The main points from the cooper reading
The cooper reading addresses many issues concerning responsible conduct within the public administration. The main points addressed by Cooper (2012) include the internal and external forces impacting on responsible behavior within the public domain, ethical dilemmas and ethics in situational contexts. These three main points address the extent to which legislation and other factors affect responsible conduct in public offices. According to chapter six of the cooper reading, legislation, media and codes of ethics are the main external forces affecting responsible behavior.
Summary of the article
The article Leadership, Ethics Focus of New UA Center concerns itself with moral conduct in a public sector organization, in the context of a developed country. The article gives a detailed explanation of what ethics is. According to the article, the public office administration is concerned with two types of ethical perspectives. The first type of ethical perspective is the theory of moral relativity and the second type of ethical perspective is absolute truth. The article explains absolute truth as a theory that judges a thing as right or wrong depending on the inherent nature of the deed. In contrast, moral relativism is concerned with judging a thing as right or wrong depending on the result or the end. The article further endeavors to explain the significance of morals in the public office, where accountability, liability, and precision are fundamental ideas. The article explains that ethics are important in the eradication of such antisocial practices as fraud.
The newspaper article, Leadership, Ethics Focus of New UA Center, explains ethics in different contexts. Under this Pollack (2012) explains that, that which is moral varies from one period, place and circumstance to another. Additionally, the article explains the practicalities of public administration principles under the subtopic ‘the roots of ethical conduct”. The article explains legislation as an external force affecting ethics within a public office or institution. Legislative reforms are described as the most powerful external forces that modify the ethics and accepted conducts within the public institution. Codes of conduct established by ethical legislation are described as other external factors affecting the functions of accountability, responsibility and transparency within an organization. The article defines bureaucracy as a strong internal force affecting ethical standards through the political theory of organizational and business ethics. It as well addresses such vices as corruption and how ethics are taken seriously in the public sector.
The relationship between the article and the Cooper reading
The connection between the article and the Cooper reading’s key points is the fact that they both relate to the ethical conduct in public administration. They both address ethics in relation to legislation and the codes of ethics established by such legislation. In both writings, such things as bureaucracy and corruption, which are characteristic of the public offices are addressed. The new insights I have gained about this topic revolve around the relationship between the law and ethical conduct within the public administration.
The first insight is the fact that in establishing an expected code of conduct within an organization the management should consider the law of the land within which the business operates. This is to eliminate or minimize the conflicts between the provisions of the law and the expected behavior in public organizations. The second insight is the fact that that which one context may define as being ethical may be unethical in another context and situation. The new insights will be very useful to me as a professional since they will help me learn to adjust to the ethical expectations of a new work place in the event that am transferred to an organization where the ethical standards are different from the former organization. Additionally, the new insights will enhance my knowledge of professional ethics in relation to the law.
References
Cooper, T. L. (2012). The responsible administrator: An approach to ethics for the administrative role. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Pollack, B. (2012). Leadership, ethics focus of new UA center. Arizona Daily Star (Tucson, AZ) November 24th
