1

Importance Of Ethics In The Public Sector

Edward Mabay

Department Of Public Administration, UNICAF University

UU-MPA-730-ZM-44325 – Ethics And Public Administration, Assessment Point 1

Dr. Lukman Raimi

8th January 2023

 2

Table Of Content

Introduction……………………………………..……………………….…………..3

Definition And Meaning Of Ethics In Public Sector………..…………..….……….5

Importance Of Ethics In The Public Sector……………………..…..…..…………..6

Relevance Theories And Ethical Philosophies In Sierra Leone………….…………9

Avoidance Of Ethical Considerations In Public Sector…………………...……….10

Conclusion……………………………………………………………..…………..11

References………………………………………… …………………..………….13
 3

Ethics And public Administration

The study of ethics leads to the creation of social norms which focus on the behavior that a

person is expected to uphold in a particular situation. These norms of behavior which guide

moral choices can allow for a wide range of ethical positions (Saunders, Lewis. & Thornhill,

2011). Moral values are taught progressively in the life of an individual and are also influenced

by the way someone interacts in the society. This is the reason why ethical norms are interpreted

diversely among individuals (Resnik, 2011). Norms can be learnt beginning from childhood in

homes, school and even as the children attend Sunday schools or the madrassa.

The purpose of embracing research ethics is premised in the field of biomedical research which

arose from the need to use human beings in research. This development dates back even before

the 18th century although the need to develop appropriate attitudes towards the need to evolve

great interest in human beings was seriously taken into consideration starting from 9th December

1946 when an American tribunal opened criminal proceedings against 23 leading German

physicians and administrators who willingly participated in war crimes and crimes against

humanity (Kour, 2014). They were charged with conducting medical experiments on thousands

of prisoners without their consent who were held captive in the concentration camps during the

World War II. Unfortunately, these experiments led to many of these subjects dying, while

others were crippled permanently. The results of this trial led to the establishment of the

Nuremberg code in 1948 because, human beings were being exploited in various cases. This then

necessitated the introduction of professional codes and laws to prevent the abuse of human

subjects and protection of human rights in research (Oddi &Cassidy, 1990; Fouka and

Mantzorou, 2011). The Nuremberg code emphasized the need to observe informed voluntary

consent, liberty of withdrawal from research, protection from physical and mental harm or
 4

suffering and death with particular emphasis on the risk-benefit balance (Burns, 2005). More

declarations on research ethics were made, but the most significant one was the Helsinki

declaration of 1964 which states the need for non-therapeutic research emphasizing the

protection of subjects by noting that the wellbeing of individuals is more important than

scientific or social needs (Oddi & Cassidy, 1990). The concept of research ethics has led to the

developments of various theories to explain how human beings are able to adapt to numerous

challenges in their everyday life experiences.

According to Lawton, Rayer and Lasthuizen in 2013, they said ‘over the years, concern in ethics

in public organizations and that interest for ethical behavior became a necessary portion of

services in the public sector, and ‘it is not a leftover’ that must be regarded next concerns’. Lewis

and Gilman in 2005 in their book state that, ‘at global level, ethical behavior in public services

have swerved into a universal trend as nations regardless boundaries have implemented standards

and rudimentary strategies to raise ethics and shun bad behavior in public services’.

Furthermore, Evans in 2012 identified drivers of these strategies which include one which is

connected to overseas relieve in developing nations. Lewis and Gilma 2005 further commented

that, ‘as a result of this, it is noted that the inrush of interest for ethics was, amongst others,

owing to the awareness that donating nations and organizations that relieve is not effective due to

bad impact by defect in uprightness on the part of the receiving countries’ public supervisors.

