Ethics and New Public Management - Literature review Example

Ethics and New Public Management By student’s Name Institution Course Prof Date Ethics in the public sector has and continue to be a high priority concern for governments across the globe. The recent years have been characterized by a spate of ethical policies and initiatives in the public administration to address the increasing pressure for high level of integrity among the public officers. This trend has been motivated by the recent reforms in the public management, which have hugely transformed the approach used by the public officers in the management of public resources. A market-oriented and services-driven approach to the public management has replaced the traditional bureaucratic public management. The reforms have introduced competition in the government sector, transformed the public administrators to public entrepreneurs and have brought an increased focus on the quality of management and customers services. These reforms which started in 1980s have transformed the management of the public resources from administrative approach to businesslike approach-commonly referred to as new public management. Commercialization, output budgeting and privatization are increasingly gaining attention in the public administration. The new public management has come alongside an ever increasing number of integrity cases. Statistical studies indicate that corruption, government scandals, and unethical behaviors in government agencies have increased exponentially around the world since the introduction of the new public management policies in the government sector. A survey conducted in the year 2010 indicates that the number of corruption cases in the government sector has tripled in the past two decades (Clark 2010). This trend has raised more questions than answers in regard to ethical issues in the new public management. Does the increase in the number of integrity cases in the recent pasts mean that there is a conflict between the new public management and ethics? What is the stake of ethics in the new public management? These questions have attracted divergent yet contradictory opinions among the researchers and analysts. On one hand is analysts who argue that there is a conflict between new public management and ethics while the other hand are analysts who argue that there is no conflict between the two aspects. The two sides support their arguments using different facts which have resulted from the introduction of the reforms in the public management. Although there are limited research studies in this topic, the few existing ones seem to fuel the contentious issue. This paper intends to determine whether there is a conflict between the new public management and ethics. The paper will base its argument on the increasing cases of corruption in the government agencies resulting from attempts to run government agencies as though they are business private organizations. There is a growing concern that the too much identification with the style of the business sector among the government agencies has led to undesirable integrity impacts as evident from the widespread menace of corruption in the recent past decades. The traditional public management is based on the Weberian bureaucracy theory. According to Taylor, the bureaucratic management is an administrative approach that is built on standardized procedures and clear chain of command. Bureaucracy was a prominent feature in the society before 1980s and was considered as a distinctive mark case of rationalization applied to human beings. The theory establishes a formal, legal and fixed framework, which organization can use to make decisions. People and employees obey the existing structures rather than the individual holding various posts in various levels of the hierarchy (Cohen & Eimicke 2012). The obsessive conformity to the rules and structures in an organization in making decisions appeared to work against market oriented economists. However, the strict adherence to the rules and structures does not give room for corruption and integrity issues. The system is based on considerations of justice, fairness and equity. It is also based on the claim that certain activities and products are of much moral significance than their financial or profit gain. This approach is lengthy, time consuming, and involved keeping of accurate record of the decision making. Analysts argue that the approach enhances integrity in two ways Bureaucracy in the government sector is based on shared moral values that goes beyond the efficiency and monitory value. It is based on the moral values such as justice and fairness. Cohen and Eimicke (2012) write that the shared values of the Weberian bureaucracy public management inculcates public responsibility and ethical considerations among the public officers. As a result, the officers act in accordance with the public expectations and the set standards. Consequently, it becomes extremely difficult for the officers to ignore their culture and engage in the corruption cases or illegal cases. Cohen and Eimicke (2012) argue that this culture played a major role in enhancing ethics in public sector before the introduction of the new public management. The theory is based in the ethical theory of deontology, which requires the public officer to be aware of what is right and wrong. Bureaucracy public management is also based on the strict adherence to the rules, standards and structure. Apparently, decisions making undergo numerous document stages before the final decision is made. This lengthy process is helping to minimize any opportunity of engaging in bribery or any other corruption issues. Apparently, the