Ethical management for the public services

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

This is an accessible introduction to the role of ethics in public services management. It is written for new and experienced managers, undergraduate and postgraduate students of the public services. Ethical Management for the Public Services:

* deals with key issues for public services managers

* integrates theory and practice throughout

* uses vignettes, case studies and original research from various countries to illustrate the issues

* helps managers identify ethical dilemmas

* provides ethical frameworks to support managers in their practical decisions

* explores ethical relationships between managers and a range of stakeholders including politicans, citizens and clients

* locates ethics at different levels: the individual, the organizational, and the societal

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• Series editor's preface (p. ix)
• Preface (p. xi)
• Acknowledgements (p. xiii)
• 1 Introduction: the ethics agenda (p. 1)
• Introduction (p. 1)
• The comparative dimension (p. 7)
• Theory and practice (p. 8)
• The managerial focus (p. 9)
• Regime values (p. 10)
• Conclusion (p. 14)
• 2 Ethical issues (p. 17)
• Introduction (p. 17)
• Issues enduring and universal (p. 18)
• The UK experience (p. 21)
• Managers' perspectives (p. 26)
• Conclusion (p. 32)
• 3 Ethical theory and public service principles (p. 34)
• Introduction and definitions (p. 34)
• Theory (p. 37)
• Principles in the public services (p. 44)
• Conclusion (p. 50)
• 4 The public service ethos (p. 51)
• Introduction (p. 51)
• Proposition 1 There exists a public service ethos (p. 53)
• Proposition 2 The public service ethos is under threat from management reforms that have taken place in recent years (p. 58)
• Proposition 3 The undermining of the public service ethos is a 'bad thing' (p. 63)
• Conclusion (p. 65)
• 5 Roles, relationships and rules (p. 67)
• Introduction (p. 67)
• The concept of trust (p. 71)
• The content of the minister-civil servant relationship (p. 75)
• Professional relationships and trust (p. 81)
• Managing across organizational boundaries and partnerships (p. 84)
• Rules and rule-governed behaviour (p. 87)
• Conclusion (p. 92)
• 6 The organizational dimension (p. 94)
• Introduction (p. 94)
• Organizational forms and structures (p. 99)
• The fabric of the organization (p. 103)
• Organizational culture and control (p. 105)
• Organizational control and individual morals (p. 108)
• Whistleblowing (p. 112)
• Conclusion (p. 114)
• 7 Ethics and evaluation (p. 116)
• Introduction (p. 116)
• The ethical context (p. 119)
• Models of performance measurement (p. 122)
• Performance appraisal (p. 125)
• Performance and control (p. 126)
• Conclusion (p. 127)
• 8 Ethical training for decisions (p. 129)
• Introduction (p. 129)
• Ethical decisions in the short term (p. 131)
• The moral development of the individual (p. 138)
• The learning organization (p. 140)
• The learning society? (p. 143)
• Conclusion (p. 145)
• 9 Conclusions (p. 147)
• The purpose of government (p. 148)
• Theory and practice (p. 149)
• Obligations and relationships (p. 150)
• Ethical enforcement (p. 151)
• Traditions and practices (p. 152)
• Learning, evaluation and ethics (p. 152)
• References (p. 154)
• Index (p. 163)