Ethics In Public Policy And Administration 3 Essays Examples

The chapter, “Constructive Conflict”, by Mary Parker Follett deals with the friction between individuals which arises in business. The three main ways of dealing with any sort of conflict are domination, compromise and integration. While the article delves deep into the features of domination and compromise, it is made clear to the avid reader that neither can serve the purpose of nullifying conflict in the best possible way.
Dominance means the overpowering over one side, while compromise leads to mutual understanding and striking a deal between the two conflicting parties. As such, integration is the most viable option available to address the conflicts which might rise in the field of work. The constructive and destructive ways of dealing with conflicts might lead to different results and repercussions.
Integration aims at bringing together the conflicting sides and thus consolidating them. This nullifies any disruption or difference of opinion and thus ensures proper functioning and advancement. Taking into consideration the various demands of the conflicting sides and reducing them into the constituent parts, integration aims to do away with the incompatibility.
There are certain obstacles to integration which also need to be taken care of while dealing with conflicts. Integration requires high level of intelligence and perceptiveness. It is also needed to not fall into the pothole of domination which impedes the way of integration which seems to be a less exciting option while dealing with conflicts.
Giandomenico Majone in “Policy Analysis and Public Deliberation” goes on to talk about the three types of conflicts: authority, role and interest.
Conflict of authority arises when two or more authorities issue orders in the same domain of action or are at loggerheads about their subjective authority in a domain of work. In case of role conflicts, the public official finds himself or herself in a certain situation where the particular roles are either incompatible or mutually exclusive. Under such a circumstance, the person involved can be left incapable of reaching a decision. Also, some external force can actually come into play and influence the decision. Withdrawal from active involvement and tendency of avoiding responsibility are other things which can be seen. Alternative measures can also be adopted to fulfill immediate desires.
Thus, it is of utmost importance to comprehend the facts involved, the roles and the alternatives present. The impending consequences of the alternatives which might be chosen also need to be gauged. How the chosen alternative can be justified to the mass also needs to be sorted out. In the case of conflict of interest, a person’s personal interest is in a conflicting situation with the professional obligations.
There are many factors which influence the functioning of administrative bodies. Bribery, influence peddling, information peddling, financial transactions all comes into play. However, the matter of paramount importance is to remain in the position where the authorities enjoy the trust of the people whom they are aimed to serve.
Thus, conflicts are a very basic constituent of any public office and they need to be comprehended and addressed with full attention and commitment. The various types of conflicts which have been discussed can impede the proper functioning of an organization if not dealt with properly. Hence, the role of managing the administration is onerous one which requires skills and tactics to nullify all the complications which are bound to arise.