bureaucratic approach to pubic management ensures that there was not breach of merit or unethical practices. Holzer and Schwester (2014) argue that corruption in the public sectors before 1980s was limited due to the strict adherence to the rules and structure of the government agencies. Analysts argue that the integrity culture and moral values associated with the bureaucratic public management has been eroded by the introduction of the reforms, which have transformed the public management from public administration approach to business approach. The main focus of the new method is on the productivity, efficiency, cost and technology of an organization. Wittmer (2014) writes that the corruption and public integrity issues have become a prominent issue in most parts of the world in 1990s and 2000s. He attributed the rise in the corruption to the introduction of the new public management arguing that it lacked the integrity culture and shared moral values that characterized the bureaucratic public management. Maesschalck (2004) adds that there are numerous forms of corruption in the public management which have resulted from the new reforms in the sector. For instance, he writes that some issues such as business trips, extra bonuses and salary packages for civil servants and sales of a municipal camping site to municipal officials may not be regards as corruption cases in the new public management. However, these cases are definitely corruption cases which compromise the integrity of the new public reforms. He writes that these cases could have been prevented by the traditional public management as the focus is on the fairness and justice. In this case, the new public management does not inculcate the morals that should guide the public officers in all decisions. In addition, since the decision is not made in a vigorous and lengthy process, the public offices have the opportunity of engage in unethical cases. Williams conclude that there is a big conflict between ethics and new public management (Williams 2000). Lee (2004) holds that there is a conflict between the new public management and ethics. He argues that there are drawbacks between transformations from traditional public management to the new public management. According to him, the traditional public management framework has unique qualities which cannot be replaced by the business-like approach to the government agencies management. The internal markets of the new public management cannot meet the non-pecuniary goals associated with the government agencies. The public sector put more emphasis upon the legality and justice values and not on the efficiency. He writes that public management goes beyond efficiency. Lame believes that the lack of the legality and justice values in the new public management is the reason behind the rise of the corruption and government official scandals in the recent pasts (Lane 2014). Apparently, Lame conclude that the new public management conflicts with ethics issues as it lacks the moral values evident in the traditional bureaucratic public management. The conflict between ethics and management become evident in the Yesilkagit’s argument on the topic of public management. Yesilkagit (2004) notes that different countries around the world are looking for a way to combine the traditional bureaucratic public management and the new public management. According to him, the traditional bureaucratic is based on moral values which enhances the integrity of the government officers. However, the approach is not concerned about the efficiency and the performance of the public management. On the other hand, he argues that the new public management compromises the ethical considerations but is effective in addressing the performance and efficiency of the public management (Yesilkagit 2004). Yesilkagit (2004) favors a method of public management that balances between the businesslike approach and the traditional approach. Currently, a number of countries in different parts of the world have integrated the two approaches to come up with a balanced method of public management. It is apparent from this argument that there is a conflict between new public management and ethics. The need to combine old and the new public management indicates that the new approach does not meet the required standard particular in the ethical aspect. It has to be mixed with the traditional method to ensure that the integrity of the public office in not compromised (Yesilkagit 2004). In their research Pollitt and Bouckaert (2004) give the difference between the private and the public sector in regard to the ethical aspects. Private or business sector has been characterized by the typical breaches of merit namely cronyism and nepotism among others unethical issues. On the other hand, public sector is characterized by high professional responsibility of the public officers that is driven by the public interest rather than financial or personal interests. There exist trust in the public sector that is founded on the understanding between the public officials and citizens. The public officials are committed to principles and standards that guide the public administrative decision making namely the ability of the public officers to account for the way they exercise power and the transparency of the decision making process. The transformation of the public management to have a businesslike approach has brought unethical issues in the sector. Hence Pollitt C. & Bouckaert (2004) argue that it is fairly agreeable that there is a huge conflict between the new public management and ethics. Lawton takes a different stands in regard to the conflict between the new public management and ethics. According