ETHICAL MANAGEMENT IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE
MANAGEMENT: AN INTERNATIONAL PHENOMENON12
By : Dadan Sidqul Anwar3
Centre for International Administration Studies4
National Institute for Public Administration Studies, Indonesia
Telp./Fax. 62-21-3504658; Email: Dadan_sa@yahoo.com
Paul R. Leonard, Lt. Governor of Ohio said:
“Ethics must come first. Without it, there is little or no respect for elected officials.
Without respect, there is no credibility. Without credibility leadership is impossible. And
leadership is necessary to address the tough issues in the years ahead.”
(http://www.alaska.net/~jdonahue/ethics.htm)
Introduction
The growing concern of new public management (NPM) reforms in developed and
developing countries has been seen as a positive direction toward better services for the
public. However, it has also been realized that its existence is not enough in assuring
better public services because it might be seen as still ‘value free’. Even the fundamental
values might be undermined by the reforms (OECD, 1996). High degree of autonomy in
public management, for example, might be beneficial for improving public services only
if the officers’ effort is maximizing the autonomy for their public interest. On the
contrary, it might be unbeneficial or even costly if the officers maximize it only for their
own interest. Sometimes, civil servants also might be in ‘dilemma situation’. The civil
servants might see the truth but the organizational environment might not allow them
present it. It is there fore the idea of ethic5 has emerged and even implemented in many
1 This paper is written in a Book “Bureaucratic Reform in Indonesia: Unrealized Hope” (Reformasi
Birokrasi di Indonesia: Harapan yang Tak Kunjung Bergulir), published by Lembaga Administrasi Negara
(National Institute of Public Administration), Jakarta, 2005. Page 379-389.
2 For Knowledge and Wisdom Lovers
3 Researcher and Advocator in the field of ethics in Gove