Uprightness in public management is essential for determining the outcome of accountableness

of relieve, and this awareness had significant influence on international relieve as those who

donate relieve impose uprightness as a requiring condition. Ethicality nowadays is perceived not

solely as a quality of individual but of organization as well (Unruh 2008). According to Trevino

and Nelson in 2010, the relative importance of ethics has grown in developing organizations
 5

better and wholly important for effectiveness. Moreover, Menzel 2005, in his book, noted that a

rife supposition has come forth attesting that ethicality ameliorates the way organizations

perform. Ethical management accordingly has perversely being admitted as best routine

standards when facing issues of ethicality and unethicality of behaviors of employees. The way

ethical issues are dealt with in organizations is based on how the quick changes in ethics are

understood. Hoekstra and Kaptein in 2012, emphasized that based on how large the organization

is, appointment of personnel in charge of ethics or creating a department answerable for ethical

management actions and principles is an organizational policy.

Definition and Meaning of Ethics in Public Sector

Ethics is a branch of philosophy that deals with the conduct of people and guides the norms or

standards of behavior of people and relationships with each other (Kovacs, 1985; Blumberg et al,

2005). It refers to an “ethos” or “way of life”, “social norms for conduct that distinguishes

between acceptable and unacceptable behavior” (Shah, 2011; Akaranga & Ongonga, 2013).

Many societies have legal rules which dictate behavior, but ethical norms are broader than laws.

However, societies apply laws to enforce the moral standards. Preston (2007) said, ethics is

generally concerning what is correct, equitable, upright, or decent. Its concerns with “that which

we must do” and “what is” as well. In different terms, ethics is all about how must individuals

comport themselves. Ethics being a system of acceptable moral convictions, sets of moral and

values particularly is the study of morality and immorality. In Greek, according to Wiley (1995),

ethics is ‘ethikos’ and ‘ethos’ that means custom or usage. In Latin, the word ethics is ‘ethicus’

that means character. Consequently, in a common jargon, ethics discussed as moral principle

which governs an individual’s or people’s behaviors.

 6

Importance of Ethics in Public Sector

The research of ethics guides to the invention of societal rules that reflect the conduct which an

individual is anticipated in upholding at a specific circumstance. According to Saunders, Lewis

& Thornhill (2011), these guiding principles will permit large scope ethical ranks. Ethics is

instructed in a progressive manner in individual’s life and as well influences one’s interaction in

the community. For this reason, according to Resnik (2011), ethics are explained distinctly

amongst persons. Ethical principles may be taught starting from stage between infancy and

puberty at home, and in school. In rep democracy, government is recited to control by assent, by

the assent of the controlled. This is to say that a satisfactory height of public confidence is of

primary significance to the prudent operating of a rep government. Such issues are essential for

public sector and the citizens as well. The level at which the public is in readiness to have

confidence in governments is toughly determined by kens as to the widespread ethicality of such

governments. The perceptions of the public about the government if it is ethical are accordingly

being the most important whether that government is seen as accepted. The expectations of

citizens harbor a rigid lack of trusts toward public servants. As a result of this, ethics and values

are put in place in providing a great deal of accountableness betwixt the general public and the

local, state and federal administrations. With such, there is a solidification of the well-known

facts that administrators of public sector are held with highest standards regarding ethics than

any other citizen. Ethics in public service is an essential aspect of the day to day duties that

public administrators do.

Definitely, there is no room for anything rather than operating with full transparency. Ethics

represents honesty, accountability, integrity, empathy and just knowing the difference between

what is right and what is wrong which include working in a strict manner according to ethical
 7

principles. Some companies, organizations specifically public sectors formulate strong mission

statements to establish rigid organizational values and ethics. These ethical values set the tone,

framework and moral strength for the public sector and civil servants. Granted, much of the

word-craft of ethics has fallen aside, with many public officials being plastered with discussion

of opposing opinions in the media. The public demands answers and justice from all public

servants who are involved with such controversy. There is much to consider when public

workers are in uncompromising circumstances connecting defalcating, misappropriation of

funds, theft of property and so forth. Thomas Jefferson once notably noted that, ‘when one

surmises a public trust, he should bethink himself public property’. This remark may not be more

correct today, and certainly ethically true. As a public servant, you are operating public property.