to him, there is no any conflict between the two issues. He states that empirical studies should indicate the conflict between the new management public and ethics. However, there is not sufficient evidence linking the new public management and increasing cases of the corruption in the government sector. He writes that integrity is linked to office, role and concept of trust. In addition to the personality of individual, a head teacher, a doctor or a police officer should be trusted as a result of their professional integrity whether working in the public or private sector. The professional integrity will constrain their behavior to acting within the acceptable framework. Therefore, regardless of the approach to the public management, the integrity of the government officer will remain the same (Lee 2014). This argument is supported by Bouckaert and Christopher (2004) who states that there is little evidence that the integrity of the public officer is undermined or affected by the introduction of the new public management reforms. They refuse to accept that the introduction of the private sector techniques in the government agencies corrupt the moral value of the public officers. They state that the introduction of business techniques in the government sector can only enhance the integrity and the accountability of the officers in this sector. Apparently, they oppose the argument that there is a conflict between the ethics and new public management. Cooper (2007) concur that there is no conflicts between the new public management and ethics. He notes that governments around the world have become under tremendous pressure from the public for greater efficiency, transparency and accountability. The pressure means that government officers are subjected to public scrutiny to ensure they meet the set ethical standard. According to him, the increased freedom of speech given to the press has played a major role in the ensuring ethical standards are adhered in the government. Most of the recent government scandals and major corruption issues have been identified by the press which attracts attention of the public on the scandals. As a result, Cooper believes that the high public scrutiny of the government officers has enhanced the integrity of the officers even after the introduction of private sector management techniques in the government sector. According to a research study conducted in 2013, the increased cases of government scandals and corruption cases results from lack of understanding of the ethics among the professional (Tulchinsky & Varavikova 2013). The research argues that the drastic change in the public management has hugely affected the ethics issues in the government sectors and has contributed to the increased cases of corruption. Most public officers are not cognizant off the new reforms leading to money fraudulent cases. The research adds that there is a need to develop new ethical considerations that addresses integrity issues in the new public management. In Canada for instance, the government has indicated that there is a need to formulate ethical considerations and moral values to guide the public servants in the market driven and service oriented public service management. The government argues that the greater decentralization and delegation of authority in partnership and contracting in the new public management can open room for favoritism, conflict of interest and bureaucratic patronage. Therefore, there is a concern over the ethical considerations of the government in program decisions. However, the study conclude that there is not conflict between ethics and new public management as the trend is expected whenever there is transformation from one approach to another (Tulchinsky & Varavikova 2013). A report conducted in Australian indicated that corruption and conflict of interests have increased rapidly as government organizations continue to embrace market-driven, service oriented approach. The trend arises from the fact that the new approach does not preserve the essential value of public management. These values include merit, equity and impartiality, which are essential for delivery of the public services. However, rather than admitting that there is a conflict between ethics and the new reforms, the report argue that government official can retain their integrity if the government draft ethical reforms that encourage greater discretion and judgement in regard to individual cases (Van der Wal 2007). This Australian report agree with yet another research by Kolthoff, Huberts and Heuvel (2007) which holds that there is a need to reinforce norms and values in the new public management to enhance ethical integrity. Kolthoff, Huberts and Heuvel (2007) observe that government agencies and organizations become more flexible and autonomy as result of the new reforms in the pubic management. The flexibility and autonomy has raised concern that the cohesive public service culture that is based on the some shared more values have eroded and the professional socialization that inculcate these moral values no longer exists. In order to respond to these changes, they indicate that some countries have drafted the basic guidelines for the conduct which they expect from the government officers. For instance, United Kingdom and New Zealand have included a statement of responsibilities and values of public servants in their legislation. Therefore, new ethical reforms are required to address the new public management. This argument suggests that there exist no conflict between ethics and new public management. However, some ethical reforms are necessary to align the ethical rules with the new public procurement. In the view of the two