Ethics and Management in the Public Sector

Grappling with ethical issues is a daily challenge for those working in organizations that deliver public services. Such services are delivered through an often bewildering range of agencies and amidst this constant change, there are fears that a public service ethos, a tradition of working in the public interest, becomes blurred.

Using extensive vignettes and case studies, Ethics and Management in the Public Sector illuminates the practical decisions made by public officials. The book takes a universal approach to ethics reflecting the world-wide impact of public service reforms and also includes discussions on how these reforms impact traditional vales and principles of public services.

This easy-to-use textbook is a definitive guide for postgraduate students of public sector ethics, as well as students of public management and administration more generally.

“'Public sector reform needs to move on from the narrow agenda of New Public Management, and this includes treating the question of public service 'ethics' as something more substantial than rhetoric. The authors of this important book provide substantial ideas and material that will be of value to those involved in that task.' Colin Crouch, Professor Emeritus, University of Warwick, UK 'This accessible text is firmly grounded in ethical theory and current public management practice. Well chosen case vignettes allow the reader to apply principles and consider their universality. The inclusion of ethical dimensions of the delivery of public services through networks also makes this text relevant to private and voluntary sector audiences. ' Dr Gemma Donnelly-Cox, School of Business,Trinity College Dublin”

'Public sector reform needs to move on from the narrow agenda of New Public Management, and this includes treating the question of public service ‘ethics’ as something more substantial than rhetoric. The authors of this important book provide substantial ideas and material that will be of value to those involved in that task.'

Colin Crouch, Professor Emeritus, University of Warwick, UK

'This accessible text is firmly grounded in ethical theory and current public management practice. Well chosen case vignettes allow the reader to apply principles and consider their universality. The inclusion of ethical dimensions of the delivery of public services through networks also makes this text relevant to private and voluntary sector audiences. '

Dr Gemma Donnelly-Cox, School of Business,Trinity College Dublin

Professor Alan Lawton is Deputy Head of the School of Business and Economics at Monash University, Australia. Prior to joining Monash in 2011 he held professorial appointments at the universities of Hull and Teesside in the UK and VU University in Amsterdam. He has written extensively on public sector ethics in journals such as Journal of Business Ethics, Public Administration Review, Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory , Public Integrity and Public Money & ManagementDr Karin Lasthuizen is Associate Professor in Governance Studies and senior member of the research group Quality of Governance at the Department of Governance Studies at the VU University in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. She has recently published in the Public Management Review, Public Administration, Sociological Methods and Research and International Journal of LeadershipDr Julie Rayner is Lecturer in the School of Business and Economics at Monash University, Australia. Prior to joining Monash Julie taught at Durham University, UK and also worked with The Open University Business School. Her research interests are in public sector organizations and she has recently published in the Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, Journal of Business Ethics and the International Journal of Human Resource Management

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