Essay on "Frederickson & Vulgar Ethics in Public Admin"

Essay 6 pages (1732 words) Sources: 5 July 11, 2020

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Vulgar Ethics

In Searching for Virtue in the Public Life: Revisiting the Vulgar Ethics Thesis, Frederickson (2010) introduces the Vulgar Ethics Thesis. He introduces this concept on the premise that virtue in public life is less likely to be evident in a deeper understanding of virtue and is increasingly likely to be found in deeper understanding of the public life. Frederickson (2010) contends that while it is easy to study goodness through various ethical theories and perspectives, actual teaching of goodness is relatively difficult since teaching does not necessary provoke moral change in ordinary individuals. Therefore, vulgar ethics thesis refers to establishing rules, regulations, and checks and balances in public administration to prevent bureaucrats from behaving badly. Vulgar ethics is primarily common or ordinary ethics as it postulates the use of ordinary models, examples and cases rather than extraordinary ones. I agree with Frederickson’s argument since ordinary examples, cases and models on ethics are easily identifiable and relatable. Through this, ethics becomes an issue of collective responsibility rather than individual moral choice in public administration.

Conflict of Responsibility

Cooper (2012) identifies three types of conflict of responsibility in the field of public administration i.e. conflicts of authority, role conflicts, and conflicts of interest. Conflicts of authority emerge due to the subordination of one individual to various people and in relation to laws, rules and regulations. For instance, in the Foxtrot Phone Scandal, the individual could be punished for failing to report the misuse of company telephone to place free calls. Role conflicts always emerge in organizations with multiple levels of organizational structures. According to Cooper, there are instances where being subjected to one individual could also imply that an employee is also subordinate to another whole authority spreads across. The employee is then conflicted on whether he is subject to both or to the one with a higher position. Conflicts of interest are based on the conflict between an individual interests and those of the organization. The New City Manager was faced with a conflict of interest on whether to accept the bribery offer vis-à-vis the wellbeing of the city.

Values and Meaning in Public Service

In The Search for Meaning in Government Service, Pattakos (2004) identifies three values that play a critical role in public service. One of these values is creative value, which is meaning public servants obtain from creating or doing something valuable. Creative value has influenced my search for meaning in public service by provoking a desire to make a difference in the society through my work. The second is experiential value, which emerges from encountering someone or experiencing something. In my quest for meaning in public service, work-related experiences have influenced the meaning and value I associate with my work. As I work and interact with different people in the public sector, I find my work meaningful and valuable as I play a role in addressing challenges affecting people and the society. Third, attitudinal value refers to deciding one’s attitude toward suffering. When confronted with relatively difficult situations at work, I find deep meaning in my work through navigating the challenges and promoting effective public service delivery.

Characteristics of Whistleblowers

Whistleblowing is an act that could generate unpleasant ramifications for the individual though it helps in dealing with unethical/illegal practices. In Praise of Difficult People: A Portrait of the Committed Whistleblower, Jos, Tompkins & Hays (1989) identify common characteristics found in whistleblowers. They contend that committed whistleblowers neither share common organizational histories nor seemingly appear to be concentrated in particular organizational positions. The most essential characteristics for someone to blow the whistle in light of the potential unpleasant ramifications of the act are commitment to organizational goals, belief in universal moral rules, and social responsibility. Commitment to organizational goals influence decisions and actions undertaken by such individuals as they believe that universal moral principles and rules should be applicable to all situations without exception. A higher sense of social responsibility is also an essential characteristic since these individuals consider and focus on the interests of all rather than their own interests.

Most Relevant Scenario

In her book, Cooper (2012) multiple scenarios to explain her ideas and perspectives on different issues relating to ethics in the public sector and administration. One of the scenarios that resonated with me the most is the case of conflicting loyalties, which highlights issues of conflicting feelings of loyalty that emerge in public service. This scenario demonstrates how a commitment to ethical conduct can sometimes be costly and lonely in public service, especially when it contradicts loyalty to organizational hierarchy or superiors. Public officials are usually faced with such situations in which their commitment to ethical conduct is tested in relation to loyalty to organizational hierarchy. In such scenarios, public officials and servants must determine whether to demonstrate loyalty to their superiors or commitment to ethical conduct. As shown in this case, commitment to ethical conduct at the expense of loyalty to superiors is a lonely and costly process, but the right one.

PART II - Case Analysis

This is an ethical dilemma on whether to take disciplinary action against Donna following her DUI conviction and subsequent jail term or exonerate… READ MORE

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