You must be operating in an apparent way, with morals, integrity, honesty and putting the

public’s trust above everything. This is what Jefferson meant when he declared, ‘The basic

requirement of public service’. When such trust from the public is lost, is it possible to gain it

again? Ethics in public service is not just an idea, but also an imperative and mandatory practice.

With this, why then majority of people, including public authorities think that ethics in public

sector is very important? The respond to this enquiring is in a disarming manner stretch out.

Furthermore, ethics in public sector is so important for effective and democratic governments.

According to Thompson (1995), he said ‘Ethics might only be of instrument, it might be only

being a means to an end, but it is a necessary means to an end’. Since those who reform

governments focus highly, if not solely, on the core value of efficiency, economy, and

effectiveness. Also, public managers are assuming to be people of ethics and integrity. A civil

service reformer (Woodrow Wilson, 1887) in his essay stated that we should clear ‘the ethical

environment of official life by instituting the saintliness of public office as a public trust by that
 8

accessing the path for making it a focused’. He further mentioned that, ‘The standard for us is a

civil service cultured and self-sufficient enough to act with sense and vigor’. Citizens depend on

public servants to be professional, honest and most importantly ethical.

Ethics is important in every profession or works of life and some of these are for example, in the

judiciary, the legal system of a country determines considerably the efficacy of the ethical

concern in governance system. A cleanly formulated rules and standards issued by government,

with a clear emphasis on the norms of pretty behavior and being honest, is a probable means of

separating chaffs from grains in the world of ethics. Notwithstanding, cloudy laws, with

confused definitions of corruptions and their elucidations, are only promoting corruptions since it

will not inculcate the fear of law amongst people who violate the ethical norms of the nation and

society. At the side of this, efficiency and effectiveness in the judiciaries with fast track systems

of justice can demonstrate an impediment to immoral practices in public sector. On the other

hand, slow moving judiciaries that interest for letter instead of the concern of laws, will unable

and hinder and even assist the crime committers by giving them flexibility by prolonging trials

and advantages of doubts. Similarly, the anticorruption machineries of governments, with its

intertwined cord of intricate processes, not intended grants respite to the impeached that are not

directly aided by tardy and knottiness routines.

In the economic viewpoint, the height at which the country’s economy is developed largely

depends on the good relationship of the ethical systems of the government. Though a cause of

connection that exist betwixt the nation’s development and ethical governance system may not

be envisioned, complementary relationship cannot be ruled-out. A low level in the development

of economy, if comparing with unfairness in the economic order, is probable to design a large

difference of opinion amongst social categories and groups. The less advantaged or the more
 9

impoverished section of societies can get allured to abandon precepts of ethical behavior at the

same time satisfying the requirement needed for their existences and securities. This doesn’t

mean the wealthy of necessity can have a greater degree of honesty (although it is in their power

to do so), but what is captured is that the poor, during the time of creating a living, can discover

it a coercing necessary in compromising with the tenets of uprightness.

Relevant Theories and Ethical Philosophies in the Public Sector in Sierra Leone

According to Dina (2013), he said that ‘Ethics is fundamentally an arrangement that includes sets

of values like attitudes or cultures. Moreover, setting values in ethical form is essential in

guiding individual’s action in a specific incident. With this conception, Preston (2007) said,

‘ethical principles give direction to individual in doing the required action by pointing it to ethics

which include opinions of virtue, impartiality or just’. Amundsen (2009) in his book states that

‘nature in ethicalities makes it specifically pressing in public services’. Helping forward, many

types of ethical theories frameworks that ethics can be applied to and they include: Utilitarism,

Deontology and Virtue ethics.

