, decision making is taken with a lot of seriousness. This is due to the fact that the decisions made are the ones determining how management is going to be done. According to the authors of this book, there are five steps in the process of making ethical decisions.
The first step in any process of ethical decision making comprises of gathering of facts. In this step a person should try and make su
...re that he/she is very neutral. People should avoid distortion of information for personal benefit since decisions made this way are aimed towards the good of the person making. The second step involves coming up with a prediction about the way future can be. Prediction made should be related to the facts which the person making decision had collected in the first step. Such a step if well done helps in increasing the chances of a person achieving the results he/she desires. Some things can be predicted while others are not. This thus means that predictions are not always the same as the actual results (Lawtonet al, 2013).
The third step comprises of identification of your own feelings. Some people refer to it as conscience while others call it compassion. In the case where compassion cultivates ou
feelings, they give a highlight of what our conscious and rational minds have overlooked. Feelings is one of the ways used to check rationalizing in a person. The fourth step involves asking yourself a question whether you are okay living with the kind of choice you have made. Ask yourself whether you are going to be ashamed or guilt with the kind of choice you have made. Finally, the fifth step involves giving an explanation to other people as well as getting engaged in a moral conversation about why you have made such a choice (Lawtonet al, 2013). The kind of choice made is a key determinant on the way public leadership and management is to be done.
Ethical leadership is another key item addressed. For key leadership to be possible, certain leadership traits have to be taken into consideration. Leadership integrity is one among these. Good leaders as described in this book like looking for those decisions which will be effective in upholding company’s mission, expressing its core values as well as advancing its vision. Ethical leadership leads to achievement of very high amounts of profits (Lawtonet al, 2013). In ethical leadership, the interests of stakeholders have to be upheld. Every public employee works in a place where there are partners, employees, and customers hence relationships have to exist. A firm will be able to achieve a lot of success when the employees working within it are treated with a lot of honor. They will in turn make sure that they take their duties seriously hence products and services of high qualities will be offered. Process integrity is another key factor in ethical leadership. It
gives a picture of the way the company has been conducting its processes with very high standards (Lawtonet al, 2013). Each small detail must be taken seriously thus translating to success in all processes involved in management of any public sector.
In public service, some principles have to be laid down. This will be of great help in regulating the ways in which public servants play their roles. Public servants should not be allowed to do self-evaluation. Neutral people are supposed to evaluate them. This will be very helpful as it will help in restricting them towards the right doings. Some of the unethical issues are also wrong according to the legal laws of a certain place (Lawtonet al, 2013). They are hence not allowed as per the laws of that particular state. Due to the fear of getting charged by breaking a law, public servants are restricted to a certain way of conduct. This will serve to make sure they do not get involved in legal activities.
Assessment
Public sector is that part in the economy of a country which specializes in the provision of public services. As outlined by the authors of this book, employees in such sectors are supposed to uphold some ethics as these will guide them in relating with others thus facilitating in the process of management. Ethics help public servants in determining what is right for people to do and also what is wrong. The right acts as per ethics are encouraged while the wrong ones are totally discouraged and hence should be avoided. This piece of writing hence seeks to articulate the main points presented in the book by giving a
professional assessment to the work they did.
As presented in this book, people working in public organizations face a lot of challenges as they carry on with their daily duties. This is true for nearly all employees in the public sector. Struggling with ethical issues is a challenge facing employees on daily basis. In solving such issues, ethics have to be first taken into account. Ethics on public management at large places a lot of emphasis on the control of behavior of servants in public sector ((Lawtonet al, 2013). It constitutes of detailed and formal procedures and rules that serve to prevent public servants from going against the set rules. Strict control mechanisms have to be laid down. This will play a very important in punishing those who away from the expected standards of conduct.
Reference
- Lawton, A., Rayner, J., & Lasthuizen, K. (2013). Ethics and management in the public sector. Routledge.
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