“Publics” Administration and the Ethics of Particularity

Abstract

Ethical orientations that emphasize universal duties, ideals, and values are well known to public administrators. We pay attention to principle, policy, ideals, shared goals, and the provision of a variety of commonly held values, such as clean air and water, mosquito abatement, and public recreation. The word "public" often seems to be a synonym for "universal." However, this article explores particularity in ethics, especially as it applies to the life of the public servant. It identifies three distinct orientations that focus on the concrete-as opposed to the abstract-and it shows how the exceptional cases are not administrative problems; rather they provide a reality check for public administrators who suppose rules, plans, and programs to be their primary orientation toward the management of public concerns.

An Exploration into the Developmental Psychology of Ethical Theory with Implications for Business Practice and Pedagogy

“…One framework that allows a systematic treatment of both micro-and macro-moral elements is the ''Six Voices Model'' as articulated by Brady (1999Brady ( , 2003. In particular, this approach is useful because it pays far more attention to the ''micro-morality'' questions mentioned above by Rest et al (1999) than other meta-ethical proposals (Cavanaugh et al, 1981;Garofalo and Gueras, 1999;Sheeran, 1993;).…”

Ethical Perspectives in Work Disability Prevention and Return to Work: Toward a Common Vocabulary for Analyzing Stakeholders’ Actions and Interactions

“…Donaldson and Dunfee 1999;Schwartz and Carroll 2003). For public administration ethics, the following sources provided an overview: Cooper (2004), Martinez (2009) andBrady (2003).…”

“…Several authors have pointed out that different theoretical perspectives co-exist in the field (Brady 2003;Cooper 2004;Martinez 2009). A widely recognized and accepted theoretical framework for public administrations has not been considered feasible, as public officials will in their practice face situations where different ethical perspectives would result in different decisions that would all be ethically defensible (Martinez 2009).…”

“…Donaldson and Dunfee 1999). Ethical dilemmas in public administration practice should not, according to Brady (2003), be treated as administrative problems: rather, they should be considered as a "reality check" for the organization, where human differences must be managed within a standardized social insurance system. Cooper (2004) also noted how a standardized system cannot guarantee a fair process for everybody.…”

Political administration

“…The general idea that public ethics is a necessary feature of public administration has received a lot of attention during the last decades. This drive can partly be regarded as a reaction against the trends of New Public Management, which, according to many scholars, has resulted in a one-sided interest in issues of efficiency whereas issues of values and ethics have been neglected (Brady 2003;Chapman and O´Toole 1995;Cooper 2004;Frederickson 1999: Macaulay andLawton 2006). Several scholars argue that an ethics of rule is necessary to secure a well-functioning public administration (Lundquist 1997;Denhart and Denhart 2000;Goss 1996).…”