Among these three outlined theories, Public Sector in Sierra Leone prefers and are working with

the theories of Deontology and Virtue ethics based on weaknesses or shortcomings of

Utilitarism. Deontology that is referring to principles of ethicality as starting point in providing

better suitable and dependable decisions in ethics. Dorsey (2010) states in his book that, ‘Going

in line with this, the idea that management in public sector must pursue their duties judging

choices’. Richards (2006) also buttressed that ‘aligning with the anticipated decisions, ethics

must be applied in public sectors. Dina (2010) states that going further into practicality, a set of

ethical principles must be explicated in the shape of administrative rule, for instance, in the shape
 10

of ethical code of ethics. The official rules of ethical principles (codes of ethical application) give

transparent system that management of public sector refers to in taking decisions in ethics (Joyce

Philip, 2014). Government Ministries such as the Ministry of Energy and Power, Ministry of

Education, Ministry of Transportation and Communication of Sierra Leone, etc. operate under

such ethics. Virtue ethics on the other hand that is also adopted by public sector in Sierra Leone

concentrates on the uprightness of an individual’s moral strength. Based on this idea, morally

approved decisions in ethics are derived on the platform of a person’s inherited moral character.

In practical, virtue ethics frameworks propose greater degree of accurate approaches in dealing

with moral issue by admitting public managers in the consideration of outcome and the values of

ethical decisions as well. This type of ethics theory also suggests a context of information base

moral judgment makings. In this meaning, decisions in ethics not basing solely on moral values,

but must likewise connects in unique exemplification like, life of sociality in making of

decisions. Government agencies like the Anti-Corruption Commission of Sierra Leone, Ministry

of Health and Sanitation, Ombudsman of Sierra Leone, etc. operate in this kind of ethics. The

Anti-corruption Commission of Sierra Leone for example, to be a staff of that commission, high

moral strength of an individual has to be thoroughly checked and a background check of ethical

moral values is a prerequisite requirement (Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2008).

Avoidance of Ethical Considerations and Consequences.

In order to avoid ethical considerations and consequences in the public administration in Sierra

Leone, various mechanisms and ethical codes of conduct have being put in place in all

government organizations. The incitement along with execution of satisfactory behavior and

administrative practices demand sundry mechanisms, formations and approaches which are

anticipatory and reactive as well, and exhaustively addressing both culture and behavior, process
 11

of guiding and enforcing an outcome. Large organizations have internal audit departments for

example that are watch dogs of management to enforce the ethical principles put forth by

managements. Sierra Leone also has a whole external audit department (Audit Sierra Leone) that

also monitors the adherence of required principles and policies in the operations of public

sectors. Furthermore, Anti-Corruption Commission of Sierra Leone is another vibrant agency

that monitors and enforces public organizations to adhere to compliances. This commission has

some programs like ‘Pay No Bride Campaign’ specifically adopted for government

organizations. This program encourages and assigns ‘Whistle Blowers’ to report all violations of

ethics to higher authorities in the public sector. Whistle blowing by definition is drawing

attention to unethical behaviors that occur within an organization. Further, Anti-Corruption

Commission of Sierra Leone being proactive in its responsibilities has as well introduced a field

investigation team called ‘Scorpion Squared’ having authority and right to arrest culprits on the

height of corruption.

Conclusion

Ethics is a comprehensive concept, encompassing all facets of administration. Emphasis on

moral and ethical norms has been an integral part of our tradition. Though vices of corruption,

malpractices and bureau pathologies have slowly creeped in our system, the combat measures

have not been very effective. Administrative reforms measures have to be holistic enough taking

into their purview questions on nature of work ethics, various dimensions of ethics, foci and

concerns of ethics and also the nature of obstacles to ethical accountability. For any governance

system to be transparent, accountable, efficient and sensitive, a Code of Ethics in the form of

service rules, procedural norms, and administrative strategies the requirement of the day is. It is

not possible to bring into force a Code of Ethics if it is self-serving and is subject to constant
 12

external interference and manipulation. A certain degree of autonomy is a pre-requisite for any

code to be successful. We are witnessing a change in the pattern of authority, obedience and

discipline. Moreover, globalization trends have brought in a kind of universalization of ethical

norms and values. Philosophy of governance has transcended international boundaries. Almost

every rung of administration is involved in decision-making. The conflict between individual

values, organizational standards and societal norms is clearly visible. Though the code may not

reflect a consensus of opinion on ethical issues, it can still provide direction and advice with

regard to ethical conduct and assist the administrators in analyzing their options and alternatives

in the right perspective. This Unit highlighted these very pertinent features.

