Administra¬tive Ethics

Administrative ethics has evolved over time and has been influenced by a variety of environmental factors during its development and maintenance. It is the result of multiple contextual structures and is constantly changing. Some of the contextual factors that influence the growth of ethics in public administrative systems are listed below. 

 

1.    Historical Context

2.    Socio-Cultural Context 

3.    Legal-Judicial Context 

4.    Political Context 

5.    Economic Context

 

•    The ethical character of a country's governance system is heavily influenced by its history.

 

•    For example, during the early stages of the American nation, the spoils system tainted the ethical climate of the American public administration. "The spoils belong to Victor," declared American President Andrew Jackson.

 

•    Things would have remained the same if President James A. Garfield had not been assassinated in 1881 by a disgruntled job seeker. The assassination of President James Garfield sparked a wave of civil service reforms in the United States, with the establishment of the US Civil Commission in 1883 being the first major step in that direction.

 

•    In India's governance system, there has a long history of unethical practises. The Arthashastra of Kautilya mentions a number of corrupt practises that existed among Mauryan administrators. Similarly, during the Mughal and British periods, there were numerous complaints about the prevalence of corrupt practises in administration. Even British Parliamentarians chastised some East India Company members for their corrupt behaviour.

 

•    In almost every period of human history, the forces of probity and immorality have coexisted. Which forces are more powerful is determined by the support they receive from the political and administrative system's main players.

 

•    What's more concerning is that if unethical governance practises continue for a long time, the level of tolerance for administrative immorality is likely to rise.

 

•    The chasm between the people and the government still exists in most developing countries with a colonial history.

 

•    Despite the fact that the distance between the ruling elite and the general public has shrunk significantly in the transformed democratic systems, there is still a lack of affinity and trust between the two.

 

•    On the one hand, administrators have largely failed to instil an emotional bond with citizens, while on the other hand, the legacy of competitive collaboration between citizens and administrators continues to thrive. It's no surprise that this squabble has a negative impact on administrative ethics.

•    The nature of a governance system is determined by the values that pervade a social order. Unfortunately, Indian society today appears to value wealth over all other values, and the means-ends issue has been overlooked in the process of generating wealth. 

 

•    In other words, the ends have taken precedence over the means, and the means no longer command equal respect. The pursuit of wealth is not inherently bad. In fact, it is regarded as a symbol of civilizational advancement. 

 

•    When ideals are buried under the weight of more practical concerns about economic progress, a problem arises. A society's cultural system, including its religious orientation, has a significant impact on its citizens' values and work ethics.

 

•    For example, most religions place a high value on hard work and honesty. Moral issues, on the other hand, may or may not be rooted in a society's religious ethos. Despite the fact that no religious scripture encourages the pursuit of wealth through unethical means, corruption is prevalent in many cultures.

 

•    Consider Thiruvalluvar's Tirukkural, which was written nearly two thousand years ago in Tamil Nadu. Kural's lines below demonstrate the importance of values in generating wealth. 

 

•    “Earning wealth brings fame, respect and an opportunity to help and serve others, but it should be earned through right means only.”-Tirukkural

 

•    Mahatma Gandhi wanted to change the priorities of Indian society, but there were few others who shared his vision. To put it bluntly, there hasn't been a single strong voice in independent India challenging Mammon's supremacy since Gandhiji's death.

 

•    The family system and educational institutions are powerful instruments of socialisation and mental training during a child's formative years, and thus high ethical standards will stem from the families and educational institutions' efficacy in instilling values.

 

•    It is necessary to develop new perspectives on what kind of Indian men or women we want to evolve and how we want to evolve them. Until then, efforts must be concentrated on non-social fronts.

 

•    In the ethical universe, a neatly formulated law with a clear emphasis on the norms of fair conduct and honesty is likely to separate chaff from grain. 

 

•    Conversely, nebulous (or ill-defined/vague) laws with ambiguous definitions will only encourage immorality because they will be unable to instil fear of God or fear of the law in those who violate the laws of the land or society's mores (conventions or customs).

 

•    An effective judiciary with a fast-track justice system will effectively enforce societal laws and conventions, thereby upholding morals and values in public affairs. A slow-moving judiciary, on the other hand, that is more concerned with the letter of the law than with the spirit of the law, will dither and delay, even helping criminals by giving them leeway through prolonged trials and benefits of the doubt.

 

•    Similarly, the government's anti-corruption machinery, with its tangled web of complex procedures, unintentionally benefits the corrupt. 

 

•    Indeed, the toothlessness and feebleness of vigilance bodies, as well as their low-key status in the governance system, encourage covert attempts to subvert laws.

 

•    Political leadership, whether in power or not, is the single most powerful influence on citizens' mores and values. It sets a good precedent for the people to follow if politicians act as authentic examples of integrity, as they do in Scandinavian countries.

 

•    People are also seduced to act in their own self-interest if politicians are engrossed in self-interest.

 

•    In a democracy, political parties, pressure groups, and the media all have an impact on people's moral orientation and attitudes.

 

•    Because the administrative system is a component of the overall governance system, it cannot be immune to high or low political morality. Politicians' actions have a demonstration effect on government employees.

 

•    In India, the electoral system is a major driver of political corruption. Spending millions on an election forces a candidate to reimburse his expenses in a variety of ways, some of which are more nefarious than others. While fairness has its bounds, foulness has none.

 

•    It's ironic that in a country like India, the moral climate is shaped more by politicians than by social groups. The political groups' dominance over the rest of the system is far too obvious to ignore. 

 

•    As a result, other institutions, such as the media, must play an objective and fearless role in providing the necessary check on political malpractices. As a result, those who own and manage media companies must recognise their larger social and moral responsibilities.

 

•    The level of ethics in a country's governance system is likely to have a positive correlation with its economic development. Even if no causal relationship exists between the two, a co-relation cannot be ruled out. 

 

•    When low levels of economic development are combined with economic inequalities, a chasm between social classes or groups is likely to form.

 

•    While meeting their basic needs of existence and security, the less privileged or deprived sections of society may be tempted to abandon principles of honest conduct. 

 

•    Not that the rich will necessarily be more honest (though they can afford to be), but it is expected that the poor will find it necessary to compromise on the principles of integrity in order to make a living.

 

•    It's worth noting that, with the advent of liberalising economic regimes in developing countries, there's a growing concern about upholding integrity norms in industry, trade, management, and governance, owing to international agreements that demand high levels of integrity in the WTO regime. This is what Fred Riggs would call "exogenous administrative change instruments."

 

 

•    The administrative class emerges from society, consisting of civil servants at higher, middle, and lower levels. As a result, the prevalent social mores, values, and behavioural patterns are likely to be reflected in the behaviour of administrators. It would be wildly unrealistic to expect administrators to be immune to societal expectations and norms.

 

•    Although the above argument is logical, there is a counter-argument that administrators are expected to have higher moral fibre than ordinary citizens. Such an expectation will remain elusive until instruments and institutions are created to protect and nurture administrative morality in relation to general social morality.