opposing sides, the question of the whether there is a conflict between the new public management and ethics can be decides to some extent. It is undisputable fact that the new public management has come alongside an exponential increase in corruption cases in the public administration. It is true, therefore to argue that the reforms made in the public management in the recent years have given ways for numerous ethical issues as evident through the increasing cases of corruption and government scandals across the globe in the recent years. The business-like approach to public management does not inculcate the shared moral values or the ethical culture that enhance ethical considerations. However, it is also true to say that the business-like approach can enhance ethical considerations if robust and aggressive policies measures are put into place. This paper holds that although the new public management has resulted to increased corruption in the government sector, there is no major conflict between the ethics and the new pubic management. The increased cases of corruption can be reduced by enacting policies that reduces the spread of the menace. In conclusion, this paper has determined that there is no conflict between the new public management and ethics. The paper has base its argument on the increasing cases of corruption in the government agencies resulting from attempts to run government agencies as though they are business private organizations. The new public management does not have robust and aggressive ethical measures to address integrity issues, which has led to increased number of corruption cases in the sector. Most analysts argue that the increase in the number of integrity cases as a result of the new public management reforms is clear evidence that there is a conflict between the management and the ethics. Although this argument is based on facts, it is arguable true to say that there are no sufficient ethical measures to deal with the menace of corruption in the new public management. The public sector has the opportunity of reducing this negative trend by enacting and applying effective ethical measures. References Bouckaert, G, & Christopher P., 2004, Public Management Reform. A Comparative Analysis. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Barzelay, M, 2001, The New Public Management. New York: Russell Sage Foundation. https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=8xqYFPAXNZIC&pg=PR3&dq=The+new+public+management:+Improving+research+and+policy+dialogue.+Berkeley:+University+of+California+Press&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAGoVChMI8sLb3MTvyAIVhDsUCh2SNQ5S#v=onepage&q=The%20new%20public%20management%3A%20Improving%20research%20and%20policy%20dialogue.%20Berkeley%3A%20University%20of%20California%20Press&f=false Clark, D. 2010, Implementing the Third Way. Public Management Review. 6(4): 491–510. Cohen, S., & Eimicke, W., 2002, The Effective Public Manager: Achieving Success in a Changing Government. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. (https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=Jy6uiSzNrdoC&printsec=frontcover&dq=.+Cohen,+S.,+and+W.+Eimicke.+2002.+The+Effective+Public+Manager:+Achieving+Success+in+a+Changing+Government.+San+Francisco:+Jossey-Bass.+Cohe&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false) Cooper, T., 2000, Handbook of Administrative Ethics.2nd ed. New York: Marcel Dekker. (https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=P_gjwnNgtHwC&pg=PA36&dq=Cooper,Handbook+of+Administrative+Ethics.2nd+ed.+New+York:+Marcel+Dekker&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Cooper%2CHandbook%20of%20Administrative%20Ethics.2nd%20ed.%20New%20York%3A%20Marcel%20Dekker&f=false) Helden, G., & Jansen, P., 2007, New Public Management in Dutch Local Government. Local Government Studies 29(2): 68–88. Lee, C., 2014. Ethics in Public Administration: Are We Teaching What Can’t be Taught? Accessed on October 2015 From https://www.cscollege.gov.sg/Knowledge/ethos/Ethos%20-%20Issue%2013,%20June%202014/Pages/Ethics%20in%20Public%20Administration%20Are%20We%20Teaching%20What%20Cant%20be%20Taught.aspx Pollitt C. & Bouckaert T., 2004, Public Management Reform: A Comparative Analysis. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Tulchinsky, T. H., & Varavikova, E., 2007, The new public health: An introduction for the 21st century. San Diego: Academic Press. Van der Wal, Z., 2007, Central Values of Government and Business: Differences, Similarities and Conflicts. Public Administration Quarterly. 30(3): 313–364. Williams, D., 2014. Evolution of Performance Management until 1930. Administration and Society 36 (2): 131–165. Williams, D., 2000, Reinventing the Proverbs of Government. Public Administration Review 60(6): 522–534. http://www.readcube.com/articles/10.1111%2F0033-3352.00115?r3_referer=wol&tracking_action=preview_click&show_checkout=1&purchase_referrer=onlinelibrary.wiley.com&purchase_site_license=LICENSE_DENIED Yesilkagit, A., 2004, Reform Styles of Political and Administrative Elites in Majoritan and Consensus Democracies: Public Management reforms in New Zealand and The Netherlands.Public Administration 82(4) Zsolnai, L., 2004, Spirituality and ethics in management. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic. https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=A3AUw6M2rU4C&pg=PA221&dq=Zsolnai,+L.,+2004,+Spirituality+and+ethics+in+management.+Dordrecht:+Kluwer+Academic&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CCIQ6AEwAWoVChMI1eHliMrvyAIVyG4UCh1WpwGi#v=onepage&q=Zsolnai%2C%20L.%2C%202004%2C%20Spirituality%20and%20ethics%20in%20management.%20Dordrecht%3A%20Kluwer%20Academic&f=false Read More