In conclusion, argument can be put forth that the rule of thumb in ethics in our occupational

fields offer serviceable but not of necessity enough system to control in ensuring ethical

standards. Like operationalizing our theoretical notions, changing them into variables which may

be estimated and viewed based on experience; it is of necessity to be in a careful manner in

reflecting on the wider consequences of ethics. Just having knowledge of signposts of ethics such

as ‘acquainted assents’, or ‘do no harm’ is insufficient. Consequently, it is of utmost significant

in operationalizing public guideposts and commendations for particular organizations. In this

assignment, just as Eisenbeiss and Brodbeck in 2014 put it that, ‘it is realized that, ethics is more

than simply agreeing with regulations like codes of behavior; individual ethical principles are of

importance as well in putting tones, fostering emulations, and joining authorities to policy

actions. According to Hassan in 2015, he said ‘people being treated honestly abides a pertinent

components ethics, however, this is fair being in demonstration between two or more people

from regarded people, instead of procedurals neutralities of official rules.

 13

References

Amundsen, I. (2009) Introduction to Public Sector Ethics. Compendium for Teaching at the

Catholic University of Angola.

Akaranga S.I. and Jude Ongonga (2013). “Work Ethics for University Lecturers:

An Example of Nairobi and Kenyatta International Journal of Arts and Commerce, 2 (8)

8-22

Blumberg, B, Cooper D.R, & Schindler P.S. (2005). Business Research Methods, Mc Graw

Hill: Berkshire.

Dina P. (2013) Ethics and Deontology in Public Administration, Knowledge Horizons.

Dorsey, Roger (2010) Tax Policy, Virtue Ethics and Behavioral Economics.

Fouka G. & Mantzorou M. (2011). “What are the major ethical issues in conducting research? Is

there a conflict between the research ethics and the nature of nursing?” Health Science

Journal, 5 (1), 3-14.

Joyce Philip (2014) The Culture of Ethics That the Public Sector Needs. Governing, October 15.

http://www.governing.com/columns/smart-mgmt/col-cultureethics-public-sector-

needs.html [accessed March 31, 2016].

Kour S. (2014). Ethical and Legal issues in Educational research. Indian Journal of Applied

Kovacs, A. (1985). The Research process: Essentials of skill development. F.A Davis
 14

Research, 4(6). Kovacs, A. (1985). The Research Company: Philadelphia, USA.

Oddi L.F. & Cassidy, V.R. (1990). Nursing Research in the U.S.: The protection of human

subjects. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 27(1), 21-34.

Preston N. (2007) Understanding Ethics, The Federation Press

The Anti-Corruption Commission of Sierra Leone Act 2008

Ramadhan, M.G. (2013) Theories of Ethics for Public Sector Managers.

Resnik D.B. (2011). “What is Ethics in Research and why is it important”? http://www.

Rosenbloom, D.H., Kravchuk, R.S. and Clerkin, R.M. (2003) Ethics, Values and Behaviors.

Niehs.nih.gov/research/resources/bioethics.whatis.cfm.

Rosenbloom, D.H., Kravchuk, R.S. and Clerkin, R.M. (2015) Public Administration:

Understanding management, Politics, and Law in the Public Sector.

Shah, N. (2011). “Ethical Issues in biomedical Research publication”. Journal of Conservative

Dentistry, 14(3), 205-207

Saunders M, Lewis P. & Thornhill A. (2011). Research Methods for Business Students, 5th ed,

Pearson: New Delhi.

Weinberg, H. (2014) Ethical Leadership in Public Service: A solid Foundations for Good

Government.